The Next Chapter
by BuffyL
Summary: Welcome to Mystic Falls. It's a lot like Sunnydale, minus the Hellmouth. Buffy's going to feel right at home.
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1

"Uh…. Lexi…. Where are we going?" Buffy looked out the window of the moving vehicle at the unfamiliar landscape.

"Sorry I'm hijacking you, but I want to make a pit stop in Virginia to see if an old friend wants to join us. It's his birthday."

"And how many candles will be on his cake?"

"162."

Buffy shook her head. "I swear, I've become more involved with vampires since I retired than I was when I was active."

"But you can't tell me your retirement hasn't been a blast."

"Considering you've dragged me all over the place to enjoy some seriously beautiful vistas…. I can't argue."

Buffy Summers had retired after four years of hunting down Slayers all over the world and training them to hunt and kill vampires and demons. She was tired of fighting the forces of darkness on a nightly basis. She'd been mulling over it for a good year on whether it was a good idea or not and then she'd met Lexi. There weren't many of her kind of vampire. They were a newer form of vampires. "Evolution" was Giles' explanation.

Either way, Buffy liked Lexi. The two had become close friends and eventually Buffy had confided in Lexi about her wish to retire. Lexi had encouraged it completely, even putting it into terms that Giles could accept without much argument. It's not like Buffy would completely ignore her calling, she just wanted to capture some semblance of a life. She wanted to live rather than die young.

The night everyone had agreed to it, Buffy had come home to find Lexi standing amongst numerous and completely packed suitcases and Lexi had planned a massive world tour beginning that very night. She'd swept Buffy everywhere: Paris, Dublin, Sydney, Madrid, Berlin, Moscow, Athens, Amsterdam, Cairo…. Everywhere. Lexi showed her all the sights and all the great places to eat and just enjoy life.

Buffy's favorite had been when Lexi had taken her into Rio de Janiro, Brazil with a friend of Lexi's and they'd gone up into the rainforest for almost a month. Buffy had discovered hidden tribes of people and beautiful creatures who hadn't been seen by human eyes. She explored ruins and swam under waterfalls.

All the time she'd spent in the jungle, she'd had to use her heightened senses to really get around. When they finally moved on, Buffy had discovered she was stronger and faster and all of her powers were even more powerful than before. The power boost hadn't been expected, but Buffy was more in tune with herself and her body than ever before. Of course, that had been Lexi's plan.

Now they were headed up to New York City for a Bon Jovi concert at Lexi's insistence.

"Ok, so…. Is there a back story on your friend? Does he have a name? Is he like you?"

"His name is Stefan and I met up with him not long after he was turned. He was a mess…. Killing people and just acting crazy. I helped him get on his feet and showed him how to be subtle and not kill humans."

"You're a sucker for charity cases."

"So are you." Buffy stuck her tongue out at her friend and they both laughed. Lexi turned the car into a large driveway and pulled up to a massive Tudor style house.

"Wow!" Buffy said. "This place is huge." She shook her head. "What is it with vampires and huge houses?"

Lexi shrugged. "Not all of us can walk in the daylight so a big house keeps us from being completely bored during the day."

"Wait…. Some of you can walk in the day?"

"Well, Stefan can. He has a ring that a witch put a spell on so he can walk in the sunlight." Lexi pouted slightly. "Lucky."

Buffy shook her head. "Learn something new every day." They got out and walked up to the front door. "Should we knock or ring?"

"Neither." Lexi moved around the side of the house and found the windows into the library. She cracked it open and stepped in. Buffy sighed and followed. She hoped Stefan wasn't in a bad mood. She quietly followed Lexi into the large library where a sleeping Stefan was sitting on one of the chairs. She directed Buffy out into the hallway as Lexi moved in and knocked the book Stefan was holding onto the floor before dashing away.

Stefan, of course, woke up at the noise. He got up and noticed the window was open. Quietly, he moved over and shut the window. All around the house, Lexi made noises and caused Stefan to start searching. "Damon?" He called. Lexi attacked, knocking him to the floor and then spinning him over. She bared her fangs at him. "Lexi?"

"Hi."

"What are you doing here?" The two were up in a second.

"How could you even ask that?" The two embraced tightly.

"I missed you."

"Happy Birthday." She smiled brightly and Stefan hugged her again. "Hey, there's someone I want you to meet. Buffy." Buffy stuck her head in from the hallway and then walked over to Lexi. "Buffy, this is my friend Stefan. Stefan, this is my very good friend Buffy. She's a Vampire Slayer." Buffy cleared her throat. "Well…." Lexi shrugged and amended, "Retired Vampire Slayer."

Stefan smiled. "Any friend of Lexi's is a friend of mine. It's nice to meet you." He said, shaking her hand gently.

"You too." Buffy said. He was handsome. He kind of reminded her of Angel a little bit. Buffy shut those thoughts down automatically. No Angel thoughts.

"You're not here to kill me, are you?"

Buffy laughed slightly. "Nope. Strictly vacation time. Lexi has been showing me the sights of the entire world. At some point she wants to check out an ashram in India. Not sure if I'm down for that one."

"Oh come on!" Lexi protested again. "You won't go because you know I'll win the bet that you can't stick with a vow of silence." Buffy playfully rolled her eyes at Lexi.

* * *

><p>Later that day, after Stefan and Lexi had caught up and regaled Buffy with stories of their friendship, Stefan had had some errands to do. He had given Buffy and Lexi free reign of the house. Lexi had decided to take a nap while Buffy had decided to take a shower and roam the house. At the moment, her long, wet hair was hanging down her back and she changed into a pair of jean shorts and a hot pink tank top. She wandered the house checking out all the old portraits and some of the old books in the library.<p>

"Who are you and why are you in my house?"

Buffy spun around and was completely bowled over by the amazing set of eyes fixed on her. By the looks of him, he must be Stefan's brother Damon. "Hi. Sorry, uh…. Stefan said we could explore while we waited for him."

"Uh huh. Friends of my brother's?"

"Yes. Well, I just met him. But Lexi knows him."

"You know Lexi?"

"Yup. Sorry…. I'm Buffy. You must be Damon."

"So Stefan and Lexi talked about me? All bad I hope."

"Yeah, they mentioned you were like that."

Damon moved faster than the human eye could track to stand right in front of her, but since Buffy wasn't exactly human…. She wasn't standing where she'd been a split second ago. She stood across the room. "Vampire?" Damon asked, turning to her.

"Vampire Slayer." Buffy answered.

"They don't usually move that fast."

"Well, I'm not exactly new at the game."

"Really now?"

"Thirteen years give or take."

"You don't look a day over 18."

Buffy shrugged. "Apparently Slayers don't age."

"Most of them don't live long enough to find out if it's true."

"I have."

Damon nodded. "You're prettier than the ones I've met."

"Thanks?"

"You're welcome." Damon took a few steps towards her and Buffy held her ground. "So Lexi's here?"

"Yes. We got in this morning. She's sleeping."

"Why aren't you?"

"Insomnia."

Damon nodded and walked out of the library. "How old are you?"

"28." Buffy said, following. She had a feeling he was headed for Lexi. She could take care of herself, but Buffy wanted to keep an eye on Damon if what Stefan said about his brother was true.

Damon waltzed into Stefan's room and slid onto the bed next to Lexi. She stirred and looked up at him. "Boo." Lexi groaned. "Hello Lexi . What an unexpected surprise."

"Unexpected surprise?" Lexi said, sitting up. "I think the wrong brother went back to high school."

"How long you here for?"

"Just for Stefan's BDay."

"You mean you didn't come all this way to see me?"

"That's it, Damon." Lexi said sarcastically. "After a century I finally realized death means nothing without you. Do me."

"Why are you so mean to me?"

"Have you met you? You're not a nice person."

"Because I'm a vampire."

"But you're only the bad parts."

Damon leaned into her and got a little too close for Lexi's comfort. "Teach me to be good."

Lexi grabbed Damon by the neck and slammed him against the mattress. "I'm older and that means stronger."

"Sorry." He choked out.

"Don't ruin my time with Stefan cause I'll hurt you and you know I can do it."

"Yeah."

"And don't touch Buffy."

"Take all my fun."

"She'll rip you to pieces before you could blink."

Damon glanced at Buffy and she smiled at him. "I won't touch her if she doesn't want me to."

Lexi rolled her eyes. "Trust me…. She doesn't want you to." She looked at Buffy. "Has he been bugging you?"

"Nope." Buffy said.

Lexi smiled. "You look cute."

"Thanks. I borrowed one of your tanks. I hope that's ok."

"It looks good on you. Keep it."

"You've got to stop doing that. I've got no room for your clothes and mine."

Lexi shrugged. "Then you should stop borrowing my clothes and making them look better than me."

Buffy rolled her eyes. "Right." She noticed Damon slink out while they were talking. He cast one long, last look at Buffy before exiting completely.

"Seriously, was he bothering you?"

"Really he wasn't. I think I kinda startled him." Buffy sat down on the bed next to Lexi. "So, what's the plan for tonight?"

* * *

><p>Lexi, Buffy, and Stefan were sitting in the study talking. He'd gotten back about an hour before and they'd all started chatting again. This time it had been Buffy regaling Stefan and Lexi with stories. Somehow it had turned into a love life conversation since Lexi had mentioned that Buffy had dated two vampires before. That had led into a conversation on Stefan's current love life since it paralleled Buffy's past situation.<p>

"So this Elena…. She'll come around. I'm sure of it." Buffy said.

"Have you had sex yet?" Lexi asked.

"No." Stefan said.

"Sex always works. I mean you'll rock her world so hard with your vamp sex, she'll be yours forever."

"Yeah, but see, this isn't about sex or…. or compulsion or any of our other tricks. She has to want to be with me on her own terms."

"Wow that sounded all mature and grown up."

"I'm not getting any older."

Lexi grabbed one of her travel bags and pulled out a bag of blood. She grabbed a straw and stabbed it through the bag like a Capri Sun and began to sip. She looked up at Stefan. "Want some?"

"No thank you." Stefan got up and moved away.

"Relax. I didn't kill anyone for it. This phlebotomist I went out with a few times…. he's my supplier." Lexi laughed at Stefan's expression. "Oh don't judge ok? Listen I tried the animal diet. Lasted three weeks."

"It doesn't matter . Cause if I started again…. I just don't know if…."

"You could stop."

"Lexi, I'd never judge you."

"I'm just jealous of your restraint. I have none. I delight in hedonism. Speaking of which, what are we doing tonight?"

"Funny you should ask." They all turned to find Damon standing in the doorway.

"Well I wasn't asking you." Lexi shot back.  
>"There's a party at the Grill. You'll love it. Banquettes, tacky wait staff, all of Stefan's friends."<p>

"Oh I don't want a birthday party." Stefan said.

Buffy nodded. "Good choice." Stefan smiled at her and Lexi rolled her eyes at Buffy. The bad birthday curse the petite blonde was convinced she had had been a bane in Lexi's side ever since they'd med.

"Well, it's not for you, Stefan." Damon said. "It's a party party. No one's gonna know it's your birthday. Caroline's throwing it."

"Damon, stay away from Caroline." Stefan warned.

"We're friends. It's cool. It's important for the town to see us out and about like normal folk. We need to blend." Damon scoffed at Lexi's stock of blood. "I prefer mine at 98.6." He walked out of the room to eye rolls all around.

"Let's go." Lexi said. Stefan rolled his eyes. "Please?" She added sarcastically. Stefan smiled slightly and Lexi knew she had him. "Great. I'm going to go get ready!" She bounced out of there, playfully slapping Buffy's arm on the way out.

Buffy laughed. "She's a handful sometimes."

"Truer words have never been spoken." Stefan said.

"What's your brother's deal with this Caroline? You seem kinda on edge about it."

"He's got her under his compulsion."

"So, she's his toy basically?"

"Basically."

"Want me to kick his ass?"

Stefan laughed. "No. You're my guest and I want you to enjoy your stay here."

"Well thank you."

* * *

><p>Lexi walked out of a shower in Stefan's room and found Stefan and Buffy lounging on his bed talking about music. "I'm almost ready." Lexi announced.<p>

"I can't believe you actually think that we should go to this thing." Stefan said.

"It's not like I'm asking you to run outside midday without your ring. I mean seriously…. it's a party."

"A party that Damon wants us to go to. So my question is: why? I think he's up to something."

"Who cares? What can he possibly do to all those people in a public place?"

"He knows how to keep a low profile. Believe me."

"Ok, so he'll behave. Come on. One day a year I get you. One day that you're not brooding and existing in your own head."

"It's my birthday, right?"

"It's my day and that guy that jumped naked in the Trevi Fountain…. And got drunk on the torch of the statue of Liberty….. That guy can take a break from all of his worrying one night. And go to a stupid party. So quit your whining and go get ready."

"Fine." Stefan said, disappearing into the bathroom.

Lexi set her sights on Buffy. "_You_ are wearing something fabulous."

"What's wrong with what I've got on?"

Lexi grabbed her hand and pulled her towards the doorway. "It's way too casual. It's a party and you are dressing for the occasion." They headed downstairs to get into their luggage. Just as they reached the study, the doorbell jangled. "It's open! Come on in." Lexi called. A girl who looked exactly like the picture that Stefan had of his maker Katherine walked in and Lexi nearly dropped her towel. "Oh my god! How…. How…. Who?"

"I'm Elena." The girl said. "Who are you?"

"Lexi. A friend of Stefan's. And this is Buffy. A friend of mine."

"Is Stefan here?"

"He's in the shower. Do you want to wait?"

"No."

"I'll tell him you stopped by."

"That's ok." Elena dashed out of the house.

Lexi stormed back up the stairs and marched into to Stefan's bedroom. Buffy followed closely behind. "Are you out of your freaking mind?"

"What are you talking about?" Stefan asked.

"We just met Elena." Lexi grabbed the photo of Katherine. "You have some serious explaining to do."

Stefan sighed. "Start getting ready and I'll explain everything."

* * *

><p>Lexi sat on the bed with Buffy doing Buffy's makeup. "You have some serious emotional damage." She said over her shoulder to a pacing Stefan.<p>

"No it's not what you think. She's not Katherine." He protested.

"So they're related? Cause they can be twins." Buffy said.

"Stop moving your lips." Lexi demanded, trying to apply a coat of lipgloss.

"I don't know." Stefan said.

"You don't know or you didn't find out?" Lexi asked.

"Maybe I don't want to know. I have no desire to tie Elena to Katherine. Ok yes. Yes the resemblance is what drew me in. But that's it. Katherine and Elena may look the same on the outside but on the inside they are completely different."

"So Elena is not a raging bitch then, huh?"

"No. Elena is…. Elena's warm and she's…. She's kind and caring and she's selfless and it's real and honestly when I'm around her…. I completely forget what I am."

"Oh my god! You're in love with her."

"Yeah. I am."

"I think it's sweet." Buffy said, hopping up off the bed. "Probably doomed, but incredibly sweet."

Stefan sighed. "Probably doomed is right."

"It's how it works with regular Janes and their vampire boyfriends." She shrugged. "But I'm always rooting for the underdog."

Stefan laughed. "Are you ladies ready to go?"

"Yes." Lexi said, closing her mirror.

"Ok. I will meet you two there. I have something I need to do."

"Sure." Lexi turned to Buffy. "Shall we?"

* * *

><p>Damon spotted Buffy and Lexi walking in to the Mystic Grill. He moved away from Caroline and over to the two blondes. "Where's my brother?"<p>

"He said he'd meet us here."

"Buy you a…." Damon trailed off as Lexi dragged Buffy past Damon and into the thick of the party.

When Stefan made his way over to them a few minutes later, they were dancing in the middle of the crowd. Lexi smiled and pulled him in. "Ok, I'm gonna need a little more foot movement."

"Yeah not really interested in making a fool out of myself." Stefan countered.

"Come on you're not that bad."

"Do me a favor…. Tell me if you see Damon with his camera phone."

"Right." Lexi laughed and tugged on Stefan to get him moving.

* * *

><p>While Lexi and Stefan played pool, Buffy went over to order a round of drinks. Lexi had requested tequila shots. The bartender smiled at her. "What can I get you?<p>

"Three shots of tequila." Buffy said,

"I need to see some ID."

"No you don't." Lexi said, suddenly standing next to Buffy.

"That'll be…."

"Free."

"On the house."

"Thanks." Lexi and Buffy gathered their shots and headed back towards the pool table. They were stopped by Elena. "Oh! The famous Elena."

"Towel girl and towel girl's friend." Elena said.

"I've been called worse."

"I didn't know that you guys could drink."

"Oh yeah. It helps curb the cravings but makes for lot of lushy vamps."

"I've never seen Stefan drunk. He always seems so…."

"Uptight?"

"But not with you."

"Well that's the benefit of knowing someone for over a hundred years. You can just be yourself."

"Yeah he can't be himself with me."

"Well not yet." Buffy said. "The first step is him telling you, the rest comes with time."

"You seem so sure."

Buffy shrugged. "The love of my life was a vampire. I went through everything you're going through. Denial, anger, et cetera…."

"But at the end of the day love really did conquer all." Lexi finished. "Just like with the love of my life. He was human. Are you gonna drink that?"

"Go for it." Elena said. "I'm scared."

"But you're here." Buffy said.

"You're crazy about him. We get it ok? I mean what's not to love? Listen. Take it from someone who's been around a long time…. When it's real, you can't walk away." Lexi said.

"Hey…. it has been really nice meeting you two." Elena said. Lexi smiled and walked off towards the pool table.

Buffy smiled at Elena. "Watch. He's going to stare at you for a while and that will be your cue to get over there." Elena looked over at Stefan and he looked back at her. "Go." Buffy pushed her towards Stefan.

"Love advice?" Damon asked behind Buffy. "A Slayer and a love doctor?"

"Not hardly. I don't do the whole love thing anymore." Buffy moved away from Damon and over to the bar.

"Burned one too many times?"

"Something like that. Can I get a Malibu Baybreeze?"

"On my tab." Damon said.

"What do you want?"

"What do you mean?"

"Stefan and Lexi have warned me about you. Why are you even talking to me?"

"You're new and _very_ interesting."

"Thanks." Buffy said to the bartender as he handed her the drink. She looked up at Damon. "You are aware that if you piss me off, I can kill you right?"

"Hmm…. I've never fought a Slayer before."

"You'd lose." Lexi said, coming up on Damon's other side. "Buffy's the best." She set two shot glasses down in front of Damon. "All right, the shots are a bribe. I need you to answer a question. What are you really doing in Mystic Falls?"

"Have you tried the brittle? It wins awards." Damon said.

"Cut the crap."

"Ok. I have a diabolical master plan."

"What is it?"

"If I told you, it wouldn't be very diabolical, would it?"

Just then, two deputies and a woman sheriff walked up. Lexi was suddenly gasping and she started to fall. "What are you doing?" Damon demanded.

"Thank you for the vervain." The sheriff said. "Now if you'll excuse me." The deputies dragged Lexi off.

"Lexi!" Buffy called, looking at Stefan for help. They made their way towards each other, both following Lexi at the same time. Two officers blocked the exit. "Can't go out this way." One said.

Stefan grabbed Buffy's hand and pulled her in a different direction. Elena followed them and they all headed out a side door that wasn't blocked. They heard gunshots and rounded the corner just in time to see Damon slide in between the sheriff and Lexi and shove a stake through Lexi's heart.

Stefan had to work to keep Buffy restrained. He wasn't as strong as she was. "Buffy, stop. They'll kill you too."

"Lexi…." Buffy cried, sinking down to the ground. Stefan knelt down beside her, hugging her tightly and fighting back his own tears. A growl erupted from him and he stood up.

"This won't stand." He said.

"Stefan!" Elena called, rushing after him. "Stefan!"

"He killed her. He killed Zach. He killed Tanner. He turned Vicky…. I have to kill him."

"No you can't do that."

"Why are you trying to save him? Elena, he's never gonna change. Don't you see that? He's not gonna change."

"I'm not trying to save him. I'm trying to save you. You have no idea what this will do to you…. Please Stefan."

"Everywhere I've been…. pain and death follow. Damon follows me. No more."

"Stefan please. Please just talk to me. Let me be here for you. Talk to me."

"No. You were right to stay away from me." Stefan moved away.

Elena sighed and turned to go back to Buffy, but the Slayer wasn't there anymore.

* * *

><p>Buffy burst into the Salvatore's house and found Damon sitting at a desk drinking from a glass of dark colored liquor. "How could you?" She demanded. Damon suddenly found himself pinned against a wall.<p>

"I had to take care of it." Damon said. "I did this for my brother. To get them off our trail."

"She was my friend!" Buffy broke off a chair leg suddenly and aimed it for Damon's heart. A hand suddenly grabbed hers, stopping the downward arc. "What…."

Stefan grabbed Damon away from Buffy and slammed him against the wall across the room. "You saved my life. I'm sparing yours. We're even. And now we're done." He shoved the stake into Damon's gut, purposely missing the heart.

"Why!" Buffy demanded, following Stefan up to his room. "Why did you let him live?"

"Because Elena was right. I can't kill him."

"Then I'll do it!"

"Buffy…. I know you don't know me very well, but I'm asking you as a friend of a friend…. Please respect my choice."

Buffy looked down. "Stefan…. She was my friend."

"She was mine too."

Tears started to fall. "I don't have anywhere to go now…."

Stefan sighed sadly. "I'm sorry." He hugged her tightly and let her cry into his shoulder.

"I sold my apartment and Lexi and I still had another year on our world tour…. I don't know what I'm supposed to do now."

Stefan leaned back to look at Buffy. "You can stay here. At least until you figure out what's next for you. There's plenty of room for you here."

"Stefan…. I might kill your brother for what he did…."

"You won't. Lexi said you were honorable and you stick to your word. Give me your word you won't kill him."

Buffy sighed. "I won't kill him. But I will make him miserable."

Stefan smiled slightly. "That was my plan."

"Well now it's ours."

"Now it's ours." Stefan hugged Buffy again, glad he had someone to share his grief over Lexi with.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

Buffy sat in the room that Stefan had deemed hers for however long she wanted it and stared out the window at the sunlight as she talked on her cell phone. "No. I'm ok, Will."

"When are you coming back?" Willow asked.

"I don't know."

"Buffy…."

"Look…. I like not being the Slayer all the time. I like the freedom having a life offers me."

"We miss you here."

"I miss you guys, too. But this is the path I've chosen and I'm going to keep going. For twelve years, I dedicated my life to being the Slayer. I've killed the love of my life, I've died twice, I've had more miseries inflicted on me than someone three times my age, and I've found out that I'm not getting any older. It's time for me to enjoy me." Buffy noticed Damon standing in her doorway holding two cups of coffee. "Wills, I gotta go. I'll call you later."

"Ok. Bye, Buffy."

Buffy hung up her phone. "You're risking your ass coming in here."

"I know. I know." He offered her one of the cups. "I came to apologize."

"You came to apologize for killing my friend?"

"With coffee." He smiled at her, trying to be charming.

"Are you even trying to be sincere?"

"Hey! I _am_ being sincere." He set the cup down on the nightstand since Buffy refused to take it. "I am sorry I killed her. I liked Lexi. But there's this council of wannabe vampire hunters that were on our trail…."

"Probably because you were, I don't know, killing people?"

"And I had to get them off our backs."

"You couldn't have found another vampire?"

"There aren't any around here."

"You could've just given yourself up."

"Now that wouldn't be very productive, would it?"

"Well, I think I'd rather have Lexi here than you."

"That's because you don't even know me. But I am more than willing to give you the chance to get to know me better."

"I don't think so."

"Who are you going to hang out with? Stefan? He's too hung up on Elena to be any fun. Besides, I'd like to hear more about these miseries you were talking about."

"I bet you would." Buffy sighed. "Where is Stefan?"

"He went to school."

"God, why?"

"It's all part of his normal life routine. Crazy, right?"

"I'm not bonding with the guy who killed my friend. I don't like you."

"Most people don't."

"I can understand why."

"Look, I'm trying to make nice here. You're living in the same house as me and I'd like to know you better simply to make the living arrangement more pleasant."

"Well, you're here. So it's not pleasant."

Damon rolled his eyes. "You're not even going to give a little are you?"

"Nope."

"Good. I like a challenge." Damon gave her a wolfish grin and strutted out of the room. Buffy rolled her eyes and got out of bed to slam the door behind him.

* * *

><p>Stefan walked into the house to find Buffy sitting in the study reading a book. "Hey."<p>

She looked up at him. "Hey back."

"What are you reading?"

"A biography on Anne Boleyn."

"You like history?"

"Certain parts of it." Buffy shrugged. "Most of the time it's in one ear and out the other."

Stefan laughed. "Did Damon bother you at all?"

"For little bit this morning."

"I'm sorry."

"Don't worry about it. I can handle Damon. I've put up with vampires more annoying than him."

"Is he here?"

"No. He left a while ago."

Stefan's cell phone rang and he pulled it out of his pocket.

* * *

><p>Stefan and Buffy walked up to Elena's house where she was waiting. "Thanks for coming." Elena said. "Hi, Buffy. I wouldn't have called if it wasn't important."<p>

"I know that." Stefan said.

"He threatened her, Stefan."

"What would Damon want with Bonnie?"

"She has this necklace. Caroline got it from Damon, and she gave it Bonnie, and now Damon wants it back. He's tormenting her."

"Over a necklace?" Buffy asked.

"It's not just any necklace. It has to do with Bonnie's heritage. It belonged to one of her ancestors who lived here during the Civil War. When you and Damon lived here."

"Her name was Emily." Stefan said. "She was Katherine's handmaid and a witch."

"You know? About Bonnie?"

"The first night that you invited me over for dinner, I made the connection."

"Who's Bonnie?" Buffy asked.

"She's my best friend." Elena said.

"And she's a witch?"

"Yes. And now Damon knows that too and for some reason he wants that necklace."

"What does it look like?" Stephan asked.

"It's an antique iron setting with…."

"With an amber crystal. I know it. It belonged to Katherine. Emily gave it to her, which means that…."

"What?" Elena and Buffy asked.

"I don't know, but I'm gonna find out. Let me talk to Damon."

"Will he tell you?" Elena asked.

"I'll get it out of him."

"I can give it a shot." Buffy said.

"No." Stefan shook his head. "I'd like to keep him out of your hair. He's already too interested in you for my comfort."

Buffy shrugged. "How about we tag team it? Two heads are better than one."

* * *

><p>Damon was sitting at the bar of the Grill drinking from a bottle when Stefan found him. Buffy had gone to the restroom. "So Stefan…." Stefan said as he leaned against the bar next to Damon. "You know, I've been thinking. I think we should start over. Give this brother thing another chance. We used to do it oh so well once upon time."<p>

"I don't, Damon." Damon countered. "I can't trust you to be a nice guy. You kill everybody and you're so mean. You're so mean and…." He dropped the act. "You're really hard to imitate and then I have to go to that lesser place."

"Can I get a coffee, please?" Stefan said to the bartender. "So what's with the bottle?"

"I'm on edge. Crash diet, and I'm trying to keep a low profile."

"You could always just leave. Find a new town to turn into your own personal gas and sip."

"I'll manage. You don't have to keep an eye on me."

"I'm not here to keep an eye on you."

"So why are you here?"

"He's showing me around the town." Buffy said, walking up to the bar and leaning on it on Damon's other side.

"Well, my day just got brighter." Damon said, grinning at Buffy.

Buffy rolled her eyes and looked at Stefan. "I saw a dartboard over there. You play?"

"Yes. I do." Stefan smiled. "Game on?"

Buffy smiled, ordered a diet Coke, and she and Stefan walked over to the dartboard. Damon followed them. "What are you doing?" Buffy asked.

"I play darts better than Stefan. When he loses to you, then I get to play."

"How about all three of us play?" Stefan asked.

"Sounds good to me." Buffy said.

"Fine." Damon walked over and retrieved the darts. "Ladies first." Buffy took the darts and all four ended up in the bullseye in a matter of seconds. "I'm impressed."

"So am I." Stefan said. Both brothers were staring incredulously at the darts.

Buffy shrugged as she pulled them off the board. "I have really good aim." She handed the darts to Stefan. "You're turn."

"Thank you." Stefan took his shots and they were nearly dead on. Only one strayed.

Buffy tsked. "And here I thought you were a big bad vampire."

Damon grabbed the darts off the board. "No, Blondie. That would be me. Prepare to lose." He threw the darts and two strayed to the outer rings. Damon shook his head. "Lucky shots." He grumbled at them.

"More like a carefully honed skill over many decades." Stefan said.

"You two're beating me."

"Yeah. It's because we're better than you." Buffy smiled and trotted off to the bar to get a round of drinks.

"I'm onto you, Stefan." Damon said. "Reverse psychology. It's a little transparent, but I admire the effort. Especially adding the sexy little Slayer into it."

"You prefer the brooding forehead?" Stefan asked.

"Seriously, what game do you think you're playing?"

"That's a funny question considering the fact that I have been asking you that for months. It's frustrating isn't it?"

"Touché."

Buffy came up with three shots in her hands and handed them out. She turned to Stefan, ignoring Damon, and said, "Ok. Darts isn't your game. What is?"

* * *

><p>Buffy followed Stefan and Damon onto the high school football field. "Football? Really?"<p>

"What are we doing here?" Damon asked. "Bonding? Catch? Go on."

"Give it a try." Stefan said.

"Don't forget who taught you how to play this game." Damon winked at Buffy, then threw the ball. He charged after it and caught it on the other end of his throw. Stefan was suddenly there, knocking him painfully to the ground. "That hurt."

"Downside of my diet…. Getting hit actually hurts a little bit."

"I'm impressed, Stefan. Fun with booze and darts…. sentimental with football…. and now a starry night." Damon reached up and pulled Buffy down to the ground next to him. She rolled away and sat up, crossing her legs out in front of her. "What do you want, Stefan?"

Stefan sat up. "It wasn't real, Damon. Our love for Katherine. She compelled us. We didn't have a choice. Took me years to sort that out. To truly understand what she did to us."

"We are not taking that on tonight." Damon said, standing up.

"What do you want with Katherine's crystal?"

"How do you know about that?"

"Come on. You knew Elena would tell me."

"How do you know it was Katherine's? Emily gave it to her on her last night. I was with her and you weren't."

"I was the last one to see her, Damon. Now, what do you want with Katherine's crystal?"

"She didn't tell you?"

"We had other things on our mind."

Damon rushed over to stand toe to toe with his brother. "I could rip your heart out and not think twice about it."

"I've heard that before."

"I have a bigger surprise, Stefan. I'm gonna bring her back." Damon turned and walked off.

Buffy stood up. "Whoa…. Wait…. What?" She and Stefan followed Damon out to the parking lot.

"How can you bring Katherine back?" Stefan asked.

"Before Katherine and the others were killed in the church, you remember what it was like in this town?"

"I remember the fear and the hysteria."

"Townspeople were killing vampires one by one. When they came for Katherine, I went straight to Emily, said, 'I'll do anything. Name your price. Just protect her.' She did."

"How?"

"She did some kind of spell with the crystal. And while the church was burning, we thought Katherine was burning in it. She wasn't."

"But I saw her go inside."

"There's a tomb underneath the church. The spell sealed Katherine in that tomb, protecting her."

"Are you telling me that Katherine's alive?"

"If that's what you wanna call it. She's been trapped in a mystical holding cell for the last century and a half, but you're an expert on starving a vampire, so how do you think she's doing, Stefan? Did you know that witches can use celestial events to draw energy into their magic? Me either. But in order to give the crystal power, Emily used the comet that was passing overhead, and in order for that crystal to work again…."

"The comet had to return."

"Downside…. Long time it between comets and a couple of hiccups along the way with the crystal but the comet passed and I got the crystal. And then Caroline got the crystal and now Bonnie has the crystal and here we are."

"Why would Emily…. Why would she do this for you?"

"Because she knew they were gonna come for her too and she made me promise that her lineage would survive."

"I remember…. You saved her children."

"It's the only thing keeping me from ripping that little Bonnie girl's throat out to get my crystal back. Well…. A deal's a deal. So…. You wanna go throw some more?"

Stefan's phone rang and while he answered it, Buffy marched up to Damon. "Lexi and Stefan told me about her. Releasing her would be like releasing Angelus."

"How do you know about Angelus?" Damon asked.

"How do you?"

"Every vampire knows about him. He was terrifying. The Scourge of Europe I believe he was called. Now answer my question."

"Remember that love of my life I killed?"

"Angelus?"

"Angel. He had a soul then…. But I accidentally released Angelus on my 17th birthday and he is not someone I'd like to play with again. Just like this Katherine chick."

"You don't know her." Damon turned to look at Stefan on the phone. Buffy did the same automatically.

Stefan hung up and turned to them. "Where's Damon?"

Buffy looked at the now empty space that Damon had occupied. "He was standing right there."

"He must've heard my conversation with Elena."

"What's going on?"

"Emily is possessing Bonnie. They've gone to this old church…."

"The one where Katherine is trapped?"

"Yes."

"I can't get away from this crap!"

"I'm sorry. You don't have to…."

"Come on. Let's go before Damon does something stupid."

* * *

><p>Damon found Bonnie at the old Fell's Church where Katherine was entombed. "Hello Emily." He said. "You look different."<p>

"I won't let you do it." Bonnie/Emily said.

"We had a deal."

"Things are different now. I need to protect my family."

"I protected your family. You owe me."

"I know. I'm sorry."

"You're about to be a lot more than that." Damon went to attack her, but Bonnie/Emily threw out her hand and he flew across the woods and was impaled onto a tree branch. That's where Buffy and Stefan found him a little later. They both reached up and helped Damon down, setting him gently on the ground. "Oh, that hurts! This is why I feed on people."

They looked over to see Bonnie/Emily raking the dirt into a pentagram. She looked up at the three. "Stefan."

"Hello Emily." Stefan said. He blocked Buffy with his body, forgetting for a moment how strong she actually was.

"These people don't deserve this. They should never have to know such evil."

"What do you mean evil?"

"Emily, I swear to God I'll make you regret this." Damon threatened.

"I won't let you unleash them into this world."

"Them?" Buffy looked at Damon. "What part of the story did you leave out?"

"What does it matter?" Damon asked.

"Emily, tell me what you did." Stefan said.

"To save her, I had to save them." Bonnie/Emily said.

"You saved everyone in the church?"

"With one comes all."

"I don't care about them." Damon said, struggling to his feet. "I just want Katherine."

"I knew I shouldn't have believed a single word that comes out of your mouth." Stefan said to Damon. "This isn't about love, is it? This is about revenge."

"The two aren't mutually exclusive."

"Damon, you can't do this." Buffy said.

"Why not? They killed 27 people and they called it a war battle. They deserve whatever they get."

"27 vampires, Damon." Stefan said. "They were vampires. You can't just bring them back."

"This town deserves this."

"You're blaming innocent people for something that happened 145 years ago?" Buffy asked.

"There is nothing innocent about these people and don't think for a second it won't happen again. They already know too much and they'll burn your little grandwitch right next to us when they find out. Trust me."

"Things are different now." Bonnie/Emily said.

"Don't do this." Damon pleaded.

"I can't free them. I won't. Incendia!" The pentagram Bonnie/Emily had been carving into the dirt caught fire and flames roared up around her.

"No! No, please!"

"Bonnie!" Elena cried. Stefan, Damon, and Buffy all looked to where the teenager had suddenly appeared. Stefan ran over and grabbed her before she could reach the witch.

"No!" Damon cried as Bonnie/Emily threw the necklace straight up in the air. It exploded in an impressive light display. Damon rushed over and bit Bonnie when the circle of flames died. Buffy rushed over and threw him off Bonnie, slamming him against a tree as Stefan and Elena checked on Bonnie.

"She's alive, but barely." Stefan said. "I can save her." Elena nodded and Stefan bit into his wrist, feeding Bonnie the blood.

"Her neck, it's healing." Elena said.

"Elena, did you drive?" Buffy asked.

"Yes."

"You need to get Bonnie to the car." Elena nodded and Stefan helped her carry Bonnie to her car. Buffy turned back to Damon.

"Katherine never compelled me." Damon said. "I knew everything every step of the way. It was real for me."

"I'm sorry." Buffy said. She actually meant it. "Was all of this for revenge or for love?"

Damon shrugged. "What does it matter now?"

Buffy put her hands on her hips. "Humor me."

He stared at her for a long moment. Finally he sighed and sat down. Buffy hesitated and then sank down gracefully to sit next to him. They were both leaning against the same tree. "Love. I loved her. I still do. At least, part of me does."

"I can't believe I'm going to say this to you of all people because I really don't like you…. But I understand."

"Understand what?"

"Why you did everything you did to try and get her back. I've been to that same place. Of course you got farther than me. When I killed Angel…. I just shut down. I stopped caring."

"Seems like it worked out ok."

"It kinda did. He came back from hell a few months later." Buffy paused. "But then he broke up with me before the prom."

Damon snorted. "Sounds like a real catch."

"He was. And in all fairness…. I did send him to hell for a hundred years."

"That's no excuse to break up with someone before the prom." Buffy laughed. "Wow. That's a first."

"Won't happen again."

Damon sighed and stood up. He helped Buffy to her feet. "I'll leave now."

Buffy nodded. "Sounds like a plan."

"How about I take you with me? We can finish what you and Lexi started."

"I think I'd need better company than you."

"Ouch." Damon put a hand to his chest, looking hurt. "And here I thought we were bonding." They both looked over to where Stefan, Bonnie, and Elena were. "He just broke up with her."

Buffy shook her head. "I feel like that's a little bit my fault."

"Why?"

"I told him they were doomed."

"Aren't they? A human and a vampire? They don't work. Unless she plans to become a vampire…."

"Don't even think about it, Damon."


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

Buffy sat in the study staring out the window at the bright sunlight. Her bags were upstairs in her room and she was contemplating where to go next. Damon strolled in and sat down next to her.

"Yes, Damon?" Buffy asked, looking over at him.

"Are you reconsidering my offer?" Damon asked.

"Your offer?"

"To come with me."

"Nope. I am going to be Damon free on my travels."

"But not Stefan free."

"Jealous?"

"Yes. I'm more fun."

"I'm sure you are a riot. But you killed my friend, Damon. Why would I want to hang out with you?"

"Good morning, Damon." Stefan said, walking in and handing Buffy a cup of coffee. "So, any ideas where you'll go?"

"I don't know. London, maybe. See some friends."

"You don't have any friends, Damon."

"You're right Stefan. I only have you. So, where are we going?"

"_We_ are not going anywhere. I'm gonna live my life as far away from you as possible."

"But we're a team! We could travel the world together. We can try 'The Amazing Race'."

"Mmm that's funny. Seriously, where are you going because we are not staying in this town." Before Damon could answer, someone rang at the door. All three of them looked at the door and then at each other. "I'll get it." Stefan walked over and opened the door.

"I'm here to see Damon." It was the sheriff.

"Ah sure…. Ok."

"Sheriff, what a surprise!" Damon said, walking up behind Stefan.

"Sorry to bother you but we need to talk."

"Come in."

The sheriff walked inside and Damon shut the door behind her. She turned and saw Buffy standing in the living room. "Oh. I didn't know you had guests."

"Buffy's a very dear friend of mine." Damon said, winking at Buffy. "She just got in not too long ago from…. Brazil, wasn't it honey?" He slipped an arm around Buffy's shoulders.

Buffy smiled, but Stefan could tell it was more of a grimace. "Yes." Buffy said. "Rio."

"Wow." The Sheriff said.

"Shall we take a walk?" Damon asked, kissing Buffy's cheek. "I'll be back and we can finish our discussion." He led the sheriff out into the garden.

Stefan smiled apologetically at Buffy. "I'm sorry."

"Shh…." Buffy waved her hand and listened to the conversation outside.

"I hope you understand the secrecy." Damon was saying. "Stefan doesn't know about this yet and I'd like to keep it that way."

"Of course." The sheriff said. "Kids are too young to be brought into this. And your friend…. Buffy?"

"She knows about this stuff, but she's very protective of Stefan. I don't want her to worry. So, what do you need?"

"There's been another attack. A female victim, throat torn out, completely drained of blood. It's the same pattern."

"I'm sorry I don't understand. I thought we solved that problem when…. I staked the blond one."

"I think that she must have turned someone…. Or multiple someones. I don't know. The story for the town is another animal attack but I'm not sure how long we can keep lying to them. The council is in an uproar. We thought we were past this."

"And so, what do we do?"

"You're the only one who has never taken on a vampire. We were hoping you could tell us."

Buffy looked at Stefan. "Did you hear that?"

"Yeah." Stefan said. "I guess we're not leaving just yet."

"I feel like this is my fault."

"Why?"

"These kinds of things tend to follow me. I'm sorry."

"It's not your fault."

Damon led the sheriff back through the house and to the front door. "Thank you for stopping by."

"Let me know what you come up with."

"Absolutely." Damon shut the door behind the sheriff and Stefan was up in a flash to slam Damon against the wall.

"What is wrong with you? You killed somebody?"

Damon shoved him off. "Get off of me! A…. Don't touch me. B…. If I had, I would not be so obvious about it. And C…. There's another vampire in town."

"That's impossible."

"Obviously not!"

"Who could it be?"

"What do we care? We're leaving anyway, right?"

"Nope." Buffy said. "I definitely can't leave now."

Damon pointed at her. "You're retired."

"Doesn't matter. I can't ignore my calling when there's a vampire out there murdering innocent people."

"How are we supposed to find this person?" Stefan asked her.

Damon slid his arm around Buffy's shoulders again. "Let the adults handle this Stefan."

Buffy shoved his arm off. "No. Let the Slayer handle this. You go away."

* * *

><p>A few hours later, Buffy stood outside of a warehouse. She had told Stefan to go make sure Elena was ok and then she had headed out to follow the clues and her gut. They had all led to this place. It had to be the new vampire's hideout. She could also smell the scent of rotting flesh. "Yum. A hoarder." She walked up to the door, but found that the handle was already broken. Gun shots sounded and she ripped the door open, rushing inside.<p>

"Ow…." A familiar voice groaned.

Buffy rounded the corner to find Damon bleeding on the ground. "Damon!"

"Good. Come help me get these bullets out."

"What are you doing here?"  
>"The same thing you are. Finding the vampire."<p>

"Well, I found one, but not the right one. He shot you?"

"With wooden bullets." Damon threw one he had just pulled out of him.

"Ouch."

"How did you know it was a he?"

"Girl vamps don't usually hoard their food. It smells too much." Buffy helped him to his feet. "Are you ok?"

"I'll live."

"Which way did he go?"

"I don't know. I was a little busy being shot."

"Did you recognize him?"

"Yes. I killed him."

"You made him a vampire?"

"Not me. Not on purpose, anyway. He had vampire blood in his system before I killed him and I didn't do it."

"Who is it?"

"This guy named Logan Fell. He was a news guy on the TV."

"Great. A new vampire and a famous face? This is gonna work out." Damon pulled out his cell phone. "What are you doing?"

"Calling Stefan. Hey."

"Damon." Stefan said on the other line.

"Logan Fell is a vampire and when I find him again, I'm gonna destroy him limb by limb."

"What happened? Are you ok?"

"No, I'm not ok! I was ambushed. I was shot. Now, I'm vengeful. Just got to find him."

"There's no need. He's here at the school."

"You're kidding me? Why the hell is he there?"

"He's working the crowd."

"Well, we'll be right there."

"We?"

"Buffy found me."

"She's good."

"Yeah." Damon hung up the phone. "He's at the…."

"School. Yeah. Got that." Buffy said.

"You know, you make it easy to forget you're a super Slayer."

"Thanks?"

"Let's go."

* * *

><p>They met up with Stefan at the school just as he was leaving to go after Logan. He had taken Caroline in his car. The three moved faster than they human eye could track and they caught up to the car in no time. It was stopped at a stop sign. Buffy punched through the glass of the side window and pulled Logan out of the car, snapping the seat belt. She threw him to the ground and Damon shot him four times.<p>

"Payback's a bitch, isn't it?" Damon smirked.

"Get her out of here." Buffy said to Stefan.

"Logan, what happened?" The sheriff was on the cell phone that had been left in the car.

Damon grabbed it. "Sheriff, yeah, it's Damon."

"Where's Caroline?"

"She's ok. I'm on Elm Street."

Logan tried to get up, but Buffy put him down again with a swift kick to the head. "What are you?" He groaned.

"Your worst nightmare." Buffy said. She heard Damon behind her getting into the back of the SUV. "What are you doing?"

Damon grabbed a tire iron. "I'm gonna try this one more time. Who turned you?"

"I told you I don't know."

"You're questioning him?" Buffy asked.

"To find out who turned him. It wasn't my blood and it wasn't Stefan's." Damon answered.

"Good point. Go on."

"This tire iron here can take your head clean off. So, is that your final answer?"

"How can you be on the same side as them?"

"I'm not on the side of anyone. You pissed me off. I want you dead. Who turned you?"

"I don't know!"

"Oh well, you're screwed!" Damon reared back.  
>"Wait! I do know!"<p>

"You're lying."

"You think you're the only one who wants to get in that tomb underneath the old church?"

"Damon…." Buffy warned.  
>"If you lie me, I'll end you." Damon threatened.<p>

"I'm not lying." Logan swore as the sound of the approaching police vehicle got closer. "There is another way to break the spell. We can help you. Meet me at the old church."

"Damon!" Buffy moved towards him, but he swung the tire iron at her head, knocking her down. She wasn't out, but she wouldn't be getting back up just yet.

"Take me down. Make it look real. Make it look real!" Damon swung, missing purposely and Logan shoved him back against the SUV before running off.

Just then, the sheriff arrived. "Where is she?"

"She's ok." Damon said. "My brother took her home. I'm sorry, sheriff. I wasn't stronger. He got Buffy and I was worried about her and…."

"Is she ok?" The sheriff knelt down next to a groggy Buffy.

"She'll be ok. She's stronger than she looks." Damon held Buffy in his arms as he sat on the ground. "Go to your daughter, Liz."

"Thank you." Liz walked off and Damon shushed Buffy before she could call out to her.

"God, what is wrong with you?" Buffy tried to get up as the sheriff was leaving, but she stumbled.

Damon caught her. "I'm sorry."

"You're not forgiven."

"Look…."

"I know you want her back, Damon. I do, but stop hurting other people to get it. Logan's going to kill again because you let him leave."

"What do I care? If he knows how to get her back…. I'll find out and then I'll kill him. Are you coming with me?"

Buffy sighed. "Only because I don't know this town and I think you gave me a concussion."

"I'm sorry." He touched her forehead gently where the wound was already healing. "Really."

"Let's just go find out what this Logan guy has to say." Damon noticed that she didn't slap his hand away.

* * *

><p>Damon led the way through the woods, holding Buffy's arm to make sure she didn't fall. She didn't pull away and she was blaming it on the concussion. Damon's cell phone rang suddenly. "Hello." He answered.<p>

"I just wanted to say thank you. I don't know how you did it." The sheriff said on the other line.

"Um…. not following."

"We found Logan's body up by the old Fell warehouse. It's been disposed of. He was hoarding victims. Innocent victims."

"What?"

"This town owes you so much. So do I." Liz hung up.

"What?" Buffy asked.

"Somebody killed Logan."

"Who?"

"I…. I don't know."

"Damon…."

"Let's just go." Damon let go of her arm and headed off. Buffy really had no choice but to follow him.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

"Damon, stop for a sec." Buffy said. She gripped a tree, trying not to fall over.

Damon stopped and walked over to her. "What's wrong?"

"I need to rest…."

"Nope. Don't think so. You've got a concussion. You are not going to sleep."

Buffy sighed and leaned against the tree. "Are we going any place in particular?"

"My car."

"Where is that exactly?" She started to sit down, but Damon grabbed her arms and held her up.

"Look, I am not going to be responsible for you going into a coma or dying. Stop trying to fall asleep." He scooped her up into his arms. "Here, I'll just carry you."

"Would you put me down?"

"No. I've got to make sure you stay awake." They were almost to the road when they heard the sounds of a crash. Damon was going to ignore it, but then they heard a familiar voice scream.

"That's Elena." Buffy said.

Damon ran out to the road, still carrying Buffy, and they saw a man approaching Elena's overturned SUV. He ran off as Damon set Buffy down and made sure she was steady before running over to Elena. "How ya doing in there?" He asked her.

"Damon?" Elena asked.

"You look stuck."

"My seat belt."

"Let me get you out of there. I want you to put your hands on the roof. Just like that. You ready? 1, 2, 3…." Damon snapped the seat belt and Elena started to topple. He caught her before she could hit her head. He helped her get to her feet. "I got you. Are you ok? Can you stand? Anything broken?"

"Uh-uh." Elena was about to pass out.

"Whoa, you're fading fast, Elena. Elena, look at me. Focus. Look at me. Ok. Great, I've got two of you."

"I'm better-ish now." Buffy said. "No passing out yet. Is she ok?"

"I look like her." Elena said before completely passing out.

"What? Upsy-daisy." Damon lifted her in his arms. "I don't think I can carry both of you."

"That's ok. Just…. Slap me if I try to fall asleep." Buffy said.

* * *

><p>Buffy glanced back at Elena where the teenager was just starting to wake up in the backseat of Damon's car. The second Buffy had gotten into the passenger's seat, she had passed out. Damon hadn't wanted to slap her, so he'd let her sleep against his better judgment. When she'd woken up about an hour ago, she'd discovered Damon had driven them out of Virginia and they were well into Georgia. The impromptu road trip would've been fine by her had he asked. But this was kidnapping. And it was even worse with Elena involved.<p>

"Morning." Damon said the Elena.

"Where are we?" She asked.

"Georgia."

"Georgia? No, no. No, we're not. Seriously, Damon. Where are we?"

"Unfortunately he's serious." Buffy said. "We're in Georgia. I'm sorry. I was a little passed out myself or I would've stopped him. How are you feeling?"

"I…. I…."

"There's no broken bones." Damon said. "I checked."

"But my car. There was a man. I hit a man. But then he got up and…. who was that?" Elena asked.

"That's what I would like to know."

"Where is my phone? Ok. We really need to go back. Nobody knows where I am. Pull over. I mean it, Damon. Pull over! Stop the car!"

"I tried that." Buffy said.

"You two were so much more fun when you were asleep." Damon sighed and stopped the car.

Elena crawled out after Buffy and the Slayer had to catch her to keep her from falling when the teen doubled over in pain. "Hey." Buffy said, steadying Elena.

"I'm fine." Elena insisted. "We have to go back."

"Oh come on!" Damon said. "Look. We've already come this far."

"Why are you doing this? I can't be in Georgia. I wrecked my car. I have to go home. This is kidnapping."

"That's a little melodramatic, don't you think?"

"You're not funny." Buffy said.

"You can't do this." Elena insisted. "I'm not going to Georgia."

"You're _in_ Georgia." Damon said. "Without your magical necklace I might add. I can very easily make you…. Agreeable."

"Damon…." Buffy warned.

"What are you trying to prove?" Elena asked. Just then, a cell phone started ringing. "That's my phone."

Damon pulled the phone out of his pocket. "Mmm. It's your boyfriend. I'll take it." He answered the phone. "Elena's phone."

"Where is she?" Stefan demanded. "Why do you have her phone? Is she ok?"

"Elena? She's right here. And, yes, she's fine. Buffy's with her."

"You took Buffy too! Where are you? Let me speak to Elena."

"He wants to talk to you." Damon said, holding the phone out to Elena.

"Uh-uh." Elena said.

"Yeah. I don't…. I don't think she wants to talk to you right now."

Buffy looked at Elena. "What's wrong?" Elena shook her head.

"You have a good day. Mm-hmm. Bye-now." Damon hung up on his brother.

"Look. No one knows where I am. Can we please just go back?" Elena pleaded.

"We're almost there."

"Where is 'there' exactly?" Buffy asked.

"A little place right outside of Atlanta."

"I want to go home." Elena said.

"Oh, come on, Elena. Damon complained. "You don't wanna go back right now, do you? What's the rush? Time out. Trust me. Your problems are still going to be there when you get home. Look. Step away from your life for 5 minutes."

"5 minutes. Am I going to be safe with you?"

"Yes."

Elena looked at Buffy. "You know you're safe with me. I don't want to get on Stefan's bad side. Plus, you kinda remind me of my little sister." Buffy smiled slightly.

"Can you make him promise not to do that mind control thing with me?"

Buffy looked at Damon purposely and he rolled his eyes. "I promise I won't." He said.

"Can I trust you?" Buffy asked.

"Get in the car. Come on."

Buffy glared at him with a slight smirk. "You know, you really make me like you less and less." She slid into the car after Elena and Damon followed suit.

"You know, I'm starting to not believe you." Damon said, starting the car.

"So, where's my car?" Elena asked as they got onto the road again.

"I pulled it off on the side of the road. I don't think anyone will bother it."

"And what about that man in the road? Was he a…."

"From what I could tell. Yeah."

"You don't know him?"

"If I've never met him, I wouldn't know him. I mean, it's not like we all hang out together at the vamp bar and grill."

"Though a lot of vampires really do that." Buffy said.

"They do?" Elena asked.  
>"Yeah. Back in Sunnydale there was this place called Willy's. All the creepy crawlies went there to socialize."<p>

"Ew."

"Yeah. Big ew. Vampires, demons, hell spawn…. You name it, they all went there to drink blood spritzers and yak urine."

"Bigger ew."

"Sorry."

"Demons exist?"

"Yes. Though their numbers are much fewer now that there are so many Slayers in the world."

"Stefan says there's only supposed to be one of you until you die, then another one's called."

"Yeah. I don't play by the rules."

"I like that." Damon said, pulling the car to a stop in front of a bar.

"Really, Damon? You brought us to a bar?" Buffy cocked her eyes at him and he grinned.

"Damon, I'm not old enough." Elena said. "They're not going to let me in."

"Sure they will." Damon said, getting out. Buffy and Elena exchanged glances and got out too. They followed him into the bar where a tall black woman was working.

She spotted Damon and grinned. "No. No, it can't be. Damon." She jumped over the bar and stood in front of the vampire. "My honey pie." She grabbed him up and kissed him deeply. Buffy and Elena exchanged shocked glances. After a few more heated moments, the woman jumped back over into the bar area and grabbed a bottle of tequila. She started filling up shot glasses. "Listen up everybody! Here's to the man that broke my heart, crushed my soul, destroyed my life, and ruined any and all chances of happiness! Drink up!" The woman set her gaze on Buffy since Damon was sitting the closest to her and giving her sideways glances. "So, how'd he rope you in?"

"I'm not roped in." Buffy said.

"Honey, if you're not roped, you're whipped. Either way, just enjoy the ride."

"So, how did you two meet?"

"College."

"You went to college?" Elena asked Damon incredulously.

He smirked. "I've been on a college campus, yes."

"About 20 years ago, when I was just a sweet, young freshman I met this beautiful man, and fell in love." The woman said. "And then he told me about his little secret, made me love him more. Because, you see, I had a little secret of my own that I was dying to share with somebody."

"She's a witch." Damon said.

"You changed my world, you know?"

"I rocked your world."

"He is good in the sack, isn't he?" Buffy shrugged. "But mostly he's just a Walk Away Joe." The woman took another shot and looked at Damon. "So, what is it that you want?"

Before Damon could speak, Buffy held out her hand to him. "I want Elena's phone so she can at least call her aunt and let her know she's ok." Damon sighed and pulled out the phone, handing it to Buffy. Elena mouthed thank you and walked outside.

The woman looked at Buffy. "Wait. Could it be that Damon is the whipped one along for the ride?"

"There's no whipping or riding. Damon and I are just…. Not friends."

"I'm hurt." Damon said.

"No, you're not."

"I'm Bree." The woman said, holding her hand out to Buffy.

"Buffy." When Buffy grabbed her hand to shake, Bree recoiled with a gasp. "What happened?"

"I'm sorry. I'm not used to feeling that much power…. What are you?"

"She's a Vampire Slayer." Damon said.

"Slayers don't have that much power."

"It's a long story." Buffy said. "So, Damon, why don't you enlighten Bree and I as to why we're here?"

"I need to get into that tomb." Damon said.

"I told you how." Bree said.

"Come on, there's gotta be another way."

"After all these years, it's still only Katherine. How do you even know she's still alive?"

"Well, you help me get into that tomb and we'll find out."

"I already did. 20 years ago. Remember? 3 easy steps. Comet. Crystal. Spell."

"There's a little problem with number 2. I don't have the crystal."

"That's it, Damon. There is no other way. It's Emily's spell."

"What about a new spell with a new crystal that overrides Emily's spell?"

"It doesn't work that way, baby. Emily's spell is absolute. You can't get into that tomb."

Damon sighed and stood up. He walked over to a window and Bree went over to the bar to serve some customers. Buffy walked over to him. "This again?"  
>"It's an obsession. You said you understood."<p>

"Sadly, I do. I also know that it's unhealthy." He looked down at her. "Been there, done that, got the T-shirt."

Damon nodded and looked at Elena. "She's talking to Stefan."

"Why's she mad?"

"She found out that she's a dead ringer for Katherine. That's what she said to me before she passed out." Damon walked outside just as Elena hung up on Stefan. "You ok?" He asked.

"Don't pretend to care. I know you're gloating inside."

Buffy walked out to diffuse the situation. "I care. Are you ok?"

Elena sighed. "Yeah. I just…. Why did he lie to me?"

"Cause he's a male?" Buffy smiled. "Come on. Let's go get some food. My stomach's going to start revolting unless I feed it."

Damon went ahead of the girls to get the door and Elena whispered to Buffy, "I'm really glad you're here."

* * *

><p>Buffy, Elena, and Damon sat at the bar with plates of burgers and fries in front of them. They were discussing the possibilities of why Elena looked so much like Katherine. "Let's just say that I'm descended from Katherine…." Elena said. "Does that make me part vampire?"<p>

Buffy shook her head. "Vampires can't procreate."

"But we love to try." Damon interjected.

Buffy threw a French fry at his head. She turned back to Elena. "If you are related, it would mean Katherine had a child before she was turned."

"Did Stefan think that he could use me to replace her?"

"Kinda creepy if you ask me." Damon said. He looked at both Buffy and Elena's plates which both contained the tomatoes, pickles, and onions from off their burgers. "Come on, what? You guys don't like pickles? What's wrong with you?"

"How can you even eat? If technically you're supposed to be…."

"Dead? It's not such a bad word. As long as I keep a healthy diet of blood in my system, our body functions pretty normally."

Elena nodded. "This nice act…. Is any of it real?"

"Here you go." Bree said, setting down two cold beers in front of Buffy and Damon.

"Thank you." Buffy said.

"I'll have one too." Elena said.

"Huh?" Both Damon and Buffy looked surprised.

"Time out, remember? For 5 minutes? Yeah, well that 5 minutes is going to need a beer."

"There you go." Bree said, returning with Elena's beer.

* * *

><p>A couple of hours later, the three of them were involved in a drinking contest with a bunch of the other bar patrons. "Ready…." Damon started.<p>

"Go!" Buffy called. Everyone threw back their shots.

"That's 3!" Elena crowed. She looked at Damon wiping part of his shot off his chin. "Do you need a bib?"

"Sorry I can't unhinge my jaw like a snake to consume alcohol." Damon shot back.

"Whatever. All right. Who's next? Another round, Bree."

"Honey, you should be on the floor." A woman next to Elena slurred.

"I am not even drunk. My tolerance is, like, way up here." She jumped a couple of times to get her point across.

"All right. Here you go."

"What about you?" Damon asked, leaning on Buffy playfully.

"What about me?" Buffy asked, throwing her shot back.

"Are you drunk yet?"

Buffy smiled. "Not at all. It takes a hell of a lot of alcohol to get this Slayer drunk."

"Good. Then I challenge you to a game of pool. The table just freed up and since you kicked my ass at darts, it's only fair I kick your ass at pool."

Buffy leaned in, getting her face incredibly close to Damon's, and smiled. "Bring it on." Damon smiled, having trouble resisting the sudden urge to kiss her, and grabbed her hand as he pulled her towards the pool table. As they racked up the balls and began to play, Elena wandered over and set her stuff down on a chair.

"My money's on Buffy." Elena said. "She's way better than you."

"Thank you, Elena." Buffy said, smirking at Damon. He smirked back and lined up a shot. They got into the game and didn't notice Elena go outside to talk on her cell phone.

Buffy finally noticed when she won the game and Elena didn't say anything. "Elena?" She looked around the bar.

"She was right back there." Damon said, looking around in confusion.

"I'll go check the bathrooms." Buffy headed off to the restrooms. She came back to find Damon gone now, too. Bree pointed to the door. Buffy waved and ran out. She heard the sounds of a fight somewhere behind the bar.

"What are you talking about? What did he do?" Elena screamed.

"He killed my girlfriend. What did she do to you, huh? What did she do to you? Nothing!" Buffy knew that voice. Macon! She ran around behind the bar to find Macon beating on Damon with a baseball bat.

"I don't understand." Elena cried.

"My girlfriend went to visit Stefan, and Damon killed her. Got it?"

"Macon!" Buffy cried.

He turned to her. "Buffy!" He rushed over and hugged her tightly, pulling her feet well off the ground. "I thought you were dead too! I'm so glad you're ok."

Buffy gently pushed away from him. "What are you doing?"

"I'm going to destroy this piece of…."

"Stop! Macon…. Please don't."

"Buffy…. I don't understand…." He looked between Damon and Buffy. "Are you and him…."

"No! No. But I made a promise to his brother."

"Yeah, well I didn't!" Macon grabbed a can of gasoline and began to poor it on Damon.

"Macon, stop!" He shrugged her off. "Damn it, just stop this!" Buffy grabbed both arms and hauled him away from Damon, tossing the gas can far away. "Lexi loved you. And you know this isn't what she would want from you. Be better than him. Don't do this. Macon, be better than him." He stared at her as she gripped his face in her hands. "I'm begging you, Macon! Please, stop." Macon dropped the bat. "Thank you."

"It wasn't for you." Macon said. He stared at Buffy for a long moment and Buffy felt the weight of the judgment coming from his stare. She dropped her hands to her sides and looked away. Macon disappeared into the darkness as Elena ran to help Damon to his feet. Buffy just turned and headed back to the car. She slipped into the passenger's seat and began to cry.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

Buffy sat out in the garden, staring off into space. She was brooding and she hated that, but she couldn't help it. Macon's stare and that whole night had really played on her nerves. Why had she saved Damon? He'd killed her friend. Hell, Lexi had been more than a friend. She'd been like Buffy's older sister. She'd been a Godsend when Buffy had needed one the most.

Damon had killed her and she'd saved Damon.

But Stefan and Lexi were right. She was honorable and she did stick to her word. But now that kept promise was like a virus. It ate at her slowly until she was brooding over every little detail. She was turning into Angel.

Damon was suddenly sitting next to her. "Hi." Buffy stood up and walked away without a word to Damon. He sighed and got up to go after her.

"Just leave me alone, Damon." Buffy snapped, still walking. She was headed for the woods.

"Can't." She didn't answer him as she kept walking. "Buffy…. You saved my life. Why?"

"I wish I knew." She tossed off before going beyond the tree line.

He went after her. "What happened with you that night? You haven't said more than four words to me since we left Atlanta."

"When _I_ know what happened, I'll let _you_ know. But just…. Go away."

"What? You're gonna hide in the woods? I can find you wherever you go."

Buffy stopped and turned to him. "Why won't you just go away?"

"Because I can't. It's just not in my nature. I have to pry and pick until I get what I want."

"And what could you possibly want with me?"

"I don't know. I just know…. For some reason, I don't like it when you're mad at me."

"I'm not…." Buffy groaned and turned, continuing her march away from Damon.

Damon followed still. "Not what?"

"I'm not mad at you."

"But…."

"Ok, yes. I'm mad at you for what you did to Lexi. She wasn't just my friend, Damon. She was like my sister. She was my savior from a life I was ready to leave and didn't know how. And you killed her."

"You should've staked me."

"Yes."

"But you didn't."

"Because Stefan stopped me."

"And you stopped Lexi's boyfriend."

"His name is Macon."

"What do you want from me? It's not my fault you saved my life."

"I know that! That's why I'm so pissed off. I can't figure out why I saved your life. You're not worth saving."

Damon looked away. "No. I'm not." And with that, he was gone.

* * *

><p>Stefan arrived home from school and headed straight up to Buffy's room. He was worried about her. She hadn't been the same since she'd gotten back from Atlanta. Elena had told him everything that had happened and Buffy's sudden change on the way back. She'd also asked Stefan to ask Buffy if she wanted to help Elena get ready for the 50s dance that night. Elena figured that maybe Buffy needed a girls' night away from Damon and her problems.<p>

Stefan knocked on the door and then poked his head in. "Hey." Buffy was laying on the bed staring at the ceiling. Stefan walked over and sat down on the edge of the bed. "Are you ok?"

"Why did I save him, Stefan?" Buffy asked quietly.

"Because I asked you to."

"Macon was so…. I really hurt him asking that of him. After what Damon did to Lexi…. I should've let Macon finish him."

"That wouldn't have been like you at all, then. You can't just sit by and watch a murder."

"Would it have been murder?"

"Yes." Buffy nodded. Stefan sighed and placed his hand on hers. "Well, listen…. Elena wanted to know if you would come help her get ready for the dance tonight."

"What dance?" Buffy asked, sitting up.

"There's a dance at the high school tonight. It's a 50s theme."

Buffy laughed. "Are you serious? Wow, we never had anything like that at my high school." She paused. "That's probably because people kept getting eaten…."

Stefan laughed slightly and took her hand, gripping it tightly. "Well, Elena thought you could use a girls' night and she wants you to come over. I think she ordered pizza."

Buffy smiled. "You know what? Sure. I'll go help."

"I should warn you, though, she also needs protecting."

"That guy she hit?"

"Yes. He called her today."

Buffy nodded. "Do I have to go to the dance?"

"No. You can just come back here and hang out."

"Unless something happens."

* * *

><p>Buffy knocked on Elena's door and waited. A young woman with reddish hair answered the door. "Hi?" She said.<p>

"Hi. I'm here to see Elena." Buffy said.

"Hey, Buffy!" Elena said, trotting down the stairs. "Come on in. Aunt Jenna, this is Buffy. She's an old friend of Stefan's."

"Hi." Jenna shook Buffy's hand. "Are you going to school here too?"

"Oh, no!" Buffy shook her head. "Graduated and done with. Never want to go back. Ever."

"I know how you feel." Jenna laughed. She turned to Elena. "Well, I guess I'll see you at the dance?"

"Yup." Elena said.

"It was nice meeting you Buffy." Jenna waved as she shut the door behind her.

"Does she know about Stefan and…. Everything?" Buffy asked.

"No. And I'd like to keep it that way."

"Understandable." Buffy followed Elena upstairs. "My mom found out about everything and kicked me out of the house. Then she ended up under a spell and tried to burn me and my friend Willow at the stake."

"Oh my god!"

"Yeah. It's best if your family doesn't know."

"I'm getting that. Well, this is my room. I share the bathroom with my brother, Jeremy. I don't think he's here right now." Elena grabbed a pocket watch off her nightstand. "Stefan wanted me to show this to you."

"A pocket watch?" Buffy asked, examining it.

"Sorta." Elena pressed the button and the top flipped open. "It tells you when a vampire's near."

"I already have one of these."

"Really?"

Buffy pointed to her head. "It's all installed up here."

"Ok, that's cool."

Buffy shrugged. "It wasn't always."

"So, what's it like being around Stefan and Damon all the time? Is your internal vampire radar constantly going off?"

"I've learned to ignore it with them."

"Wow."

"Well, I've had practice before them."

"Does that have something to do with Angel?"

"How did you…."

"I've heard you talk about some guy named Angel. And the way you talked…. He was a vampire. Who is he?"  
>Buffy had to have a small internal debate about what to tell the teenager in front of her. Finally, she relented. "How much time do we have?"<p>

"Plenty."

Buffy smiled. "Ok. Where do I start?"

* * *

><p>Elena stared in the mirror as she was doing her hair. She still had tears in her eyes. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to make you cry." Buffy said, standing in the doorway.<p>

"It's just so sad. You loved him so much and you can't be with him."

"I still love him. I still see him from time to time. But it's just…. Hard. As long as his curse is in place, we can't be together."

"Or the world is doomed. God, I would just…. Give up. Where do you get all that strength? Is it because you're a Slayer?"

Buffy shrugged. "I wish I knew." Her Slayer senses went off and her back stiffened. She ventured past Elena and out into the hall. Elena set down her hair dryer and went into her room. The compass was spinning. Buffy came back in. "Get your phone."

"It's probably just Stefan." Elena said. She grabbed her phone and called Stefan's cell.

"Stefan's phone." Damon said on the other line as Buffy hurried Elena down the stairs. "How may I help you?"

"Where is he?" Elena asked, worried.

"He's on his way to you. Forgot is phone."

"Thank god. This compass was spinning and Buffy's Slayer sense was going off. Stefan must be here. Thank you."

"You're welcome. Tell Buffy I said hi." Elena shook her head and hung up.

Just then, a vampire fell from the ceiling, but Buffy was there to throw him away just as Stefan grabbed Elena out of the way. The vampire stood up and ran out of the house, too fast for the stunned people in the room.

Stefan held Elena tightly. "Are you ok? Are you ok?"

* * *

><p>"How did he get in?" Damon asked. Stefan had called him over after the attack. Buffy was sitting on the complete opposite end of the room from him.<p>

"He was invited in." Elena said.

"He posed as a pizza delivery guy last night." Stefan said.

"Well, he gets points for that. Did he say what he wanted?" Damon asked.

"No. He was too busy trying to kill me." Elena said.

"And you have no idea who this is?" Stefan asked.

"No. Don't look at me like that." Damon said. "I told you we had company."

"You think there's more than one?" Elena asked.

"We don't know."

"Guys, he was invited in." Buffy reminded them.

"Then we go get him tonight." Damon said.

"You up for it?" Buffy asked Elena.

"What do I have to do?" Elena asked.

"Let your boyfriend take you to the dance." Damon said. "Buffy and I will attend as chaperones and we'll see who shows up."

"That's a bad idea." Stefan said.

Buffy sighed. "He's right, though. Until we get him, this house isn't safe. For anyone who lives in it. It's worth a shot."

"I'll do it." Elena said. "I'll be with the three of you. I'll be safe."

* * *

><p>Elena walked up to Bonnie and Caroline. "Having fun?"<p>

"No, but this took about 2 hours, so I'm at least staying half of that." Caroline said, pointing to her hair. "Who's your friend?"

"Guys, this is Buffy." Elena said, introducing the petite Slayer. "Buffy, these are my best friends Caroline and Bonnie."

"I remember you." Bonnie said.

"Yeah. I'm glad you're ok." Buffy said.

"Thank you for saving me."

"You're welcome."

"How do you know Elena?" Caroline asked.

"Oh, uh…. I'm good friends with Stefan. I'm living with him and his brother for a little while. Elena spends a lot of time at the house, so we've kinda bonded."

"What's Damon doing here?" Bonnie asked.

"He wanted to come." Elena said. "I promise. He'll behave. Besides, if I'm gonna be with Stefan, then I have to learn to tolerate Damon. It's not like I can kill him."

"There's a thought."

"Mmm. I'll help." Caroline said.

* * *

><p>Buffy, Stefan, and Elena walked up from the punch bowl after Damon ran Bonnie and Caroline off. "Where did they go?" Elena asked.<p>

"I don't know." Damon said.

"What did you say to them?" Stefan asked.

"I was perfectly polite. Elena…. Would you like to dance?"

"I would love to." Elena turned to Stefan. "May I have this dance?"

Stefan held his arm out and escorted Elena to the dance floor. Damon turned to Buffy, but she held up her hand. "No."

"Oh, come on!" Damon protested. "One dance."  
>"No. I'm here in a chaperone capacity only."<p>

"Buffy, it's a party and you're standing out like a sore thumb just standing here. Dance. Just once."

"Not if it's with you."

"We had so much fun in Atlanta! Where's that Buffy? I want to see her again." He gripped her shoulders and looked her in the eyes. "Playful, fun Buffy…. I command you to come out. I will spike the punch in your honor!" Buffy couldn't stop the smile that took over her lips. Damon smiled triumphantly. "Yes!"

"I am not dancing."

"Then get a glass of punch with me and we'll take it from there." He held out his arm like a gentleman and Buffy relented, looping her arm through his. They strolled over to the punch bowl and Damon poured her a cup of fruit punch.

A tall, handsome man walked over to them saying, "Yeah, I don't recognize you two. How'd you get roped into chaperoning? Alaric Saltzman. I'm the new history teacher."

"Ah, the, uh, cursed faculty position." Damon said.

"So I've been told."

"Damon Salvatore. And this is my…. Friend Buffy Summers."

Alaric shook Buffy's hand. "It's nice to meet you."

"You too." Buffy said.

"Salvatore, as in, uh, Stefan?"

"He's my little brother." Damon said. "I'm his legal guardian, hence the chaperoning. I brought Buffy along to keep me from getting too bored."

"I hear he's very bright, not that I've had a chance to see for myself."

"Well, his attendance record's a little spotty. Family drama."

"Parents?"

"Mm, it's just the two of us and Buffy now."

"You, uh…. you live here your whole life?"

"On and off. Travel a bit. I met Buffy here in California."

"Really?"

"Yeah. Seems like forever ago." Buffy said, deciding to play along.

"California's a long way away from Virginia."

Buffy nodded. "I like to travel too. It's a hobby I share with Damon here."

"So where have you two traveled? Around the States?" Damon looked over at Alaric suspiciously. "I'm sorry. I'm nosy. I…. I don't mean to pry. Look, it was nice meeting you two."

"You, too." Damon and Buffy said.

"Enjoy the rest of the dance." Alaric walked off.

Damon looked down at Buffy. "Nice acting skills. I really believed that you liked me."

"Don't push it." Buffy warned, hiding a smile that threatened to show itself.

"Well, I'm going to." He took her cup and set it down on the table. "Come on." Damon grabbed her hand and pulled her out to the dance floor. Instead of dancing normally, he decided make her laugh. He started a dramatic tango walk with her across the dance floor.

As they passed by Stefan and Elena, Buffy heard Elena say, "You really can't take him anywhere, can you?"

Damon stopped being crazy when they reached the other side of the dancers. He took one of her hands in his, wrapping his other around her waist and pulling her tightly against him. They began to sway to the music. "See, this isn't so bad." Damon said after a few minutes.

Buffy sighed. "It would be better if I could ignore my brain."

"That can be arranged. I have a flask…." Buffy sighed, but Damon shook his head. "Nope! No more brooding Buffy. I want you to have fun. Lighten up. Smile."

"Why are you being so nice to me?"

"Because I like you. You're interesting. You're an enigma I'd like to figure out."

"I'm really not much of an enigma."

"But you are. I like a challenge and you, sweetheart, are a brainteaser."

"And I should really be hating you right now."

"You mean you're not?" Buffy suddenly stiffened in his arms. She started looking around frantically. "What's wrong?"

"Damon…." Buffy pulled away from him and turned around.

"What is it?"

"There's a vampire here. Other than you and Stefan. I think there may actually be more than one."

"Buffy! Damon!" Stefan rushed up. "Where's Elena?"

"She was with you." Damon said.

"She was supposed to come find you guys."

"Come on." Buffy looked at an open doorway in the corner. The three of them pushed their way through the crowd to an open door across the room. Once they reached the hallway, they heard a struggle going on in the lunchroom. Buffy burst through the door first, caught part of a broken wooden handle that was flying across the room, and tackled the vampire about to bite Elena. They rolled on the ground and Buffy threw herself on top. She punched the vamp in the face and he threw her off. She landed on her feet like a cat and pounced on him, throwing her legs around his neck. Going with the forward momentum, she landed on her hands and flung the vampire to the ground with her legs, hopping back up a split second later.

"Nice!" Damon and Stefan cried as they watched with wide eyes.

Buffy spun around and pinned the vamp to the floor with her boot. "Stay down, Sparky. Nobody wants to kill you just yet. We just wanna talk." The vampire grabbed her ankle and tossed Buffy away, scrambling to his feet. She flipped, landing on her feet, and buried the stake in the vampire's abdomen just as he stood up. He groaned and fell to his knees.

"Now you feel like talking?" Damon asked.

"Screw you." The vamp growled.

"Wrong answer." Buffy said, pushing the stake further into the vamp's body. "Why are you doing this?"

"Cause it's fun."

Buffy shoved down, sending the tip of the stake upwards. "What do you want with Elena?"

"She looks like Katherine."

"You knew Katherine?" Damon asked.

"Oh. You thought you were the only ones. You don't even remember me."

"Tell me how to get in the tomb. Hmm?"

"No." Buffy pushed the stake further up again and the vampire groaned. "The grimoire."

"Where is it?" Damon asked.

"Check the journal. The journal. Jonathan Gilbert's."

"Who else is working with you?" Buffy asked. "Who else is there?"

"No. You're gonna have to kill me."

"It can be arranged." Buffy knelt down and got in the vamp's face. "Do you know what I am?"

"Slayer…."

"That's right. And I know a thousand different ways to torture a vampire to get what I want. So…." Buffy pulled the stake out and twirled in it her hand, ignoring the blood that started to coat her hand. "Who else is working with you?"

"Kill me."

Buffy suddenly shoved the stake back in, purposely missing the heart. "Who else?"

"Kill me."

"Remember, Buffy…." Damon said. "He was invited in."

"Oh, I remember." Buffy took the stake out again and leveled it at the vamp's eye. "One more time, big boy. Who else are you working with?"

"Kill…. Me."

Buffy sighed. "Ugh! Fine." She shoved the stake in his heart and stood up.

"What do we…. how are you gonna find the others now?" Elena asked.

"He had to die." Damon said.

"But…."

"Elena, he's been invited in."

They heard someone walking in the hallway outside and looked up to see Alaric lurking in the doorway. "Go." Stefan said. "I got this."

Damon grabbed Buffy's clean hand and pulled her out into the hallway. Alaric was rushing down the hallway away from them. Damon let go of Buffy's hand and was suddenly blocking Alaric's path.

"Hey." He said.

"What were you doing?" Damon asked, using his compulsion.

"Looking for Ms. Hilden."

"Why are you in Mystic Falls?"

"I got a job as a teacher."

"Do you know what I am?"

"You're my student's brother."

"Is everything you're telling me the truth?"

"Yes."

"Then forget we had this conversation." Damon walked around Alaric and back over to Buffy. As soon as they were out of earshot, Damon turned to her. "You, missy, are brutal."

"I'm sorry Elena had to see that." Buffy said, wiping her hand clean on a papertowel she'd grabbed from the bathroom while Damon had been compelling Alaric.

"She'll be fine." He stepped closer to her, his body barely an inch away. "What about me?"

She looked up at him. "What about you?"

"Aren't you upset that I had to see that?"

"You're more ruthless than me."

"Is that true?"

Buffy held his gaze for a long moment.

"Hey." Stefan walked up to them and Buffy stepped away from Damon. "Elena's going to check on Jeremy."

"Is she ok?" Buffy asked.

"She's ok."

"There's no way that idiot was working alone." Damon said.

"You are." Stefan countered. "So the grimoire…. That was Emily's, right? That's what you need to reverse the spell. When the founding families burned her, they took her things, and you were hoping that dad's journal would tell you where it is."

"Look at you putting the pieces together. Good for you. I was half-right. Well, it's out there now. Let the games begin."

"My offer still stands."

"Yeah, with some hidden caveats, no doubt."

"No. Nothing hidden about it. No lies. No deception. I'm there when you open up that tomb, you and Katherine go. And the other 26 vampires die."

"If I agree?"

"I'll help you."

"Why should I trust you?"

"Because I'm your brother."

"No, that's not gonna cut it."

"Because I want you gone."

"Ok." Damon smiled and walked off.

Stefan looked at Buffy. "Are you ok?"

Buffy shrugged. "Felt good to fight. It's been a while."

"Wasn't much of a fight."

"I did kinda wail on him, huh?"

"Well," Stefan put his arm around her shoulders. "You have some pent up anger. It happens."

"Thanks, Stefan."

"For what?"

"For being so kind to me when you didn't even know me."

"Lexi loved you and that was enough for me. Besides, Elena's taken a shine to you and I just don't think that she would let me let you leave."

Buffy made sure Damon wasn't around. "What about the tomb?"

"I can't let him open it."

Buffy nodded. "Good choice. I may be good, but 26 starving vampires may be a little much even for me. So what's the plan?"


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

"Good morning!" Damon said loudly, walking into Buffy's room. She had still been asleep. Buffy grumbled and slid underneath the covers. "Come on. Rise and shine. It's a new day and we have lots to do."

"Go away, Damon!" Buffy said, her voice muffled by the covers.

Damon slid into bed on Buffy's free side. He gently lifted the covers and peeked under. "Hello down there."

"What is the matter with you?" She slid back out and glared at him. "I am trying to sleep in."

"There's no time for that. We have a tomb to open."

Buffy sighed and sat up, leaning against the headboard. She looked down at Damon resting next to her. "Why are you so annoying?"

"Annoying? And here I thought I was being charming."

"You could've at least brought me a coffee."  
>"Did you look on the nightstand?" Buffy glanced over at the steaming mug of coffee. "Not so annoying after all, huh?"<p>

"Thank you."

Damon rolled up and on top of Buffy, holding his weight up with his arms. For a second, Buffy swore he was going to kiss her. "You're welcome." He smiled brightly, rolled away, and stood up. "You should wear that blue shirt I saw in your closet. It brings out your eyes." He shut the door behind him.

Buffy was embarrassed to find that her heart was racing. And what was with that comment about her shirt?

* * *

><p>Buffy and Stefan stood in Elena's dining area unpacking some boxes looking for the Gilbert journals. "Do you think Damon really believes us?" Elena asked. "That we're trying to help him?"<p>

"I don't think Damon knows what to believe. Trust isn't something that comes naturally to him." Stefan said.

"You know…. I really think that Damon believes that everything he's done, every move that he's made, he's done for love. It's twisted, but kind of sad."

"There are other ways to get what you want. You don't have to kill people. Damon has no regard for human life. He enjoys inflicting pain on others. For 145 years, every single time that I have let my guard down and let Damon back into my life, he's done something to make me regret that. I'm not going to make that mistake again."

"So what do you think will happen if the tomb gets opened and Damon gets Katherine back?" Buffy asked.

"I think that no matter what Damon promises, a lot of people will die." Elena nodded and looked down at the picture that had fallen out of the album in her hands. "That's Jonathan Gilbert."

"What _is_ this?" Buffy was holding a wooden box that held a contraption that looked vaguely like a muzzle.

"What are you guys doing?" The all turned to see Elena's little brother, Jeremy, walk in.

"Hey. Just going through some stuff. Feeling sentimental. Jeremy, have you met my friend Buffy?"

"No. I haven't. Hi Elena's friend, Buffy." He shook her hand.

"Hello Elena's little brother, Jeremy." Buffy said, smiling at him.

"So, Dad had this whole family journal from years ago. I thought I'd dig it up and show Buffy."

"Jonathan Gilbert's journal?" Jeremy asked.

"Yeah, what do you know about it?"

"I just did a history report on it."

"Oh. So where is it now?"

"I gave it to Mr. Saltzman. He wanted to see it."

* * *

><p>Buffy and Stefan walked into Alaric's classroom at the high school. "He's not here." Buffy said.<p>

Stefan shook his head. "I think he is. Just not in…."

Buffy caught the stake out of the air before it could pierce Stefan's back and turned to find Alaric standing in the doorway holding a stake-shooting weapon. He started to reload, shaking frantically, but Buffy was suddenly standing beside him taking it out of his hands.

"You shouldn't have done that." Stefan said. "Have a seat." Alaric sat down while Buffy inspected the weapon.

"What is this, compressed air?" Buffy asked. Alaric nodded. "Bad ass. Did you make it yourself?" He nodded again. "Oh, don't worry. We're not going to hurt you…."

"Unless you try that again." Stefan added. "Who are you?"

"I'm a teacher." Alaric answered.

Buffy sighed, setting the weapon down away from Alaric's reach. "Are we going to have to do this the hard way?"

"I'm also an historian. And while researching Virginia, I…. made a few discoveries about your town."

"So you show up like Van Helsing? Come on. Tell us the truth."

"My wife was a parapsychologist. She spent her life researching paranormal activity in this area. It was her work that led me here."

"Where's your wife?" Stefan asked.

"Dead. A vampire killed her."

"I'm sorry." Buffy said sincerely.

"Where's the Gilbert journal?" Stefan asked.

"What do you want with it?" Alaric countered.

"Where is it?"

"It's on my desk."

Buffy, who was standing next to the desk, took a quick look. "No, it's not."

Alaric took a look. "It _was_ on my desk."

"How long have you been aware of me?" Stefan asked.

"I learned just recently. What about your brother?"

"You met Damon."

"Who do you think killed my wife?"

"Are you sure it was Damon?" Buffy asked.

"I witnessed it."

"Oh."

"If you're here for revenge, this is going to end very badly for you." Stefan said.

Alaric sighed. "I just want to find out what happened to my wife."

"I thought you just said that Damon…." Buffy started.

"Yeah. I saw him draining the life out of her. He must have heard me coming. He just…. Disappeared. So did her body. They never found her."

"Damon can never know why you're here. He'll kill you without blinking."

"I can take care of myself."

"No, you can't. We can help you. If you let us."

"So, you're a vampire too?" Alaric asked her.

Buffy laughed. "No. I'm a Vampire Slayer."

"I heard about you."

"Apparently I'm famous."

"My wife was also looking into Sunnydale and what actually happened there."

Buffy smiled slightly. "Boy, I could've told her some stories."

* * *

><p>After they finished up with Alaric, Buffy and Stefan headed over to Elena's house for dinner. To their surprise, Damon had answered the door. Now he, Buffy, Stefan, and Elena were on the porch discussing what had happened at the high school.<p>

"Who took it?" Damon demanded.

"We don't know." Stefan said.

"You know what, it's that teacher. There's something really off about him."

"No, he doesn't know anything." Buffy said.

"Somebody got to him before me. Who else knew it was there?" Stefan looked through the window at Jeremy sitting on the sofa.

"No." Elena said. "Damon, leave him out of it!"

"Why? What's the big deal?"

"Damon!"

They followed Damon inside and he sat down on the sofa next to Jeremy. "So…. I heard you found a really cool journal from back in the day. Who else did you show it to?"

"Huh?" Jeremy asked.

"Don't ask questions, just spill."

"You're kidding me, right?"

"Jer did you tell anyone other than Mr. Saltzman about Gilbert's journal?" Elena asked.

"Why is everybody so obsessed with that thing?"

"Who else did you tell?"

"Just that girl Anna."

"The hot weird one?" Damon asked.

"Yeah."

"Wait, who is Anna?" Stefan asked.

"That's what I want to find out." Damon said. Behind him, Elena went to answer the phone. "How do you know her?"

"I just know her. She wants me to meet her at the Grill tonight."

"Perfect. I'll drive. Come on. Ok." Damon took off and Jeremy followed.

Buffy sighed. "I'll keep an eye on Damon." She followed to two boys out.

"Buffy! Coming with?" Damon asked, smiling brightly as we walked backwards down the steps.

"I think Elena and Stefan were giving each other that look that said 'give us privacy' so I'm tagging along." Buffy said. "Why don't we take my car?"

* * *

><p>Damon escorted Buffy to the bar while Jeremy went off to the pool table to wait for the Anna chick. "So, why are you really here?" Damon asked.<p>

"I just couldn't stay away." Buffy said.

"That's bull and you know it. Spill."

"I'm just keeping an eye on you. Nobody trusts you with the safety of Elena's kid brother."

"Ouch."

"You're not stung by it and you know it. So who do you think this Anna chick is?"

"I'm not sure."

"What if she's just some girl interested in Jeremy? It's possible, you know. He's adorable and girls aren't going to miss that fact."

"Got the hots for the kid?"

Buffy smacked Damon's arm. "Ew. No. I'm just stating a fact."

"Got the hots for anybody else?"

"Um…. No. Though that Alaric is pretty yum, Jenna's got her eye on him and I don't mess with claimed men."

"Where's the sport in that?"

"Well, I'm just not a sports type of girl." Buffy glanced over at Jeremy when she heard him talking. "Oh…."

"Oh is right." Damon said, looking a little stunned.

"You know her?"

"Yes. I met her in 1864. She's the daughter of Katherine's best friend Pearl."

"Is Pearl in that tomb?"

"She was one of the 26 other vampires."

"Safe bet that Anna is looking to open that tomb, too?"

"I would say so."

"So, do we follow her, or do we hit some motels and find her?"  
>"How are we going to do that?"<p>

"Wait for me outside?" Buffy didn't give him a chance to answer. She strolled over to Jeremy. "Hey, Jeremy, Jenna just called me and asked me to help her with something. Give me a call when you're ready to leave?" She handed him a napkin with her cell number on it.

"Oh, uh…. Buffy, this is Anna. Anna, this is my sister's friend Buffy. She's pretty cool."

"It's nice to meet you." Anna said.

"You too. Sorry I don't have more time, but I've gotta go help Jenna. Later." Buffy waved and walked out.

Damon was waiting for her right outside the door. "What was that about?"

"I've got her scent now. Let's hit some hotels and I'll bet you $20 I can find her before she leaves this place."

"You're on." Damon said, following Buffy to her car.

* * *

><p>Damon was walking around the room, checking out what Anna had stashed there. He'd told Buffy about their history while they waited. He'd also given her the $20 he'd owed her. Suddenly, Damon was across the room and pinning Buffy to the wall behind the door with his entire body. Her heart sped up, but he pressed a finger to his lips as the door opened. Anna walked through the door and Damon caught her by the neck, slamming her against a far wall. Unfortunately for Damon, her hand shot out and started to crush his neck.<p>

"Ok, I give." Damon choked out after a minute. They both let go and coughed. "Damn. You're strong for a little thing." Buffy cleared her throat. "So are you."

"I was wondering how long it would take you to find me." Anna said.

"How long have you been here?"

"I arrived around half-past comet watching you screw up every chance you had to open that tomb."

"How did you know about the spell?" Buffy asked.

"I didn't say much back then…." Anna said, looking back at Damon. "Which means I heard everything."

"So if you've been here the whole time, then why are we just crossing paths right now?" Damon asked.

"I like to use others to do my dirty work."

"Like Logan Fell? Oh, yeah, thanks for that, by the way. Little bastard shot me."

"Logan was an idiot. We slipped him some blood when he started getting all poser Slayer with that compass. I needed his family's journal. I couldn't let him die."

"What'd you want with the Fell journal?"

"I thought it contained the location of the witch's spell book. I was wrong. According to her journal, Honorea gave the grimoire to Jonathan Gilbert. And, according to this…." Anna grabbed the Gilbert journal. "He gave it to your father. So now you're going to help me find it."

"Why would I help you?"

"Cause you and I both want that tomb open." She opened it to a certain page and handed Damon the journal.

He read a bit of it, then wrapped the string back around it and tossed it on the dresser. "Sorry. I work alone." Damon paused and glanced at Buffy. "Well, not this time. But she's far more fun than you." He opened the door and let Buffy out first.

"Where are we going?" Buffy asked.

"To visit my father."

"Oh, I was wondering when you were going to introduce me to your parents."

Damon chuckled as he held the door opened for her.

* * *

><p>Buffy held Damon's hand as he led her through the woods. They had both stumbled a few times making their way to the old graveyard, so they were relying on each other to stay upright. The night sky was missing a moon, so the darkness that surrounded them was nearly complete. Even with their night vision, they had trouble seeing.<p>

But the firelight ahead was unexpected. They walked closer and discovered Stefan and Elena standing by a freshly dug up grave. "Well, what do you know?" Damon said. "This is an interesting turn of events."

"I can't let you bring her back. I'm sorry." Stefan said.

"So am I. For thinking for even a second that I can trust you."

"Oh. You're not capable of trust. The fact that you're here means that you read the journal and you were planning on doing this yourself."

"Of course I was going to do it by myself. Because the only one I can count on is me! You made sure of that many years ago, Stefan. But you…." He looked at Elena. "You had me fooled. So what are you going to do now? Because if you try and destroy that, I'll rip her heart out."

"You won't kill her." Buffy said.

Damon glanced at her, then was suddenly standing behind Elena, holding her tightly to him. "I can do one better." He forced her to drink his blood from his wrist. "Give me the book, Stefan. Or I'm snapping her neck. And you and I will have a vampire girlfriend."

"Let her go first." Stefan said.

"Drop it."

"I'm not going to give this to you until she is standing next to me."

"Problem is, I no longer trust that you'll give it back!"

"You just did the one thing that ensures that I will."

Damon looked at Buffy, then back at Stefan. "Give it to Buffy."

"Why me?" Buffy asked.

"Because you've actually been a help to me."

Buffy rolled her eyes and sighed. "I'm with Stefan on this. Opening that tomb and releasing all those starving vampires just to get one back is crazy."

"Are you kidding me?"

Buffy crossed her arms. "You want that journal? Hand over Elena."

"You know, I actually trusted you."

"And you still can. I haven't broken any promises I've made to you. I've gone everywhere with you and helped you when you needed it. And you can trust that this journal," Buffy took it from Stefan. "Will end up in your hands as soon as Elena is standing next to Stefan."

Damon stared at her for a long moment. She walked a few paces towards him with the journal. After another minute, Damon let Elena go, ensuring that she was steady on her feet until she was out of his reach. Stefan stared at Damon for a moment, then took Elena and headed out of the woods.

"Why did you help me when you weren't planning to see it through?" Damon demanded.

"Because I don't want anyone to get hurt. I'm a Slayer, Damon. I protect the innocent. You just kill them if they get in your way. This town doesn't deserve that kind of punishment." Buffy stepped closer to him until their bodies were mere inches apart. She handed him the journal, but he just held it, his hand barely touching hers. After a long moment, she said, "There's something I kept from Stefan."

"What's that?"

"If you do manage to succeed in opening that tomb, which I seriously suspect that you will eventually…. being it's your obsession and all…. I want to make a deal with you. Here and now."

"What's that?"

"I'll let you and Katherine live if you get out of this town as soon as you find her. I'll pretend I didn't even see you if you help me put stakes in the other vampires hearts."

"Why should I trust you?"

"Because unlike everyone else, I've never lied to you."

Damon held her gaze for a long moment. He sighed. "Deal."

Buffy nodded. "So, are you just going to stand around here and read by the firelight, or can you help a girl out of these woods before you shove your nose in that thing?"


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

Buffy walked out of her bathroom with a towel wrapped around her. She was towel drying her hair with another towel, so she didn't notice her visitor lounging on her bed. "You should've told me you were taking such a long shower." Buffy jumped at the sound of Damon's voice and turned to glare at him. "I would've come to help you get those hard-to-reach areas."

"I'm sure." Buffy said. "What do you want?"

"I've got some errands to run and since you're so keen on keeping an eye on me, I was wondering if you would like to join me. You know…. make sure I don't kill anyone you deem as 'innocent.'"

"Fine. Let me get dressed and we can go." Damon didn't move. "Out."

"I'm comfortable where I'm at. Besides, if I see anything I haven't seen before, I'll throw a dollar at it." Buffy raised an eyebrow at him. "You're not the only one who knows how to spy." He winked at her and got up, walking out of the room.

Buffy rolled her eyes skyward as she slammed the door.

* * *

><p>"Ok, so…. Who's house is this?" Buffy asked, pulling to a stop.<p>

"This is Bonnie's grandmother's house." Damon said, getting out of the car.

"And we're here because….?"

"I need a witch." Damon bounded up the stairs and knocked.

An older woman opened the door and looked at them suspiciously. "Yes?"

"Hi there. I'm looking for Bonnie." Damon said, smiling.

"She's not here."

"Oh, do you know when she would be…."

"Never."

"You have quite an opinion for someone who doesn't know me."

"You got some nerve knocking on a Bennett witch's door and asking her for anything."

"What'd I do?"

"Spirits talk, Mr. Salvatore and so does my granddaughter. You are no friend to us. Now get off my porch."

"Step outside and say that."

The woman stared at Damon as she stepped onto her porch and he began to scream, holding his head tightly. "I am not Bonnie. You don't want to mess with me." She ducked back into her house and slammed the door.

Damon collapsed to his knees and groaned. Buffy shook her head. "Not what you were expecting?"

"Shut up."

"Come on." Buffy helped him to his feet. "Where to now, hot shot?"

"Our house. You wouldn't happen to know any witches, would you?"

Buffy shut the car door and walked around to the driver's side, slipping in. "Actually, I do. But she's in England."

"Think she'd help me?"

"Nope."

"Then what good does that do me?"

"Hey, you asked. I'm just answering."

"You're way too chipper about this."

"Damon, those vampires will wreak havoc on this unsuspecting town."

"I'm getting into that tomb and I'll help you put a stake in all of their hearts. I gave you my word. I just want Katherine."

"And I'm wondering what price you'll pay for that. You know that once an obsession is finally obtained, it's never what you set out to achieve."

"You sound like a fortune cookie."

"Well, sometimes they're spot on."

Damon shook his head. "I just don't get you. You don't want me to get in that tomb, but you seem to be resolved to the inevitability of it."

"Oh, big words."

"Poor blondie."

"I meant you. That didn't hurt your brain, did it?" She patted his head with a laugh.

"You know, I think I'm actually going to miss you. I like our little banter we have going. It's very…. Stimulating." Buffy didn't have anything to say to that. "Speechless? That's a first. Don't tell me you're going to miss me."

"I think I'll just be relieved once you're gone." Buffy pulled into the driveway and slowed to a stop. She got out of the car and discovered Damon standing directly in front of her. Her pulse sped up as she looked up at him.

He smiled, said, "Uh huh" and walked away. She didn't miss the slight bounce in his step. Holding back a growl, Buffy followed him into the house. Stefan was home. He was walking around in the library

"Elena, are you ok?" They heard him say after he picked up his ringing cell phone.

"She's fine, for now." They heard Anna say on the other line. "Tell me you have the grimoire and she'll stay fine."

"I can get it."

"Which means your brother has it. And I have the witch. So one of you had better meet me in the very public town square in 30 minutes so we can safely discuss how fun it's going to be to work together."

Stefan turned to look at Damon standing in the doorway with Buffy a few paces from Stefan. "Go ahead. Grovel again." Damon said. "Oh, wait, no. I don't care." He walked off.

"Where have you guys been?"

"To Bonnie's grandmother's house. He was looking for Bonnie." Buffy said.

"Still keeping an eye on him?"

"Well, you're a little preoccupied, so someone's gotta do it."

"I'm sorry you got dragged into this."

"No dragging. I stayed willingly, remember?"

Damon strolled back in wearing his jacket. "All right, Blondie, let's go."

"Where are we going now?" Buffy asked, throwing her hands up as she turned to face him.

"Anna wants someone to meet her. So, we're going to meet her while Stefan goes and saves Elena and Bonnie."

"I don't know where they're at!" Stefan called as Buffy followed Damon out. She started to tell him, but Damon covered her mouth.

"No cheating." Damon said, pulling Buffy out the door.

"He doesn't know…."

"He'll go to Bonnie's grandmother and she'll find them. They'll be fine."

"So, now you're a fortune teller?"

"It's just how it works. Keys. I'm driving this time."

Buffy sighed and tossed him her keys.

* * *

><p>Buffy and Damon watched from afar as Anna made her way through the town square. Across the street at the Grill, Jeremy called after her, running to catch up. "Anna! Hey, what, uh, what happened to you last night?" He asked.<p>

"Sorry, I had to leave." Anna said. "I told your sister to tell you."

"Oh, I haven't seen her."

"Well, I gotta run, so…."

"Hey, do you want to go to a party tonight?"

"Do I what?"

"The guy that's throwing it is a total douche, but it's, uh, it's supposed to be fun. I figured, you know, safety in numbers."

"So you're finally ready to go out with me, are you?"

"It's been a while since I've been to a party and I kinda want to get back out there. And not be such a loser. And, uh, I like you. You're fun, and you're also kind of strange and lurky, but I guess I like that, too. So, yeah, you should come to the party. With me. It's in the woods by that old cemetery."

"Oh. It's there, huh? That sounds cool. Uh, I'll meet you."

"Oh…. ok! Great! Cool. Ok!"

Anna smiled at him and continued on her way as Jeremy walked down the street and out of sight. Anna sat down on a bench and looked around. Suddenly, Damon was sitting next to her and Buffy was leaning against the back of the bench.

"Got a hot date, or are you just planning on nabbing the entire Gilbert family?" Damon asked.

"A party, right next to the old cemetery. Isn't that nice of them? Lots of warm bodies for starving vampires."

"I told you. I work alone."

"Yeah, so do I. But you're minus a witch and I'm minus spell book. So what do you say?"

"Stefan will come after you, you know that. For messing with Elena."

"Then he won't be too happy if I kill her when I don't get what want."

'When do you want to do this?"

"God, it's like 1864 all over again. You Salvatores are truly pathetic when it comes to women." Anna glanced at Buffy. "Though a Slayer could be a step up for you Damon. Tonight. After sundown. Meet at the church."

* * *

><p>Buffy sat on one of the chairs and watched Damon move around the library. He was packing some books when Elena walked in. "I'm going to have to change the locks." He said.<p>

"I convinced Bonnie to help you." Elena said.

"I doubt that."

"I'm not going to say that I'm sorry we got the grimoire without you last night, because I'm not, really."

"Well, at least you're honest."

"I was protecting the people I love, Damon. But so were you in your own, twisted way. And as hard as it is to figure, we're all on the same side…. After the same thing."

"Not interested."

"Yes, you are. Because you were willing to work with us yesterday."

"Fool me once, shame on you."

Elena looked at Buffy for help, but the Slayer's face was blank. "Ok, when we were in Atlanta, why didn't you use your compulsion on me?"

"Who's to say I didn't?"

"You didn't. I know you didn't. But you could have. You and I…. We have something. An understanding. And I know that my betrayal hurt you…. different from how it is with you and Stefan…. But I'm promising you this now, I'll help you get Katherine back."

"I wish I could believe you. Please leave."

"I…."

Buffy stood up. "Elena, don't worry, ok. I've got this covered. You don't need to make any deals with the devil because I've done it for you."

"What?"

"Tell Bonnie if she's really doing this for him, then she needs to meet us at the church." Elena nodded and left.

Buffy turned around and was suddenly pressed against Damon…. Again. "I'm trusting you." He said, his eyes burning into hers as he moved the hair out of her face and behind her ears. "Don't make me regret it."

"What more do you want from me, Damon? I'm here. I'm helping you. Let's just get this over with so you can get the hell out of this town." She turned on her heel and marched off.

* * *

><p>Buffy sighed as they got out of the car and heard the sounds of laughter and teenagers talking and drinking. "I hope they stay clear of the church."<p>

"Your hope, not mine." Damon countered. Buffy smacked his chest.

"Buffy, hey!" Caroline called, walking over with Matt. "I'm glad Elena invited you. Have you seen her?"

"Oh, no. She, uh…. She was going to meet me here, but…."

"Long story, no time to tell it." Damon said, cutting Buffy off.

"Wasn't talking to you." Caroline snapped.

"Sure you were."

"We haven't met. I'm Matt." Caroline's boyfriend said.

"Buffy. I'm a friend of Stefan's." Buffy said. "And this is…."

"Matt, there's a reason _we_ haven't met." Damon grabbed Buffy's arm and pulled her towards the church. "You and I are going that way."

"Sorry, you guys." Buffy called over her shoulder. "I'll be back. If you see Elena, let her know I'm here!"

"Ok!" Caroline called back.

"You don't have to be so pushy. I was being nice."

"We don't have time for nice." Damon said. They spotted Stefan standing with Elena, Bonnie, and Bonnie's grandmother. "Brother, witches." Damon greeted.

"Everything ok?" Stefan asked.

"Can we just get this over with? Are you ready?" Buffy asked.

"I guess so." Bonnie said.

Damon was the first down into the tomb, followed by Buffy, then Elena, Stefan, and finally Bonnie and her grandmother. There were torches set up at the five points of a pentagram. On the far wall was a door with a pentagram carved into it. Buffy assumed that's where the vampires were.

Grams grabbed a lighter and began lighting the torches. "Air. Earth. Fire."

"Water." Bonnie said, holding up a jar.

"That's it, just water from the tap?" Elena asked.

"As opposed to what?" Grams asked.

"I just figured maybe it would have to be blessed or mystical or something."

"What's that?" Stefan asked when Damon pulled out a bag of blood.

"It's for Katherine." Damon said. "Gotta have something to get her going. Unless your girl's offering a vein to tap." Stefan growled slightly. "Admit it…. You can't wait to get rid of me."

"I can't wait to get rid of you."

"We're ready." Bonnie said. The two faced each other and began chanting.

"What is that?" Damon asked.

"It sounds like Latin." Stefan said.

"It's not Latin." Buffy said. The two vampires looked at her. "My best friend's a witch. Latin is very familiar to me. That's not it."

The torch flames suddenly shot up and Elena moved away. "What's happening?" The door with the pentagram on it opened on its own.

"It worked!" Bonnie said.

"Of course it worked."

"We have some fires to build?" Damon asked.

"I'm gonna go get the gasoline, I'll be right back." Stefan said. He walked out of the tomb.

"Got enough stakes, Blondie?" Damon asked.

"Got plenty." Buffy said, holding up her bag.

"You ready?"

"What?" Elena grabbed Buffy's arm. She didn't want her friend to go in that tomb.

"You think I'm going to go in there by myself so you can seal me in?" Damon said to the witches.

"Don't take her in." Grams warned. "I'll bring the walls down."

"You'll bring the walls down if I don't. You think I trust you?"

"As much as I trust you."

"Enough!" Buffy ordered. "Both of you. He needs leverage and I need to make sure those other vampires die. Stefan's gonna cover the entrance with the fire element."

Damon reached down and grabbed a torch. "May I?" With his free hand, he grabbed Buffy's free hand and they walked into the tomb.

"So, you think your girlfriend's gonna be jealous if she sees you holding my hand like that?"

"I think she'll be too hungry to care."

"Touché." Around them, they heard whisperings. "What is that?"

"They can sense you."

"Figures. Slayer blood would be like wine to an alcoholic for these guys. What the hell was I thinking?"

"Where is she?" Damon moved off, leaving Buffy alone in the dark.

"Damon, you ass!" Buffy called. "Would you wait!" She started to follow, but heard a noise behind her.

"Let go of me!" Elena cried.

"Shut up." Anna said. "You must have a taste for it. You scream and shriek and even bother to escape, but then you just come right back to it. Mother! Your boyfriend did this, you know."

"His father did."

"And Jonathan Gilbert. Made a choice a long time ago that it would be Gilbert blood that brought her back to life. I had Jeremy all ready to go, but…." Elena screamed when Anna bit her. Anna gave the blood to Pearl.

"Please don't! No!"

"Let her go!" Buffy said, pulling Anna away from Elena. Stefan was suddenly there, pulling Elena away from Pearl.

"No!" Anna cried.

"Go, go. I'll be right behind you." Stefan said, pushing Elena in the right direction.

"Anna! Where am I?" Pearl asked, her voice faint.

"Buffy, go." Stefan said.

"You're coming too." Buffy grabbed his arm and pulled. They made it to the door, but Stefan stopped. "Stefan what are you doing?"

"It's gonna be ok." Grams said.

"We'll fix it." Bonnie promised.

"I can't." Stefan said.

"Can't?" Buffy asked.

"Can't what?" Elena asked.

"The spell's still up. We can't get them out." Bonnie said. "Yet."

"You went in there not knowing if you could come back out?" Buffy asked.

"I heard Elena scream."

"Damon's in there. We can't leave him in there. I promised him."

"I know."

"Even if we're able to break through the seal, we won't be able to hold it for long." Grams said.

"Well, get started. I'm going to find Damon." Buffy rushed back into the tomb, dodging Stefan's outstretched arm. "Damon!" She found him only moments later. He was angry and screaming at a wall. "She's not here!"

"Damon…." Buffy started.

"She's not here!" Damon threw the blood bag against the wall.

"What?"

"She's not here!"

"Damon, we need to get out of here."

"It doesn't make sense. They locked her inside."

"If you don't leave now, you're not getting out."

"How could she not be in here?"

"It's not worth spending all of eternity down here! She's not worth it!"

"No!"

"Damon! Please." He acted like he didn't hear her. So, Buffy did the only thing she could think of to snap him out of it. She grabbed his face and kissed him, pressing her body completely against him. It worked. Damon seemed to snap out of it a heartbeat later and he wrapped his arms around her, pulling her tighter to him. His fingers tangled in her hair as he tried to pull her even closer. After a long breathless moment, Buffy pulled away. "We have to go now." Damon nodded and he blindly followed her out. As soon as they were through the door, it slammed shut behind them. "Where's Stefan and Elena?"

"They're checking on Jeremy." Bonnie said. "Anna had him." She helped her Grams out of the tomb.

Buffy turned to Damon. He looked so broken. She couldn't help feeling for him, so she took him in her arms and hugged him tightly. "I'm sorry, Damon."

* * *

><p>Later that night, Damon walked into Buffy's room and slid onto the bed next to her. She woke up and rolled over. "Hey."<p>

"Hey." He said quietly.

"Are you ok?" He shook his head. "Is there anything I can do?"

"I don't want to be alone."

Buffy nodded. "You can stay in here." Damon nodded and laid his head down on the pillow next to hers. She watched him for a while, staring into his haunted eyes. She recognized that look. She'd seen it before looking back at her from a mirror once. With a sigh, Buffy ran her fingers through Damon's hair and kissed his forehead before closing her eyes and drifting back to sleep.

* * *

><p><em>AN Hey guys! I love that you're loving this story! I've worked really hard on it (and I'm still working really hard on it with every new episode). Just remember, I do love feedback. Reviews are encouraged and encouraging. :) Thanks for reading!_


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8

Buffy sat with Elena in the teen's room talking about what she'd just discovered from her aunt Jenna. "Alaric's wife might have been your mother?" Buffy asked.

"It can't be true, right? I mean, the coincidence alone is just crazy."

"I don't believe in coincidences."

"I have the address for her friend Trudie."

"Do you want to talk to her?"

"I don't know. I…. I…. I don't know. If it's true and they are the same person, that means that my birth mother is dead and I don't know if I could handle that."

"Elena, did Jenna tell you anything about Alaric's wife? How she died?"

"Just that she was killed and the case was never solved. You knew that already?"

"That night at the school when Stefan and I went to talk to him…. He told us some things about her death. And…. Well…." Buffy sighed. "If you do decide to go talk to Isobel's friend, I'll go with you."

"Really?"

"Yeah."

"Cool. I just don't know what I'm gonna do yet."

Buffy nodded. "I should probably get going. I've gotta go relieve Stefan and take over Damon-duty."

"How's he doing?"

"He's…. dealing…. in his own way."

* * *

><p>Buffy walked up to the house to find Stefan standing on the front porch. "Hey."<p>

"I'm not sure you want to go in there." Stefan said.

"Oh god, what now?"

Stefan sighed and opened the door, letting Buffy in first. She heard giggling and loud music coming from the library and followed the sounds. She walked in to find Damon dancing and feeding off of a sorority girl.

"How do I taste?" The girl asked.

"Oh, so much better than your friends." Damon said. His words were slurred. "But shh. Don't tell them. They might get jealous." He noticed Stefan standing next to Buffy when Stefan turned the lights on and Buffy turned the music off. "No. Buzzkill Betty. Greetings!"

"Can we talk?" Buffy asked. "Preferably without the Tri-Delts."

"Anything you have to say to me…. You can say in front of them. They're really good at keeping secrets."

"Foyer. Now." Buffy ordered, walking out. Stefan followed and to his amazement, Damon did too.

"You're worried about me." Damon said as soon as he caught up to Buffy. "That's nice. Don't be. There's no need. I'm fine. Why wouldn't I be? Spent the last 145 years with one goal: Get in that tomb. I succeeded. Granted, Katherine wasn't in there to be rescued, but why dwell? You know, it's so liberating not having a master plan because I can do whatever the hell I want."

"That's kind of what we're afraid of." Stefan said.

"Relax. I haven't killed anyone in…. too long."

"Those girls?" Buffy asked, crossing her arms.

"Will end up in their dorm with headaches. They'll think they blacked out. Business as usual. Predictable you didn't pull me over here for a pep talk. Spill it, Blondie."

"There was a woman you may have known a few years back named Isobel in North Carolina at Duke."

"You wanna discuss the women in my past right now? Seriously?"

"You killed her."

"What's your point?"

"I just want to know if you remember anything about her."

"Oh, it's like a needle in a haystack, Buffy."

"Think hard. It's important."

"Nothing is important, not anymore. Great chat. I have to go and exploit some women in the name of grief…. Which I'm sure you understand. TTFN said the Tri-Delt." Damon walked back into the library.

Buffy shook her head and sighed. "What's this about?" Stefan asked.

"Elena's mother may have been Alaric's dead wife Isobel." Stefan looked completely stunned. "Yeah. Same reaction here."

"Is she ok?"

"Yeah. She's taking it in stride. She has the address to a friend of Isobel's. She said she'd call me when she decided to go visit."

Stefan's phone rang. "Maybe that's her." He looked at it. It was Alaric.

* * *

><p>Alaric met Buffy and Stefan in the park. "Thanks for meeting me." He said. "Something's come up."<p>

"Jenna told you." Buffy said.

"Yeah."

"So it's true? Your wife Isobel was Elena's birth mother?"

"What does Elena know?"

"About your wife?"

"About everything. About you, about Stefan…. About your brother, Stefan."

"She knows what we all are. And she knows that you know about the vampires."

"Does she know about Damon and Isobel?"

"No. I couldn't tell her until I was sure."

"You said you'd help me."

"I asked Damon without saying too much. He doesn't remember."

"Ask him again."

"Damon is not what you would call stable at the moment."

"You know he murdered my wife or at the very least made a meal out of her. When has he been stable?"

"We're telling you not to push this." Stefan said.

"Give me a reason not to."

"Your survival. How's that for a reason?"

"We'll handle it." Buffy said, her voice leaving no room for argument. "For now, we need you to let it go."

"Is that what you'll tell Elena?" Alaric asked. "Let it go?"

"Leave Elena out of this." Stefan said.

"I need to know what happened. I think you would, too."

"I need something more than just your wife's name." Buffy said. "A picture, something I could show Damon." Alaric reached into his wallet and pulled out a folded photograph. "Thank you."

* * *

><p>Buffy walked into her room and set her bag down. She sighed and turned around. "Why are you in my room?"<p>

"It's the place to be!" Damon said. He was standing in the doorway to her bathroom with only his pants on and they were about to fall off his waist.

"You look…."

"Dashing? Gorgeous?" He leaned into her, getting close enough to kiss. "Irresistible?"

Buffy took a step away. "I was going to go with trashed."

"Do you know that I am one of Mystic Falls' most eligible bachelors?"

Buffy smiled slightly, crossing her arms. "Really?"  
>"Yep." Damon grabbed his shirt off her bed. "What can I do for you? I'm a barrel of favors today. It's my newfound purpose: how can I help people?"<p>

"I was just coming up to _my _room to get ready for the fundraiser. Liz asked me if I would come and donate some money. What did you tell her about me?"

"Just that you know about vampires and you're a hero…. Like me." He was struggling with the buttons on his shirt. "Help a guy out, will you? I can't get this."

Buffy rolled her eyes and got to work on fixing Damon's buttons. "You're pitiful."

"Will you try to win me?"

"What?"

"They're selling off bachelors and I'm one of them. Win me. Please?"

Buffy raised an eyebrow, pausing in her button pursuit. "Why would I want to buy a date with you?"

"Because you like me."

"You're annoying and…."

"Knock, knock." Buffy turned to find Stefan standing in her doorway with Elena. "Can we come in?"

"Sure. My room is the place to be." Damon let out a loud bark of laughter and Buffy rolled her eyes. "What's up?"

"Just wondering if you were coming to the fundraiser."

"Yeah. I was on my way to get ready when Mr. Train-wreck himself needed help getting dressed."

"Speaking of…." Damon took the jacket off he had been trying to put on. "I need a bigger jacket. Wow. You know, an occasional sorority girl might, um, you know, help fill you out a little bit."

"Did you steal your brother's clothes?" Buffy asked incredulously. "I always thought the younger sibling stole the older sibling's clothes. That's how it worked in my family."

Damon grinned. "I'll see you there. Wear something pretty and make all the girls jealous." He kissed her cheek and walked out.

Buffy shook her head. "He's fine."

"He's Damon." Stefan countered.

"Maybe this heartache will be good for him." Elena said. "It'll remind him that he has one, even if it doesn't beat."

"Won't hold my breath."

"So I went to see Trudie Peterson." Elena said to Buffy as Buffy started to rifle through her closet. Buffy looked back at Elena. "I know. I'm sorry. I didn't plan it."

"How was it?" Buffy asked.

"She has vervain. She knows about vampire stuff and it can't be a coincidence."

"You know how I feel about those. Stefan, that picture's in my purse."

Stefan grabbed the picture. "It isn't a coincidence, Elena. This is Alaric's wife." He showed her the picture that Alaric had given Buffy.

"This is her. This is Isobel. He gave this to you?" Elena asked.

"Everything he knows about vampires, he learned from her."

"He believes that she was killed by one." Buffy added.

"Oh, my god." Elena sat down on the bed.

"Listen, Elena, there's a lot about Isobel that Alaric can tell you, but I need you to hold off a little while before you talk to him." Buffy said.

"Why?"

"I know that it's a lot to ask of you, but will you do that for me?"

Buffy could tell Elena didn't like that, but she nodded anyway.

* * *

><p>"Where'd Stefan and Elena go?" Damon asked, catching Buffy in the hallway.<p>

"They're on their way to the Grill." Buffy said. "Hey, listen…. I wanted to talk to you." She grabbed the picture of Isobel out of her purse and showed it to Damon. "This is the woman, Isobel, from North Carolina. Remember her now?"

"Who wants to know?"

"I do."

"Who else wants to know?"

Buffy rolled her eyes. "Did you kill her?"

"Sorry. Don't know her. Hey, are you coming?" He stuck his hands inside her coat and pushed it away to reveal the blue shirt he liked and a mid-thigh length black skirt that clung to Buffy's curves. She had also put on a pair of stiletto ankle boots. Damon whistled. "Thank _you_."

"It wasn't for you. I wanted to get dressed up."

"I like it." He noticed the small tattoo of a cherry blossom branch she had on her inner right ankle. "Sexy."

* * *

><p>Buffy walked in and ran into Liz Forbes as she was taking her jacket off. "Buffy. Wow, you look amazing."<p>

"Thank you." Buffy smiled slightly, blushing. "I don't get to dress up very often."

"It suits you. Listen, have you seen Damon?"

"He left before me."

"Are you two ok? He's been acting like you two have broken up…."

"Oh, Damon and I aren't…. We're just…. Friends."

"Oh. I just assumed…. Well, you should buy a couple of tickets and see if you can get him."

"It's not an auction?"

"No. It's a raffle. I said the auction would've been more fun, but who listens to the woman who married a gay man?"

Buffy laughed and spotted Jenna heading towards her. "Hey, Buffy."

"Hey Jenna. Excuse me, Liz."

"You look amazing!" Jenna said, hugging her friend. The two had been spending time together since they were closer in age.

"Thank you."

"Come on. I got us good seats." Jenna led Buffy over to a table close to the front where Elena was waiting.

"Wow." Elena said. "Buffy, you…. Wow."

"Thank you." Buffy set her bag down. "Please don't make a fuss. It's just an outfit. I'll be right back." She headed up to the bar and ordered a drink.

Damon appeared next to her. "Did you buy any tickets? Cause I have got a great date planned."

"I haven't bought any tickets yet."

"I figured. That's why I bought some for you." He handed her twenty tickets.

Buffy shook her head. "Why do you want me to win you so bad?"

"Because I don't like anybody else. You're the closest thing I've got to a friend."

"And what about the Tri-Delts?"

Damon snorted. "Please. They're just play toys." He looked behind him. "They're lining us up now. Gotta go. Good luck." He winked at her, paid for her drink, and walked off.

Buffy took her tickets and drink and headed back to the table. "What was that about?" Elena asked.

"He wants me to win him." Buffy held up her tickets. "He bought me twenty tickets."

"Wow." Jenna said. "He must like you."

"Unfortunately."

"Hey, I wouldn't mind. The guy's hot."

"Doesn't make him any less of an ass." Elena said, snickering with Buffy.

"So you've never told me how you met the Salvatore brothers." Jenna said to Buffy.

"My friend Lexi introduced us…. A long time ago. Stefan is kind of like a little brother to me. Damon just kind of comes with the package." Buffy noticed Alaric on the stage. "Hey, Alaric's up there. Jenna, did you buy any tickets?"

Jenna held her six up. "Sure did."

Up on stage, Carol was in the middle of introducing the bachelors. "And what do you do, bachelor number 3?"

"Yeah, I'm a plumber." He answered.

"Well, isn't that wonderful? We could always use more plumbers. Moving on. Number 4, 'Alaric Saltzman.' Wow. That's quite a mouthful. What do you do, Alaric?"

"I'm a teacher at Mystic Falls High." Alaric answered.

"Oh, beauty and brains, ladies. This one's a keeper. What do you teach?"

"History."

"History. Oh, well, give us a fun fact about Mystic Falls. Something crazy."

"Uh, well…." Alaric was distracted by something Damon was doing.

"He's probably saving the best stories for his date. And last, but not least, Damon Salvatore. We don't have much on you."

"Well, I'm tough to fit on a card." Damon said.

"Do you have any hobbies, like to travel?"

"Oh, yeah. L.A., New York. Couple of years ago, I was in North Carolina. Near the Duke campus, actually. I think…. I think Alaric went to school there. Didn't you, Rick? Yeah, cause I…. I know your wife. I had a drink with her once. She was…. she was a great girl. I ever tell you that? Cause she was…. She was delicious."

"Are you ok?" Jenna asked. Buffy looked over at Elena who was looking pale.

"I just need some air." Elena got up and rushed away.

"What was that about?" Jenna asked.

"I'll find out." Buffy got up and found Stefan already at the door and following Elena out.

"Elena…." Stefan started.

"He killed her? Damon was the vampire that killed her?" Elena asked.

"I don't know what happened. Alaric said that they never found the body."

"Oh, my god."

"I know. I'm sorry."

"We wanted to tell you, but we just wanted to know more first." Buffy said.

"I was feeling sorry for him, hoping that this whole Katherine thing would change him. I'm so stupid."

"He doesn't know about the connection to you. I thought about confronting him earlier, but he's already so on edge."

"Why are you two protecting him?"

"Because you're not the only one hoping that he might actually change." Stefan said.

Elena was staring behind Buffy's shoulder. "That man…. I saw that man outside of Trudie's."

"Get back inside. Come on." Stefan pulled Elena back inside and Buffy glared at the man before following them back in.

"And bachelor number 3 goes to 37458." Carol announced onstage.

"That's me." A woman said.

"Ah. Kelly Donovan. Lovely. You and the plumber should have so much fun."

"Oh, snide comments." Buffy said. "What's the juice behind that?"

"That's Matt's mother." Elena explained. "She's not exactly a model mother and she's kind of the town joke."

"That's…. sad."

"She's a great woman…. Just kinda flaky. I've gotta go to the bathroom." Elena walked off and ran into Damon.

"Whoa. Easy there." Damon said. "Buy a ticket like everyone else."

"Did you enjoy that? Rubbing it in to Alaric Saltzman?"

"What?"

"Just as I was starting to think that there was something redeemable about you."

"Elena…." Buffy started.

Damon turned to look at the blonde. "Am I missing something here?"

"Did I forget to mention that I found my birth mother? Her name was Isobel. Go ahead. Reminisce about how you killed her." Elena pushed away from Damon and walked out. Stefan followed her out.

Damon looked at Buffy. "Is that what you were asking me about earlier?"

"Yes." Buffy said.

"Why didn't you say anything?"

"You haven't exactly been Mr. Stable."

"Buffy, don't ever beat around the bush with me. Just come out and say whatever it is, ok?" Buffy nodded. "Thank you." Damon glanced at the stage where Carol was still announcing the winners. "Can we just get out of here?"

"You don't want to see if I won you?"

"You don't need to win me." He headed out towards the back exit and Buffy followed.

She grabbed his hand and stopped him before they left the alley. "Damon, what about Isobel? What happened?"

Damon sighed. "It's not what everyone thinks. I didn't kill her…. Exactly."

"You turned her."

"She came to me and begged me to turn her."

"Why?"

"I don't know. She was obsessed with it. Wasn't she into researching that stuff?"

"Alaric did say that it was her job."

"I just know that she was really persistent. So I turned her and I haven't looked back until now."

"Thank you."

"For what?"

"The truth."

Damon nodded. "You're welcome." He started walking towards the parking lot. "So, are you coming home with me?"

Buffy chuckled. "Sure. I think I'm going to take another shower. Get this hairspray out of my hair." She noticed him pouting slightly. "What?"

"It's just that I've never seen you all…. Gussied up. I like it."

"Well, I can't stay like this forever."

"I wouldn't complain."

"I'm sure you wouldn't." They drove back to the house in silence.

Damon opened the front door and let Buffy in first. He followed her to the stairs and stopped her before she could take the first step. "Can I ask you a question?"

Buffy turned to him. "Depends on the question."

"Why did you kiss me that night?"

Buffy hoped he didn't notice the blush that she felt burn across her cheeks. "It was the only thing I could think to do to snap you out of your crazy rage."

"Why didn't you just slap me? Or knock me unconscious?"

She shrugged. "I figured if I hit you, then you'd attack and I honestly didn't want to hurt you."

Damon nodded. "Good reasoning. The way I was feeling…. I probably would've tried to kill you."

"I know." Buffy nodded and the silence started to get uncomfortable. "So…. I'm going to go…. take a shower."

Damon sighed. He grabbed her and pulled her to him, kissing her deeply. She clung to him and kissed him back. He lifted her up and she wrapped her legs around his waist as he raced up the stairs and into his room. They fell into his bed, kissing passionately.

* * *

><p>Damon sat in the library staring at the fire he'd built. His hair was wet from the shower he'd taken with Buffy after their little tryst upstairs. He was drinking and thinking about what had just happened with the petite blonde. Alaric walked in behind him, interrupting his thoughts. "Are you really this stupid?" Damon asked. "Guess so." Damon threw Alaric across the room. Alaric stumbled back up to his feet. "You gonna put down the stake?" Alaric just stood there, poised to strike or defend. "Wow. That's courage."<p>

"Where's Isobel?" Alaric demanded. "What have you done to my wife?"

"You want me to tell you I killed her? Would that make you happy? Because I think you know what happened."

"I saw you feeding on her."

"Yeah. I did and I wasn't lying. She was delicious." Alaric attacked, but Damon punched him in the gut. Alaric fell back, gasping in pain. "Oh, come on. What do you think happened? Not an inkling? Never considered the possibility? I turned her."

"Why?"

"She came to me, all pathetic, looking for vampires. There was something about her, something I liked. There was something special."

"You turned her because you liked her?"

"No, I slept with her because I liked her. I turned her because she begged me to. Yeah. But you knew that, too, didn't you? Hmm. I guess she wasn't happy at home…. Wasn't happy with life in general…. Wasn't happy with you." Alaric charged and Damon stuck out his arm, stopping him. He gripped the stake in Alaric's hand and turned it on the man, stabbing him in the chest. "Ah, this is a shame. We're kindred spirits, abandoned by the women we love. Unrequited love sucks." Damon pulled the stake out of Alaric's chest. "Sounds like I got a lung. Which means I get to sit here and watch you die." Damon sat down as Alaric died on the floor in front of the fire.

Buffy walked in, her hair wet down her back, and gasped. "What happened? What did you do?" She knelt down by Alaric and checked for a pulse.

"What? He attacked me."

"Damon!"

"All I did was tell him the truth. His wife didn't want him anymore. It's not my fault he couldn't handle it."

"Like you've been handling Katherine?"

"I'm handling it fine. I told you! Isobel came to me. She found me. And if she's related to Elena, that means she's related to Katherine. Maybe Katherine sent her to me."

"Oh, Damon, stop it! Just stop, damn it! You don't have to keep looking."

"Can't be a coincidence Isobel sought me out. Can't." Damon got up and walked out. Buffy shook her head and looked down at Alaric, tears welling up in her eyes.

Stefan walked in and found Buffy crying over the dead Alaric. "What happened?" He rushed over and hugged her tightly, moving her slightly away from the body. "Buffy, what happened?"

"Damon happened." Buffy said.

"How did…."

"He said Alaric attacked him. I was upstairs…."

"Shh…. I'm sorry. I'm sorry I wasn't here." Stefan looked at Alaric. "I'll take care of this." Out of the corner of his eye, Stefan caught Alaric's hand move.

Alaric suddenly gasped, grabbing at his chest, and sat up, causing Buffy and Stefan to move back slightly. "What happened? What's going on?" Alaric asked.

"You were just…." Buffy shook her head and looked at Stefan, bewildered.

"Did Damon turn you?" Stefan asked.

"No. I went for him and then he stabbed me." Alaric said.

"You must have vampire blood in your system. Somebody slipped it to you."

"No. It's…. it's something else."

"How?" Buffy asked.

"I…. Isobel." He looked down at his hand. "This ring protected me."

"That's impossible." Stefan said.

"I know." Alaric said.


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9

Buffy walked into the house talking to her sister on her cell phone. "No, it's beautiful here. I can't wait for you to come visit."

"Well, as soon as I get done with these exams, I'm coming down." Dawn said. She was studying psychiatry at NYU. "And I'm really glad you're enjoying your retirement."

"Yeah. Well, retirement seems like such a permanent word now…."

"You've got to take it easy down there, Buffy. I don't want you getting hurt."

"Trust me. Stefan's sort of taken me on as a sister. And he's _very_ protective."

"That's awesome. I can't wait to meet him."

"He's excited about meeting you too. And I know you'll have a lot to talk about with Elena." Buffy heard a groan coming from the sitting room. "Listen, Dawn. I'll call you later, ok?"

"Everything ok?"

"I'll let you know." Buffy hung up and walked into the sitting room to find Damon holding his face and sitting on the floor. "Damon?"

"Buffy…." He tried to look up at her, but his eyes were milky and blood stained his skin around them.

She rushed over to him and kneeled down next to him. "Oh my god! What happened?"

"Pearl…."

"Anna's mother she took from the tomb?" Damon nodded. "Why?"

"She wants me to be her errand boy. I said no and she jabbed my eyes out with her thumbs."

"Stay here."

"You mean I can't take that stroll in the gardens?"

Buffy rolled her eyes and got up. She went to the kitchen and grabbed a bag of blood out of the refrigerator, then headed upstairs and retrieved a washcloth and ran warm water over it. Heading back into the sitting room, she sat back down. "Hold still." Gently, she cleaned the blood off around his eyes and down his cheeks as he drank from the blood bag.

"Thank you."

"Yeah, you're welcome."

"Ouch. I feel like you just clawed me."

"I feel like maybe I should."

"Why?"

"What you did to Alaric ring any bells?"

"He attacked me."

"Doesn't make it right that you killed him."

"Oh, he's fine."

"It doesn't matter. You didn't know about that ring." Buffy finished cleaning Damon's face. "Your eyes look a little better."

"They still feel like there's a fire in my skull."

"So, you pissed off a vampire who's three times your age? Smart."

"I'm nobody's errand boy." Damon sighed. "Who were you talking to?"

"My sister. She's planning to come for a visit."

"Oh, two Summers women under one roof? My roof? I like it."

"You are going to stay away from Dawn."

"And what about you?" He reached out to touch her hair, but she pulled away. "Hmm…. Curious."

"Damon, the other night…." Buffy stood up. "Listen…. I've done that whole using someone for sex thing and it doesn't sit well with me. It's not who I am. The other night was…. Explosive to say the least…. But it won't happen again."

"Well, that's disappointing. You were amazing."

"Thank you. But I'm serious, Damon. Despite what you did to Lexi…. And Alaric…. I consider you somewhat of a friend. I don't want to kick the legs out from under that."

Damon sighed. "Fine. Friends it is. Will you help me upstairs? Maybe if I can sleep, I can ignore how bad my eyes feel right now."

* * *

><p>"This is much better than watching Damon visit cougar town." Buffy heard Caroline say downstairs. "No offence."<p>

"Don't remind me." Matt said. "Man I've always wanted to see what it looks like in this place."

"Yeah, it's uh…. a little bit much." Stefan said.

"Yeah, my entire house could fit in it like twice."

"Hey." Buffy said, walking downstairs.

"Buffy!" Caroline said. "Hey!" She walked up and hugged the Slayer. "It's so good to see you."

"Yeah. Thanks, Caroline. Matt. Elena."

"Hey." Matt said.

"What are you up to tonight?" Stefan asked.

"Oh, just relaxing. What are you guys up to?"

"Double date." Elena said.

"Wow. You know, I have never done that. But I do know when I'm a fifth wheel, so I'm going to head back upstairs."

"Oh, no! You don't have to." Caroline said. "Stay."

"We were going to watch a movie or something." Elena said. "Watch it with us."

"Are you sure?" Buffy asked.

"Please." Stefan said. "Stay. The ladies have spoken."

"Ok."

"Whoa! These are great!" Matt said, going towards Stefan's miniature cars collection.

"This is uh…. a little hobby of mine." Stefan said.

"I did the entire Mustang series when I was 9."

"You like cars?"

"It's an understatement."

"Come with me."

Caroline and Elena looked at Buffy expectantly as the boys headed out. Buffy shrugged and gestured for them to follow. Stefan led everyone out to the garage. He opened the door and walked in. "Prepare yourself my friend." He removed a tarp from a beautiful old red sports car.

"Wait, how do you have this?" Matt gaped.

"She was passed down through the family."

"Why don't you…. I mean…. Why don't you drive it?"

"Well, it doesn't run. I mean, it's something I could figure out."

"Why would you keep a car that doesn't run?" Caroline asked.

"Be more of a girl right now." Matt countered.

"Hey, want to come take a look at this for me?" Stefan asked Matt.

"Elena, remember the old Camaro your dad used to have?"

"Of course." Elena said.

"I built and rebuilt that engine 20 times."

"Wow." Stefan said.

"I don't like sports cars." Caroline said. "They're too hard to make out in."

"It wasn't that bad." Matt said, looking at Elena. The tension suddenly shot up like a rocket leaving Buffy and Stefan a little uncomfortable. Caroline left the garage and Elena went after her.

"I'm sorry." Matt said, looking at Stefan.

"No, no, no." Stefan said. "Don't worry about it. You and Elena, you guys have a history and ignoring it doesn't do anybody any good."

"She's good with you. You know I wasn't sure but she's happy and I'm glad."

Buffy headed out to check on the girls while Stefan and Matt bonded over the car. Caroline brushed past Buffy on her walk away from Elena. "You all right?" Buffy asked.

"If it's not vampires, it's girlfriends." Elena said.

"It never changes."

"Really?"

"Trust me. There will always be girlfriend drama…. And vampire drama. I'll take the vampire drama over the girlfriend drama any day, though."

"Why?"

"It's easier. You can't kill your girlfriends, but you can kill the vampires. Unless they're good and you're involved with them. Or you have a vampire girlfriend…. Wow, that just got complicated."

Elena laughed and spotted Stefan walking up to them. "Where's Matt?"

"I gave him the keys so he and Caroline could have some privacy." Stefan said.

Elena hugged him tightly. "That was sweet of you."

"What were you two talking about?"

"The everyday drama in a girls' life."

"Oh…. I'm not going to ask any more questions. That is an area I steer clear of."

"Smart man." Buffy said.

"Did you talk to your sister?"

"Yes. This afternoon, actually. She's got to finish up her exams and then she's coming down for a long weekend."

"Oh wow." Elena asked. "Your sister's coming?"

"Yes."

"That's so exciting!"

"Yeah. I'm looking forward to it. I haven't seen her in a long time. She's at college up in New York. While I was busy with my Slayers, she decided she wanted to go to school and get her PhD in psychiatry. My Watcher is helping pay for that." Buffy paused. "I should probably call Giles and let him know I'm not dead. He worries about that."

"Every Watcher does." Stefan said.

"Hey, did you know Lucy Hanover? She was the Slayer during the last half of the Civil War. Until me, she was the longest living Slayer."

"I'd heard of her, but I never met her. Why?"

"Oh, just curious. I was reading her Watcher's journal and I just remembered that you were alive when she was."

"Why were you reading the Watcher's journal?"

Buffy shrugged. "I do that sometimes. Since Lucy lived a long time, I just wondered if she and her Watcher noticed the whole 'no aging' thing."

"Does it bother you?" Elena asked.

"I'm not sure. I mean, yeah…. It's weird…. But after everything I've seen and done and been through…. It's not really that much of a surprise." Buffy shrugged again. "Maybe it'll bother me when I notice my friends aging and I'm not. Right now…. We're all pretty much the same as we have been." She paused. "Except Willow. Willow seems to be younger like me. I'll have to ask her that."

"When do we get to meet Willow? I'm sure Bonnie would love to pick her brain." Elena paused and then looked sad. "That's if Bonnie ever decides to come home."

"There's Matt and Caroline." Stefan said, pointing at the headlights.

"Dude, thank you so much!" Matt said as they got out of the car. "The car is amazing."

"Caroline." Buffy pointed to her chin and Caroline blushed, rubbing the lipstick that had smeared on her chin. They all headed back inside.

"Mom?" Matt cried. Against the stair banister, Damon had a woman wrapped around him and they were making out.

"Damon?" Buffy said.

"Oh my god Matt! Oh my god!" The woman said. She grabbed her things and rushed out.

"I've got to…." Matt started.

"It's fine. Just go." Caroline said.

"I'll take her home." Elena said to Matt.

Matt gave the car key to Stefan. "Thanks man." He turned and left. Caroline, Elena, Buffy, and Stefan all looked at Damon as he took a long drink.

* * *

><p>Buffy stood in the library staring at the fire as she waited for Stefan to say his goodnights to Caroline and Elena. Damon sat behind her on the chair, still nursing his bourbon. "What do you want me to say?" He said after a long stretch of tension filled silence.<p>

"I don't want you to say anything." Buffy said.

"Look, you made your feelings perfectly clear. I'm to keep my distance. We're just friends."

"Did I say anything to suggest I felt otherwise?"

"It's the way you're acting right now."

"I'm processing."

Stefan walked in and they both clamped down on their conversation. "Don't look at me like that." Damon said.

"Are you crazy?" Stefan asked.

"Save the lecture. Look…."

Just then, a vampire burst through the window and jump onto Stefan. Stefan screamed when the vampire shoved a piece of glass in his torso. Buffy and Damon arrived at the same time and surrounded the vampire.

"I got him." Damon said. "Check on Stefan."

Buffy nodded and went over to help Stefan remove the piece of glass. A female vampire arrived and tackled Buffy away. Buffy rolled with it and threw the vampire across the room. They exchanged a few blows, but Buffy was stronger, faster, and a much better fighter. The female vampire was on the floor in seconds, a stake in her heart. Damon sent his vampire across the room. He landed close to Buffy and panicked when he saw the dead female and Buffy holding a stake at the ready.

"Slayer!" He hissed and flew back out the window he came in from before Buffy could charge.

"My reputation precedes me." Buffy said.

"I remember them from 1864." Stefan said. "They were in the tomb."

"Yeah…. About that…." Damon said. Buffy and Stefan both turned to look at him incredulously.

* * *

><p><em><span>AN If you guys promise to review, I promise that next time I will upload TWO chapters!_


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 10

Damon finished boarding up the window while Buffy, Stefan, and Elena looked at him. "I say we go to Pearl's, bust down the door, and annihilate the idiot that attacked us last night." Damon said.  
>"Yeah. And then what?" Buffy asked. "We turn to the rest of that house of vampires and say, 'Oops. My bad?"<p>

"I can't believe you made a deal with her." Elena said.

"It was more like a helpful exchange of information. And it's not like I had a choice." Damon said. "She's…. scary. Besides, she's gonna help me get Katherine back."

"Of course she is." Buffy said, rolling her eyes.

"You don't have to be snarky about it."

"I woke up this morning to the fact that all the vampires you promised to help me kill have been released from the tomb. I've earned snarky."

"Ouch."

"This isn't being very productive." Stefan said. "We're gonna figure out a way to deal with Pearl and the vampires. Yeah?"

Damon rolled his eyes and left the room. Buffy threw a book after him, hitting the wall just after he'd gone through the door next to it. "I'm sorry." She said. "He just makes me so cranky."

Stefan gripped her hand with a slight smile. "I know. He makes everybody cranky."

"So, what are we going to do?" Elena asked.

"Buffy, Damon, and I are gonna handle everything, I promise." Stefan said.

"Well, what about me? I can't just sit here and do nothing."

"That's exactly what you're going to do." Buffy said. "Because that's what going to keep you safe."

"Which means nothing if you guys aren't safe, too."

"What do you mean? We're perfectly safe." Stefan said.

"Yeah. We have Damon, the self-serving psychopath on our side." Buffy said.

"Well, that's comforting." Elena said.

Buffy shrugged and then groaned. "I'm going to have to tell Dawn not to come down until this is finished."

"Oh, that sucks!"

"Yeah, but I'm not putting her in harm's way…. Again." Buffy sighed and grabbed her cell phone.

* * *

><p>Buffy walked into the library just as Stefan was heading out. "Hey, where are you off to?"<p>

"Hunting." Stefan said.

"Good idea. Hey, you think Damon will let me wail on him to make sure I'm not too rusty for our big fight." Buffy smiled brightly at the thought.

"Go easy on him, Buffy. He needs his strength too." Stefan smiled and kissed the side of her head. "See you later."

Buffy rolled her eyes when she saw Damon stepping away from the grandfather clock. "Well don't you just look ready for a fight?" She was wearing faded jeans, thick black Harley Davidson boots with thick 1-inch heels, and a long black tank top that was loose fitting and flowy. "I'll spar with you."

Buffy walked over and grabbed her black leather coat. "I'd win and we'd be down a fighter. And I would hate to take the fun away from those other vampires."

"Ouch. Put your claws away kitty."

"How long is Stefan going to be?"

"The squirrels don't put up as much of a fight as humans do, so I'm going to imagine…. Not long."

"I'll be up in my room. Tell Stefan to come get me when he's back." She turned on her heel to leave.

"Buffy…." Damon started. She turned to look at him expectantly. "I'm sorry."

"For what?"

"For whatever it is you're pissed off at me for. I'm not sure what I did exactly, but…. I'm sorry."

"Thanks. But I'm not pissed at you. I'm just…. Annoyed in general."

"Why do I doubt that?"

Buffy shrugged. "Don't know." She turned to leave, but Damon was standing right in front of her. "Damon…." He reached down and kissed her, pulling her tightly to him. Buffy moved away from him. "Why did you do that?"

"Because I don't want to be just friends and I'm pretty sure neither do you."

"Damon…. I don't want to be your girlfriend."

"I don't want you to _be _my girlfriend. That term is so…. Binding."

"And that's exactly why I don't want to be your girlfriend."

"Listen, we can be friends but have some fun. There's no harm in it."

"There's plenty of harm in it."

"You can't fight it forever, you know."

"Oh but I can." Buffy walked away.

* * *

><p>Buffy knocked on Elena's door and waited. Damon had tried calling her, but the phone had been sent to voicemail. He'd come up to Buffy's room only an hour after Stefan had left and had said that there was something wrong.<p>

Elena opened the door and Damon walked right in. "You're ignoring me."

"The 6 missed calls? Sorry." Elena said. "My phone's dead. Hey Buffy."  
>"Is Stefan here?" Damon asked.<p>

"No. Why? Something wrong?"

"He went out to the woods and didn't come back." Buffy explained. "We can't get him on his phone. Damon figured he was here with you."

Elena picked up her phone and called Stefan. "It's going straight to voice-mail. Where could he be?"

"You're not going to like what I'm thinking." Damon said.

"I'm not either." Buffy said. "I'm going to go find out."

"I'm coming with you."

"No. Guard Elena. If they have taken him, they could come after her."

"25 vampires now at full strength against just one of you?" Damon shook his head. "It wouldn't end well for you. You're not going alone. I'm going with you. End of discussion. Let's go."

* * *

><p>Damon banged on the door to the house where Pearl was staying. "Pearl! Open this door. I swear to god I'll bust through and rip your head off." He yelled.<p>

The male vampire that had attacked at the house opened the door. "Pearl's not home." He looked outside. "Hmm. Beautiful weather. Not a ray of sun in the sky."

"Where's my brother?"

"Billy." The vamp got out of the way to show Buffy and Damon a beaten Stefan being dragged into the hallway.

"You're dead." Buffy growled. She and Damon started to attack, but Damon slammed into the barrier. He grabbed Buffy before she could go in alone.

"Whoa. I'm sorry. You haven't been invited in."

"I don't need to be." Buffy said, low and dangerous. Damon refused to let her go.

"Miss Gibbons?"

"Yes, Frederick honey?" Miss Gibbons said, walking in.

"Never let these bad people in."

"I'll never let them in."

"You can't stop me." Buffy said.

"145 years left starving in a tomb, thanks to Katherine's infatuation with you and your brother." Frederick said to Damon. "First few weeks, every single nerve in your body screams with fire. The kind of pain that can drive a person mad. Well…. I thought your brother might've wanted to get a taste of that before I killed him. Billy." Stefan cried out as Billy shoved a stake into Stefan's side.

Buffy let out a growl and tried to pounce, but Damon held her back. "Stefan!"

"You have a nice day." Frederick shut and locked the door.

Buffy wheeled on Damon. "I could've saved him."

"You would've died." Damon said, pulling her off the porch and out into the rain. "They're all in there and they all hate me and my brother. Seeing as how you're with us, you're under that little hate umbrella." Buffy yanked away and tried to go back, but Damon appeared in front of her and blocked her path. "They'll rip you to pieces."

"We've got to do something!"

"I know."

"We can't let them hurt him anymore. We've got to get him out of there."

"I know." Damon gently held Buffy's face in his hands, moving her wet hair out of her face. "Buffy, I know. But I don't know how to get him out without getting you killed. I won't risk that." Their eyes met and she calmed down a bit.

"We need a plan."

"Now you're talking."

"Alaric."

"The school teacher?"

"He's got the best arsenal around."

"What about yours?"

"Oh, we're stopping by the house so I can get my little toy." Buffy turned and they headed back to Damon's car where Elena was waiting.

* * *

><p>Buffy found Alaric walking down a hallway at the high school. "Alaric." He turned around. "Hey."<p>

"Buffy."

"Listen…. We need your help."

"Who's 'we'?" Buffy gestured to the history classroom where Alaric taught.  
>They walked in where Elena and Damon were and as soon as Alaric saw Damon, he shook his head and started to walk out. "No way."<p>

"Stefan's in trouble." Elena said.

"What?" Alaric stopped.

"The vampires are out of that tomb." Buffy said. "They've got a house just outside of town and that's where they're keeping him. Damon's a vampire. He can't get in. And unfortunately he's right. I can't go in there alone. Elena can't go because, no offence Elena, you're just a human. We need you Alaric."

"I'm sorry, Buffy. But it's not my problem."

"That's a shame." Damon said. "Because the woman in charge of the crowd can help you find your wife."

"You're lying."

"Am I? Why don't you ask her yourself? Coward." Damon stood up. "Ladies…."

"All right! Wait. I'll go."

Buffy sighed. "Thank you."

"What do you need?"

"Weapons. I've only got the one." Buffy hefted her bag and pulled out her scythe.

"Whoa!" Alaric shook his head and Elena took a couple of steps back. Damon just stood there and smirked.

"Yeah, it's not exactly as stealthy as a stake," She smiled. "But it kills strong bodies three ways and I'm not looking to show any mercy today."

"That thing is…." Alaric ran his hand down the blade. "Wow."

"So, I've showed you mine. Now you show me yours."

"God that's hot!" Damon said as Alaric walked out of the classroom to get his weapons.

Buffy rolled her eyes. "What is that thing?" Elena asked, still keeping her distance.

"It's a scythe. I King-Arthured it out of a rock. It belongs to the Slayer…. In this instance, me…. And Willow used its essence to turn all the potential Slayers out there into actual Slayers."

"Why?"

"Well, I needed an army and the potentials were ready. They just didn't have the strength to take on the army of Neanderthal vamps we were fighting."

"Neanderthal vamps?"

"That is a long story. One I promise I will tell you if we get out of this mess alive."

Alaric walked back in and laid out his stash of weapons. "Teacher by day, vampire hunter by night." Damon said.

"I've you to thank for that." Alaric said.

"What are these?" Buffy asked, eyeing some wicked looked darts.

"Those are tranquilizer darts filled with vervain and holy water."

"Nice."

"Just get Buffy and I in." Damon said. "We'll get Stefan out."

"That's your plan? You're just gonna take them all on yourselves?"

"Well, we'll be a little stealthier than that, hopefully."

Elena grabbed one of the darts. "Whoa. What are you doing?" Alaric asked.

"I'm going with you guys." Elena said.

"Nope." Buffy said.

"No way." Damon agreed.

"You need me." Elena protested. "I'll get in. You guys distract them and then I'll get Stefan out."

"You'll get yourself killed." Buffy said. "You're not going in there."

"I'm going."

"So, when you get us in, get out as quickly as you can." Damon said to Alaric, ignoring Elena. "We know how to sneak around where they can't hear us. You'll basically just be in the way."

"Damon, now is not the time to be the lone ranger."

"I won't be. Buffy will be in there with her shiny toy to slice and dice anyone that gets near us. Elena, you can drive the getaway car. But you're not going in the house."

"You can't stop me. It's Stefan we're talking about here. You don't understand."

"Oh, I understand. I understand. He's the reason you live. His love lifts you up where you belong. I get it."

"Can you just not joke around for 2 seconds?"

"We can't protect you, Elena." Buffy said. "We don't know how many vampires there are in there." She snapped her fingers. "That's how long it takes you to get your head ripped off. Damon and I have to be able to get in and get out. We can't be distracted with your safety. Or this will end up a bloodbath that none of us walk away from…. Including Stefan." Elena looked crestfallen.

"If we're gonna go, let's go." Alaric said.

* * *

><p>Buffy and Damon waited on the back porch for Alaric. Buffy was swinging her scythe around in a deadly arc, keeping herself limber.<p>

"You're making me nervous with that thing." Damon said.

"Don't worry, Damon. I won't chop your head off on accident." Buffy grinned at him.

"That's the part that worries me."

Alaric opened the door to let Damon to in, but Miss Gibbons said, "Oh, I'm sorry. They're not allowed in the house."

"I know that." Alaric said. "But you gotta make an exception."

"Get her out of the house." Damon said. "Now!" Alaric helped Miss Gibbons out while Buffy walked in. "Miss Gibbons, tell me the truth. Are you married?"

"No."

"Parents, children, anyone else who lives on this property?"

"No. It's just me."

"Good."

"Damon, no!" Buffy cried just before he snapped her neck. "You were supposed to compel her."

"It doesn't work that way…."

"She was human." Alaric said.

"And I'm not! So, I don't care. Now, get out of here. And get rid of the body!" Damon turned to Buffy. "I'm sorry. My compulsion didn't work on her. She's too far gone by the others' compulsion."

"You didn't have to kill her."

"How else am I getting into the house? We're wasting time. Let's find Stefan and get out of here."

"Billy, what's the holdup?" Frederick yelled from another room.

"Someone's coming." Buffy grabbed Damon and pulled him into the pantry. He smirked at her but she held up the scythe and he looked at it nervously. She waited for a moment, letting the vampire get right in front of the pantry door before she kicked it open, smacking the vamp in the head. He fell away and Buffy swung the scythe around to use the wooden end to stake the vamp.

"You're kinda turning me on right now." Damon said.

Buffy rolled her eyes and kept moving. They found an entrance to the cellar and Buffy made her way down. There was a vampire down there guarding a door and Damon took out a vervain dart, stabbing it in the vamp's neck. A movement caught their eye and they both turned, ready to strike. But it was only Elena.

"Are you insane?" Damon demanded.

"I can't just sit around and wait." Elena said.

Buffy sighed. "She's here now. We'll just have to deal. Let's go." She gestured to the door the vamp had been guarding. Elena went in first followed by Damon and then Buffy.

"Elena…. You shouldn't be here…." Stefan said.  
>"She was supposed to stay in the car." Damon said. He got ready to stake the other vampire staked down to a chair.<p>

"No. No. No. Not him."

"Whatever. Let's get you down." Damon started to grab the ropes.

"There's vervain on the ropes." Stefan said.

"Elena, pull that." Damon went over and caught Stefan as Elena freed the ropes.

"All right, let's go." Buffy said.

"Wait." Stefan said.

"What? Guys, come on. We have to get out of here."

Stefan pulled the stake out of the other vampire's left leg.

"Come on, we gotta go." Damon said.

"The other one." Stefan pointed at the stake in the vamp's right leg. Elena pulled it out, a little reluctant at first.

"Can you get him in the car?" Buffy asked.

"Yeah." Elena said.

"All right, go."

"What about you two?"

"We're going with your plan now. You rescue, we'll distract. Go." She disappeared back up the stairs with Damon not far behind.

"All right, Rambo, what's your plan?" Damon asked.

"Personally, I really want to kick that guy Frederick's ass. Anybody else is just bonus points."

"Ok. Whoever has the most points when this is over gets a night at the Grill all expenses paid by the loser."

"You're on. Let's say 20 points for females and 10 for males?"

"Wait, wait, wait. Why are females more?"

"Because they're craftier and harder to kill."

"Good point. Hey, wait…. We've got to even some odds here. You can only use the stake end of your scythe since I've only got a stake to work with."

"Except on Frederick. He gets the big business end." Buffy nodded at the blade.

"Deal."

"So, let's start at the back and work our way up." Buffy moved off in one direction while Damon went the other. Buffy took out five vamps, three males and two females, when she met up with Damon. He was taking on Frederick, but two male vamps came up and started to wail on him. Buffy took one of them out so Damon could defend himself against the other. She looked around for Frederick, but he was gone. One last vampire appeared and Buffy put the stake through his heart before he could get to Damon.

Damon finished off his vampire and turned to her. "I got four. One female and the rest males."

Buffy smiled. "Dinner's on you. I got seven. Two females and the rest males."

"Damn. You're good."

"And now I'm going after Frederick."

"Not without me." Damon said, following. They searched the entire house, but Frederick was gone. They returned to the foyer where Alaric was standing over yet another vampire body. "What are you doing here?"

"Looking for Elena." Alaric said.

"She's got Stefan. They were headed for the car." Buffy said. "And Frederick is gone."

"Let's get out of here."

"I'm gonna kill him." Buffy hefted her scythe as they walked out onto the front porch. They stopped dead when they saw the small army of vampires approaching them.

"How many of those vervain darts you have left?" Damon asked.

"One."

"Not gonna be enough."

Buffy started to attack, but Damon grabbed her arm as they retreated back into the house. "Hey!" She protested. "I could've taken them."

"I know."

"Then why…."

"What? You think our bet's over? I'm not about to let you take them on without me."

Buffy shot him a playful glare. "You still owe me dinner."

"Guys…." Alaric started. The banging started on the porch as the vampires tried to get in through the locked door. "So, what you said to get me to do this, about my wife. It was a lie, wasn't it?" Alaric asked Damon.

"Yep."

"Stop. What's going on here?" Pearl demanded outside. The door opened and she took in the bodies strewn around the house. "What did you do?"

"Me?" Damon said. "Your merry little band of vampires spent the day torturing my brother."

"Trust me. The parties responsible for this will be dealt with."  
>"Our little arrangement doesn't work unless you learn to control them."<p>

"This wasn't supposed to happen."

"Well, it did. If I had a good side…. Not a way to get on it." Damon opened the door and turned to look at Buffy.

Buffy stepped up to Pearl and looked her in the eyes even though the vampire was taller than her. "One more incident like this and the rest of you will find out how well I can use this weapon. Got me?" Pearl nodded, showing the first inkling of fear.

* * *

><p>After dropping Alaric off at the high school, Damon drove himself and Buffy back home. "So, when am I paying for tonight's loss?" Damon asked.<p>

"I'll let you know. Right now…. I think I might order a couple of pizzas. I'm starving! I forgot how much Slaying makes me want to eat."

"Weird."

"Isn't it? My mom used to have this array of food on the kitchen counter on the nights she knew I was out patrolling. I'd come home and we'd just pig out. She always said the calories didn't count if they were mom-made."

"You were close with your mom?"

"The closest. My dad wasn't…. still isn't a big part of our lives. I don't think I've talked to him in almost a year. Last I heard he was in Peru with his new secretary."

Damon opened the front door and held it for her. "Dads…. Who needs them?"

"Yeah. I definitely don't." She turned to set her bag down, but found her lips suddenly pressed to Damon's. He wove his fingers into her hair on either side of her neck and she wrapped her arms around his waist, kissing him back.

After a long, breathless moment, Damon pulled back. "Thank you."

"For what?"

"For helping me forget her."

"Katherine?"

"Yes."

"Are you saying the obsession thing is over?"  
>"For now."<p>

Buffy nodded. "Let's go check on Stefan." They headed upstairs to Stefan's room. The door was open so they walked in and stopped dead. Emptied blood bags were strewn everywhere. Their eyes came to rest finally on Stefan sitting on the ground drinking one of them.


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter 11

Buffy came out of the bathroom and searched for her ringing phone. She assumed it was her sister calling again, but when she answered, the voice was unexpected. "Hello, Buffy." Liz Forbes said on the other line.

"Sheriff. Hi."

"I'm sorry to call you out of the blue. Damon gave me your number."

"Is everything all right?"

"Uh…. Yes. As far as we can tell. Actually, the reason I'm calling is that Damon has spoken with me about you and your…. Abilities."

"My abilities?"

"About you being a…. Vampire Slayer."

"I'm going to hurt him."

"Please don't. He's mentioned before that you knew about vampires and I pushed him recently to tell me how. It's an honor to have you in our town."

"Thank you."

"I'm calling to extend an invitation to the Council meeting today. You don't have to join us permanently, but I would like it very much if you would just come today and tell us what you think."

"Um…. Ok. Sure."

"Thank you, Buffy. It really is an honor to have someone like you in Mystic Falls." The sheriff hung up and Buffy set her phone down on the nightstand.

"Damon!" She yelled. A moment later, he appeared in her doorway. "What is the matter with you? Does secret identity mean nothing to you?"

"I guess you talked to Liz." Damon said. "Look, I thought it would be a good thing. They'll rely more on you to look out for the vampires since, technically, it is your job and they'll back off. They will never be on mine or Stefan's trail again because they won't believe that a Vampire Slayer is living with two vampires."

"Why didn't you talk to me first?"

"This was before our…. Whatever that was the other night."

Buffy sighed. "What am I to expect at this meeting?"

"Just some talking and probably some oohing and aweing at you."

She shook her head. "I guess I'll go. How's Stefan?"

Damon sat down on Buffy's bed and watched her as she went to her closet. "Well, before he left today, he was exercising like a maniac and swearing that he's fine."

"But really he's not?"

"He's been on animal blood for how many years now? And all of a sudden he's gotten a taste of that sweetest of elixirs and he's hooked…. Again."

"Again?"

"He wasn't always Mr. Uptight. When he was first turned…. Well, let's just say thank god for Lexi." Buffy shot a glare at Damon. "Sorry. Touchy subject."

"So what am I supposed to wear to this meeting? Is there a dress code? The Watchers Council was anything with tweed, but I'm guessing they're a little less stuffy at this Council."

Damon laughed slightly, but went to her closet and picked out a pretty white and pink summer dress that was very flowy. "I think you should wear this."

"I have to dress up?"

"No. But I think you'd look pretty in it." He smiled and Buffy couldn't help but be charmed. "Oh, I have a present for you."

"You do?"

Damon smiled and left the room. A minute later he came back in holding a garment bag and something else behind his back. "I hope this fits. I peeked at your dress size to make sure."

Buffy opened the bag and found a black, satin, knee length, one shoulder cocktail dress with a fitted silhouette inside. "Wow. This is gorgeous."

"I thought you could wear it to the Founder's Day kickoff party this evening."

"I wasn't planning on going."

"Oh, but you have to. Since you're a member of the Council now, they'll expect you to be there. And…." Damon produced a shoe box from behind his back. "I bought some shoes to go with it."

Buffy shook her head at the shoes. They were a pair of incredibly high heeled, royal blue satin dress sandals with a peacock feather and rhinestone broach embellishment at each ankle strap. "Really Damon?"

"I know they're a bit much, but I think you'd look amazing in them."

"Ok, what am I supposed to be giving up here?"

"What do you mean?"

"You're giving me presents, so you're obviously buttering me up for something."

Damon shook his head. "Absolutely nothing. Just…. You can't tell anyone I got these for you. They'd think I was going soft or something." He smiled and walked out.

* * *

><p>Buffy and Damon arrived at Founder's Hall and he escorted her up the stairs. A deputy led them into the room where the Council was already in session. Sheriff Forbes was at the front of them in the middle of a speech. "The coroner office has officially ruled Vicky's Donovan's death a drug overdose. Her family has been notified, the truth will stay in this room and we can put this behind us."<p>

"Thank you Sheriff." Mayor Lockwood said. "And on to a more pressing issue, John Gilbert has asked to say a few words." Buffy and Damon exchanged glances. "Welcome back John, it's good to see you."

"Hello everyone, it's wonderful to see you." John said. "I wished it were on better circumstances. As a founding family member I found it my duty to report some very distressing news."

Damon leaned in to Liz. "He's a Gilbert?"

"Elena's uncle." Liz said. "His name is John but I call him Jackass."

"A hospital blood bank in the neighboring county of Amherst has reported several break ins over the past two weeks. 7 hunters, 4 campers and 2 states employees have been reported missing as well. All of this was in a 75 miles radius of Mystic Falls."

Mayor Lockwood interrupted John. "Ok, ok, no need to get alarmed right at this moment."

"He means he doesn't want to cancel the Founders' Day kickoff party." Liz whispered.

"You think all of your problems are over but I'm here to tell you, nothing's been solved." John said.

"Actually, John, I believe they have." Liz countered. "Ladies and gentlemen, I've recently discovered that the newest member to our community and a close personal friend of our very own Damon Salvatore is a…. Vampire Slayer." All eyes were on Buffy now. "Buffy Summers."

Damon leaned over and whispered, "Spotlight's on you."

"I hate you." Buffy whispered to Damon as he gently moved her up in front of the small crowd. "Um…. Hello. It's, uh…. It's true. I'm a Vampire Slayer. But this information cannot leave this room. Liz has trusted my secret to you because of the problem this town has been facing. I've been working behind the scenes since I got here to help rid the town of its vampire problems."

"How is that possible?" The Mayor asked. "You're so…. Little."

"Don't judge a book by its cover, Mayor." Damon said. He picked up a letter opener and threw it with deadly accuracy at Buffy's head. She caught it out of midair, stopping it dead right in front of her face, with a glare at Damon. The room gasped.

Buffy sighed and set the letter opener down. "I would also appreciate it if you would stay out of my way and not try to take on vampires yourselves. They're dangerous and strong and none of you would survive a one on one. The sheriff has my number, so if you need my help, please feel free to call."

* * *

><p>Damon and Buffy strolled through the town square discussing the meeting. "I'm still not sure how I feel about this." Buffy said.<p>

"Just feel honored. They know about you and they'll hopefully leave the vampire hunting up to you. The professional."

"Something tells me that it's not going to be that simple. Especially from Elena's uncle. I'm getting some weird vibes off of him."

"Yeah. Me too. And Elena's never mentioned her uncle to me."

"Or me." Buffy shrugged. "Maybe they don't get along." Her cell phone started ringing in her bag. "Speaking of Elena." She answered it.

* * *

><p>Buffy knocked on Elena's door and waited. Elena was the one that answered. "Oh good you're here. With Damon…."<p>

"Sorry. We were already together, so…."

Elena shut the door and pointed upstairs. Buffy noticed Jeremy sitting in the dining room eating cereal so she guessed this wasn't a social call. Buffy started to follow when Damon randomly cried out, "No Elena I will not go to your bedroom with you." Buffy rushed down the stairs and smacked his arm before grabbing him and pulling him upstairs. "Oh, just like I remember." Damon quipped as Elena shut her bedroom door behind them.

"Stop messing around." Elena said. He laid on her bed and took the teddy bear with him.

"Did you know that your uncle has been kicking it with the founder's council?"

"What?" Elena looked at Buffy.

"He's right. I went to my first meeting with them today because someone here doesn't know how to keep a secret." Buffy shot a look at Damon.

"Perfect. We'll just add it to the list of how everything is falling apart."

Buffy noticed a broken lamp. "What happened right here?"

"Uh…. Nothing."

"Elena…."

"Look, I'm worried about Stefan. He says that everything's ok but he's clearly struggling. How long is it gonna take before he's going back to normal?"

"A few days. Give or take." Damon responded.

"It's been a few days."

"Give then, I don't know. What's the big deal?" He got up and handed Elena the teddy bear.

"He's not himself, Damon."

Damon opened the drawer of her dresser and looked in it. "Well, maybe his problem is that he has spent too long not being himself." He took a bra from the drawer and Elena took it from him and put it back in the drawer.

"Please don't make me sorry for inviting you along." Buffy said. "You can go through my drawers at home, but stay out of the minor's."

He took a picture from the mirror and Elena tried to take it back. "It is what it is Elena." Damon said. "The Stefan you know was good behavior Stefan, under control Stefan, fight his nature to an annoying excessive level Stefan, but if you think there isn't another part to this then you have not been paying attention."

Buffy grabbed the picture back from Damon in a lightning fast move and handed it to Elena. "Thank you." Elena said to Buffy before turning to Damon and saying, "And he's not you, not even close."

"Because he doesn't want to be me. That doesn't mean that deep down he's not." Damon smirked at Elena at walked out.

"I'll check on him." Buffy said.

"Are you coming to the party tonight?"

"Yes. I'm Damon's plus one. I'll see you there." Buffy waved and followed Damon down the stairs.

* * *

><p>Stefan, Buffy, and Damon walked into the Founders' Day party. Buffy kept her arm through Damon's for balance in the heels that he'd bought her. When she'd walked down the stairs, Damon had practically been drooling on himself. Stefan had even taken a moment from his frenzied attempt to get the cravings under control to admire Buffy. She'd done her hair in a simple messy ponytail just above the base of her skull.<p>

"Oh god! I shouldn't be here." Stefan said.

"Come on, don't be a downer." Damon countered. "It's a party for the founding families! That would be us. That would be rude to skip it."

"You know, I really liked you a lot better when you hated everybody."

"Oh I still do. I just love that they love me.

Buffy rolled her eyes and looked up at Stefan. "How are you feeling?"

"I'm good. I'm fine." Stefan noticed the skeptical look she was giving him. "Really."

"No cravings? No urges?" Damon asked. "Is that whisky you've been drinking all day doing its job? We are who we are Stefan. Nothing's gonna change that."

"Ah! Nothing will make you happier to just see me give in, Damon."

"Whatever, it's inevitable."

"Well, I'm gonna go find Elena. Buffy, I will see you later." Stefan walked off.

"Don't embarrass me young man!" Damon called out. He laughed at himself and then looked down at Buffy. "Would you like something to drink, Miss Summers?"

"Sure." Buffy said. "Lead me to the bar."

They headed that way, but the Mayor stopped them. "Hello Damon. Miss Summers. You look…. Amazing."

"Thank you." Buffy said.

"Listen…. I would love to sit down and talk with you sometime about…. What you do."

"Oh, uh…. It's pretty simple. No explanation needed. It's all in the title."

"Yes, well…. Nevertheless, I'd still like to sit down and discuss everything. Get to know the newest member of our town."

"Ok…."

"I'll call you soon." The Mayor walked off, glancing back.

"Curious." Buffy said.

"He just wants to try to get in your pants." Damon said.

"I don't trust Mayors. Ever. The last one I knew turned into a giant snake and tried to eat my graduating class."

"So, whenever I pay up on my debt, will you tell me some of your stories?"

"Sure." They walked into the bar area where the music was suddenly bumping. Stefan was out on the dance floor with Matt's mother.

Elena was standing at the bar watching. "Have we entered an alternate universe where Stefan is fun?" Damon asked.

"Is he gonna be ok?" Elena asked.

"Eventually. One way or another." Damon smiled and went to order himself and Buffy drinks.

Elena sighed and turned to Buffy. "Wow! You look…. Wow!"

"Blame it on Damon." Buffy said.

"He picked this out?"

"Yes. He did."  
>"Buffy!" They turned around to find Jenna walking up to them. "You look amazing!"<p>

"Thank you."

"I love those shoes."

"You can have them."

Jenna laughed as she hugged her friend. "I'd break my neck."

"History teacher at three o' clock." Elena said.

"How do I look?" Jenna asked.

"Beautiful." Buffy and Elena said.

Alaric joined them. "I was looking for you." He said to Jenna.

"Here I am. I haven't seen you in a while."

"Well uh…. Things have been a little crazy but I'm here now. Do you want to get a drink?"

"Sure."

"Ok cool." Jenna and Alaric left.

Damon handed Buffy a Malibu Bay breeze. "My lady."

"Thank you." Buffy said.

"Come on, newest Council member. You have some mingling to do." Damon hooked Buffy's free arm through his and escorted her off.

They found the sheriff in a different room. Buffy almost didn't recognize her. "You know I love a woman in uniform but I have to side with this look." Damon said. "You look…. you look smashing."

"Thank you, Damon. Cheers! I needed that. But I don't hold a candle to your date. Buffy, you look absolutely amazing."

"Doesn't she?" Damon said, smiling at Buffy.

"Thank you." Buffy said.

"You know, Damon, I had my doubts about you at first but like everyone else in the Council you've won me over." Liz said.

"Thanks Liz. It's really nice how welcoming the Council has been." Damon said. "I like my life here in Mystic Falls. Sort of feels like home again."

"And with this recent addition to our community and the Council, I feel like Mystic Falls will be a much better place. Buffy, thank you so much again for coming to the meeting. Everyone wants to know more about you."

"Yeah. The Mayor has already asked to sit down and talk with me." Buffy said.

"Well, I hate to do this because you're not gonna like what I have to tell you. Jonathan Gilbert's claims check out. Blood bank, the missing people, all of it is true. We might have a problem."

Jeremy walked up and interrupted them. "Excuse me Sheriff. I was curious if there's been any more information about what happened to Vicky Donovan?"

"It was an overdose Jeremy."

"Yeah but her body was buried. Somebody must have done that."

"We're aware of that. The investigation is ongoing but there's nothing more I can tell you at this time. I'm sorry."

"It's ok." Jeremy walked off.

"I'm sorry about that. They apparently had a history together."

"It's ok." Damon said. "Grief can make you think and do crazy things."

"Yes. Excuse me." The sheriff smiled at someone across the room and walked off.

Buffy looked at Damon. "Well, this is fun. I think I'm going to need more to drink if this fun stays at this level."

"Well, let's go refresh that glass then, shall we?"

At the bar, Elena found Buffy and Damon waiting for their drinks. "Have you noticed what your brother has been up to?" Elena asked.

"No, I have been too preoccupied with yours. Jeremy has been asking questions about Vicky Donovan's death."

"He knows that her death was ruled as an overdose."

"Really? 'Oh but sheriff, someone buried her. Who would do that?' I know! I know! Me! I mean I could compel him but he's wearing vervain."

"No, I don't want you to compel him."

"If he keeps asking questions…."

"Damon no. I'm serious. I'm not going to do that to him again. I'll handle it."

Damon sighed. "Ok. Don't say I didn't warn you." He grabbed his glass and left.

"Are you sure you can handle your brother?" Buffy asked.

"Yes. I just want to keep him away from everything."

"I hate to agree with Damon, but he's right. Jeremy can't keep asking questions or he's going to end up finding out the truth. If that's not what you want, then you should go talk to him."

"I will."

"Hey, where'd Stefan go?"

Elena shook her head. "I don't know. I had to get away from him."

"I'll find him."

"Thanks."

Buffy wandered off and ended up finding Damon out on a balcony. "Enjoying the view?"

He turned to her with a smile. "Even more so now."

"Flattery will get you nowhere, sir."

"Is that so?" Damon grabbed her waist and picked her up, setting her on the ledge of the balcony. "There. Now the view is complete." He moved closer to her and leaned up to kiss her

Buffy shook her head. "Someone might see."

"Let them see and be jealous." He smiled and took her hand, kissing her wrist instead.

"It's Buffy and Damon right?" They turned to look at John Gilbert standing in the doorway.

"John." Damon said.

"We didn't get the chance to meet at the council meeting."

"Yeah. It's a pleasure. Are you enjoying the kick-off?"

"Oh yeah. I forgot how much fun these small town celebrations can be."

"Yeah. When was the last time you were here?"

"Hasn't been that long…. my brother's funeral. How long have you been in town?"

"Well, not long at all have we, sweetie?" Damon smiled up at Buffy and she nodded.

"So what do you two think? You know this vampire problem is real right? It's a potential blood bath."

"I wouldn't overreact, John." Buffy said. "It's under control now."

"I think it's like 1864 all over again. Vampires running amuck. I guess we're just gonna have to hunt them down, throw them in a church, and burn them to ashes."

"That is the story huh?"

"Part of the story, yeah."

"Oh, there's more?"

"Oh there's lots more. See, it seems there was a tomb under the church, where vampires were hidden, waiting for someone to come along and set them free. But you already knew that didn't you?" Damon and Buffy kept their eyes on each other. "Because you're the one that did it."

"And you're telling us this why?"

"I just thought we should get the introductions out of the way."

"You know that I or Buffy could rip your throat out before anyone would notice?"

"Yeah."

"Yeah, ok. But you probably ingested vervain so…."

"Why don't you take a bite and find out?"

"It's not worth my time." Damon helped Buffy down off the ledge.

"Damon, he doesn't exactly smell human." Buffy whispered. "There's something…. More."

Damon glanced at John as they walked by him. John watched them go and just before Buffy and Damon walked through the doors, Damon rushed at John and snapped his neck, tossing the body over the balcony.

"Subtle." Buffy said.

Damon shrugged. "It'll look like an accident."

"And what if he was human?"

"You said he didn't smell human."

"I said he didn't smell _exactly_ human. I was kind of hoping to find out what that meant."

"Well, now you don't have to. Let's go find Stefan and update him." They found Stefan lurking in a corner and drinking yet another glass of scotch. "You want to hear the bad news or the really bad news?"

"Actually I don't want any news, Damon."

"All right, let me rephrase. Do you want to hear how the Council is back in vampire mode or how I just killed Uncle John Gilbert?"

"What?"

"Great party by the way huh?" Damon smiled and walked away with Buffy being towed along on his arm. "I have a spectacular idea."

"It's gotta be better than killing Elena's uncle." Buffy countered.

"It is. Let's dance."

"In these heels? I can barely walk without assistance."

"And…." Damon turned and spun her into him. "You'll still have my assistance in dancing." She smiled slightly and decided to just go with it. They made it through two songs when a door across the room opened and Damon saw John Gilbert walk in. "You've got to be kidding me."

"What?" Buffy asked, confused. Damon pointed and Buffy turned to see the not-dead John walk past them and into another room. She smacked Damon's arm. "I told you!"

"He's not a vampire, too, is he?"

"No. I would've sensed that."

"Then what's going on?"

"I don't know, but I fully intend to find out." Buffy pulled on Damon's arm and they went to follow John Gilbert.

In another room, Mayor Lockwood was addressing the crowd. "Thank you all, thank you very much, thank you. Thank you all for joining us tonight in just a few minutes we will officially begin the countdown for our upcoming Founders' Day Celebration and it's a very special one this year." Buffy and Damon walked in and joined the crowd behind John. "The one hundred fiftieth birthday of our town and I would like to welcome back one of our town favorite's sons to do the honors of ringing our official bell. John Gilbert, would you please join me up here?"

John shook the mayor's hand and turned to address the crowd himself. "One hundred and fifty years of community, prosperity, family. We take care of each other, we look after each other, and we protect each other." His eyes met Damon's. "It's good to be home." Everyone applauded as Damon moved over to Alaric. "Look at his right hand."

"Who?" Alaric asked.

"The town favorite's son. Look at his ring." John rang the bell and revealed that he was wearing the same ring that Alaric wore.

"Well, it looks like mine."

"Yeah, and that would be a big coincidence if he didn't just come back from the dead five minutes ago. Where the hell did you get that ring?"  
>"Isobel…. my wife."<p>

"Who gave birth to Elena, under the medical care of the esteemed Dr. Grayson Gilbert, John's brother!"

"Do you think John knew Isobel?"

"I think John knows a lot of things." Buffy said. "And I think curiosity is going to kill this cat if I don't find out exactly what those things are."

"I like it when she gets all determined." Damon said.

* * *

><p>John headed outside and Buffy, Damon, and Alaric followed him. "Going somewhere?" Damon asked.<p>

"I've never liked to be the last one to leave a party." John said. "It's too desperate. You going to kill me again or you're gonna let Mr. Saltzman do your dirty work?"

"Ok, you obviously know who I am." Alaric said.

"I do. Alaric Saltzman, a high school history teacher with a secret."  
>"You sure know a lot for someone who just got to town." Buffy said.<p>

"More than you can imagine. My knowledge of this town goes beyond anything that you or you or you or the Council knows. So, if you're planning on some clever high speed snatch ring vamp kill move, know that if I die, everything I know goes to the Council. Including the fascinating little tale of the original Salvatore brothers and their present day return to Mystic Falls."

"How did you get that ring?" Alaric asked.

"I inherited one, my brother Gray the other. This was his." He showed the ring on his hand to them. "And I wouldn't have given mine to Isobel if I'd have known she'd hand it over to another guy."

"So you did know her." Damon said.  
>"Who do you think sent her your way when she wanted to become a vampire?"<p>

"You sent her?"

"Guilty. Why? Did you think someone else sent her? Maybe Katherine Pierce?"

"How do you know about Katherine?"

"How do I know anything, Damon?"

"What do you want?"  
>"So many questions. It was a pleasure meeting you Rick. I heard so much about you." John turned and walked away. Damon and Alaric watched him go.<p>

"Is it just me, or does that guy kind of look like a turtle on crack?" Buffy asked. The two men looked at her. "Just saying."

Damon couldn't help the laugh that escaped him. "Buffy Summers, ladies and gentleman."

"Can we go home now? These shoes are really starting to hurt."

"Yes. We can go home now. Alaric, thank you. We'll see you later." Damon took Buffy's hand and slipped it through his arm as they started to walk to her car.


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter 12

Buffy woke up to find Damon lying in bed next to her. Then she realized that she'd fallen asleep in his room. They'd been talking almost all night long and Damon had laid her head down on his chest where she'd fallen asleep.

He smiled. "Morning sleepy head."

"God, I'm sorry. I invaded your space."

"Don't be sorry. If I wanted you gone, I would've made you leave. It's fine."

"What time is it?"

"A little after eleven in the morning. You do need to get up, though."

"What's going on?"

"I just got off the phone with Liz. She needs to speak with us at Founders' Hall."

Buffy rolled her eyes. "I'm taking a vacation and soon."

Damon smiled. "I'll make you coffee while you get dressed."

"Thank you." Buffy shook her head as he left and sat up.

Damon had made good on his dinner and drinks that he owed her the night before. After they'd gotten home, he'd come into her room after talking with Stefan and they'd started talking about more stories from Buffy's past. Eventually he'd wanted to change into something more comfortable, so he'd headed to his room and had invited Buffy so they didn't have to break the flow of conversation. It had been the nicest time Buffy had had with Damon since she'd met him.

* * *

><p>"There was a disturbance at the hospital blood bank last night." Liz said. "Some of the supply was compromised."<p>

"Compromised?" Buffy asked. "You mean stolen?"

"We almost missed it. The inventory records were altered but when the night manager was questioned he had no recollection of changing them."

"That means that the vampire who stole the blood used mind control to hide the theft." John said.

"We knew what you meant." Damon said snidely.

"We wouldn't have noticed if John hadn't alerted us to recent discrepancies in other hospital blood banks in the county." Liz said.

"How lucky for us we have John."

"We're stepping up security at the hospital…. Giving the guards vervain to prevent this from happening again."

"Sheriff, may I offer a suggestion?" John asked. "Why don't Buffy, Damon, and I put our heads together? We can track down whoever is doing this."

"Truthfully I can use the extra hands. Is that something you would be willing to do?"

"I would rather it be on my own." Buffy said. "I'm really not used to working with so many people."

"Oh, come now." John said. "I think we could make a good team, don't you think?"

Buffy gritted her teeth against the unpleasant remark about to escape her lips. Damon took over. "John, whatever we can do to help keep this town safe…. even if it means spending time with you."

* * *

><p>Buffy was pacing the hallway while Damon leaned against the banister watching her. "What the hell is he up to? I just can't get a solid read on him."<p>

"We'll find out." Damon said calmly.

"That guy just gives me a wiggins. I don't trust him." Buffy was interrupted by the doorbell.

Damon sighed and went to open the door. Buffy stayed back, too agitated to care who it was. "I suppose I should be grateful you learned how to use the bell." Damon said to Anna.

"I'm here on behalf of my mother."

"On behalf of or in spite of?"

"I'm sorry about what the other vampires did to Stefan. Abducted him, tortured him…. It wasn't supposed to go down like that."

"You're playing house with half of a tomb of really pissed of vampires. What do you think was going to happen?" Buffy asked.

"My mom is devastated. They tried to overthrow her."

"Why isn't she here telling us this?"

"She doesn't really do apologies."

"Well, it's a coincidence, cause I don't do forgiveness." Damon said. "Let's just roll along."

"And, by the way, if you're going continue playing house with these little vampire pets of yours, you might want to stop robbing the blood bank dry because they're onto it."

"I haven't been to the local blood bank in at least a week." Anna said.

"Then it's one of your others."

"The others are gone."

"Where did they go?" Buffy asked.

"They weren't cut out for this town. After what happened with your brother, Damon, my mom kicked them out and they took off. It's just us and Harper now."

Damon was silent for a moment, then he said, "Well, Anna, thanks for stopping by."

"What?" Anna asked.

"Bye now." Damon showed her to the door and slammed it behind her.

"What was that about?" Buffy asked.

"I think I know who's stealing the blood. And you know him, too."

"Stefan?"

"Who else? Haven't you noticed that he's got a little bit more of a bounce in his walk the last couple of days? He's less broody…. He's acting more like…."

"You."

"Exactly."

"What do we do? Search his room like we're his parents looking for Playboys under the mattress?"

"No, no, no. We'll just ask him when he gets home from school."

* * *

><p>Stefan dropped his bag on a chair in the hallway and headed towards the stairs. "How was school?" Damon asked from his place in the doorway to the library.<p>

"Fine." Stefan said.

"Yeah? Same old, same old? Nothing new? No stories to bring home?"

"You're making small talk. Why?"

"You've seemed awfully chipper lately. A little less doom and gloom…. A little more pep in you step."

"And you think it's because I drank human blood again."

"I don't want to brag but I would definitely take responsibility for this new and improved you."

"Well, I hate to burst your bubble but I'm clean."

"Yeah, not possible."

"Not only is it possible but it is quite true."

"Stefan, just be serious for a second. You spent the last century and a half being a poster child for Prozac and now you expect me to believe that this new you has nothing to do with human blood. Nothing?"

"I'm clean."

"You're lying!"

"Believe what you want." Stefan walked away and Damon turned to look at Buffy standing in the library doorway.

"Verdict?" He asked her.

Buffy shrugged. "Guilty. Just like an addict, he's lying about his problem."

* * *

><p>Buffy and Damon followed Stefan down into the basement. He cleared off a refrigerator and opened the lid. Inside was a large amount of blood bags. "Well, well, he's a liar and a thief." Damon said. "So, when are you gonna share?"<p>

"Go ahead, help yourself." Stefan said.

"No, no, no. I'm talking about the fact that you're a closet blood junkie."

"So, I'm drinking blood again. You're the one that shoved it on me, what's your problem? I have it under control."

"Under control?" Buffy said. "You robbed the hospital!"

"So? What's your point?"

"Fine, whatever man, drink up." Damon said. "Just remember, we're trying to keep a low profile. Why don't you just walk up to Sheriff Forbes and ask her to tap a vein?"

"Have my actions negatively impacted you? I can't imagine what that must feel like."

"Yeah, what does Elena think about the new…. you?"

"Nothing's changed. I'm still the same person."

"Clearly."

"Elena doesn't need to know anything yet."

"You've been out the human stuff for years, Stefan. If you're having problems controlling…."

"I don't have any problems."

"Who do you think you're talking to? I know what it's like. The Jekyll and Hyde feeling, that switch, sometimes you go off and snap. Right now is not a good time for me to be worried about you snapping."

"I know that it pains you to see this but I'm fine ok? I'm fine." Stefan took a pouch from the fridge. "So please, both of you, do me a favor and back off." He closed the fridge and walked out.

Buffy and Damon exchanged looks. "This can't be good." Buffy said after a long moment.

* * *

><p>Someone was ringing the doorbell as Damon was putting on his tux jacket. His tie was hanging around his neck. He opened the door and saw that it was John. John didn't wait for an invitation. He just walked into the house. "Hey partner!"<p>

"What do you want?"

"You and Buffy haven't returned any of my calls."

"Most people take that as a hint."

"Where do we start looking for vampires?"

"Why the act John? You obviously don't care about catching vampires. You're here talking to me."

"Actually, I care very much."

"What does Isobel say about that? I mean, considering that she is one."

"Isobel and I share a mutual interest. The original Jonathan Gilbert has an invention and it was stolen by a vampire. That vampire was then burned alive in Fell's church or so Jonathan thought and the invention was lost forever. But then the vampires weren't killed, were they? They were trapped and now they're free, thanks to you which means the invention is retrievable."

"What is it?"

"The only thing that matters is that I want it back and you're going to help me if you want your secret safe."

"Why bring me into it, John? I mean, I don't know what you are talking about much less who has it."

"Oh come on, Damon! You were around back then, you know what this people are, what they look like. He was friendly with a woman who turned out to be a vampire. Her name was Pearl. Does that ring a bell?"

"I'm not playing anymore. Get out."

"I beg your pardon?"

"You know, I only entertain this whole blackmail scheme thing of yours because I thought you and Isobel could lead me to Katherine but see, now I know you have no idea where Katherine is, because if you did you would know that Katherine and Pearl were best friends. See, you don't know everything do you?"

"I'll tell the entire council what you are."

"Go for it! I'll kill every last one of them. Then I'll sever your hand, pull your ring off, and I'll kill you too. Do you understand that?" He shoved John out the door and slammed it. Damon headed back into the hallway as he started to tie his tie.

"Who was that?"

Damon looked up and suddenly found himself speechless and frozen. Buffy was walking down the stairs in a blood red, strapless, satin dress that clung to her body all the way down to her knees where the skirt gently flowed outwards and flowed around like waves in the water with every step. In the middle of the sweetheart neckline was a diamond brooch that sparkled with every movement. There was a small train in the back that flowed gracefully behind her as she made her way down the stairs. Her hair was done in loose waves and had a deep side part. She looked like an old Hollywood movie star.

"Damon?" Buffy asked.

"Oh, uh…. It was John Gilbert." Damon said, still mesmerized.

Buffy's beautifully made up face turned sour as she started to tie up Damon's tie for him. "What did he want?"

"To annoy us. You look…. Stunning."

Buffy blushed. "Thank you. The last time I was this dressed up was for prom. Thank god I'm not fighting hellhounds this time. Cause this dress doesn't allow too much movement."

"I will be the focus of every man's jealousy with you on my arm."

Buffy blushed again and changed the subject. "Elena asked if I would come help get her ready for her Miss Mystic Falls thing. So as soon as we get there, I have to leave you for a little bit."

"I'll count down the seconds until you return."

* * *

><p>Jenna was arranging Elena's hair while Buffy worked on Elena's makeup. "Thanks for helping me guys." Elena said.<p>

"Don't thank me until you're sure your hair isn't gonna burn off." Jenna said.

"And don't thank me until you're sure you don't look like a clown." Buffy said.

"Did you do your own makeup?" Elena asked.  
>"Yes."<p>

"Then I feel pretty confident." Elena sighed. "You know I remember when my mom and I were first planning for this, she was so excited."

"So were you if I recall." Jenna said.

"I was. She just made it sound like so much fun. A lot's changed since then."

"I hate to brake it to you but its little late for cold feet."

"I don't have cold feet. It's just…. I think I'd be enjoying it a lot more if she was here."

"Well I'll tell you one thing, your hair would have a better chance if she was."

"Ok, I should go put my dress on. Be careful with that thing, don't hurt anybody. Buffy, will you help me?"  
>"Sure." Buffy stood up.<p>

"Did I mention how jealous I am of how awesome you look?" Jenna asked.

"A couple of times." Buffy smiled. "But one more never hurts."

"Well, you look absolutely amazing and if I could fit in that dress, I would steal it from you."

"Come on." Elena laughed, grabbing Buffy's hand and pulling her towards the door. They headed over to the dressing room where another girl was having a panic attack. "Are you ok Amber?"

"I hate being the center of attention. I get panic attacks." Amber said.

"You need some privacy so you can change?"

"Actually I'm gonna go get some air." Amber left and closed the door.

"Here." Buffy picked up Elena's dress. "This is such a pretty color."

"Thank you." Elena started to get undressed, but Buffy stopped her.

"You can't be back here." Buffy scolded Damon.

"We need to talk." Damon said.

"It has to be right now?" Elena asked.

"Normally I would have a completely different outlook of what I'm about to tell you but since it's really inconvenient to me, I'll squeal."

"What are you talking about?"

"Stefan's still drinking human blood."

"What?"

"Yeah, a month ago I would have rejoiced but with the Council back on the alert, it is not a good time for Stefan to fly off the handle."

"I know he's been a little edgy but he said that was normal."

"He has a fridge full of stolen blood bank contraband in the house." Buffy said. She hadn't wanted to tell Elena before her big moment, but that was ruined now.

Elena sat down on the couch. "Oh my god."

"He has no idea what normal is." Damon said. "His entire existence isn't normal. Normal to a vampire is drinking human blood but he spent all the time fighting it when he should have learned to control it and now it's controlling him instead."

"I can't believe it. I mean, it's Stefan that we're talking about here."

"Stefan on human blood, Elena. He'll do anything, he'll say anything because he's not gonna want to stop. Trust me."

"This is all my fault. I'm the one who fed him the blood in the first place."

Stefan walked in just then. "What's going on in here?"

"I was just filling Elena in on your extra-curricular activities." Damon said.

"What are you talking about?"

"I know about the blood Stefan." Elena said.

"I'll be downstairs, drinking." Damon said. He smiled at Buffy as he left. "See you soon."

Buffy looked around and then started fiddling with her hair in the mirror trying not to eavesdrop. "I was going to tell you." Stefan said.

"When?" Elena asked.

"I'm fine. I'm fine. The blood…. it doesn't change anything."  
>"It's changing you."<p>

"Why? Because I kept a secret from you? Come on Elena, look, given the way you're reacting right now, can you really blame me for doing that?"

"Are you hearing yourself right now? You've been stealing blood and lying and you say that everything's fine? Everything's not fine Stefan!"

"So what? You, Buffy, and Damon all of a sudden have everything figured out then?"

"It's not about Damon or Buffy. It's about what's happening to you."

"I know and I'm telling you that I'm fine. I'm fine. Please come on. Elena I thought you…. I thought you believed in me."

Carol Lockwood started knocking on the door and then she walked in. "Elena, let's go. The line up's starting."

"I just…. I need a minute." Elena said.

"You're not even dressed yet. Escorts wait downstairs, Stefan."

Stefan looked at Elena and then left. Buffy sighed. "Thank you, Carol. Elena will be ready in just five minutes. I promise."

"Thank you, Buffy. You look beautiful." Carol walked out.

Buffy turned to Elena. "Everything will be ok. Just forget about it for right now and get dressed and go out there and smile." Elena nodded.

* * *

><p>Buffy came down the stairs and spotted Damon waiting for her. He smiled and met her half way on the stairs. "A lady isn't supposed to come down the stairs unescorted."<p>

The blonde shook her head. "It's not 1864 anymore."

"Never hurts to show some chivalry. Most women these days believe its dead."

Alaric was standing near the bottom of the stairs when he spotted Buffy. He gave a long, low whistle. "I didn't recognize you at first. You look…. Wow."

"Thank you." Buffy said, shaking her head. "With all these compliments, I should probably dress up more often. But wait till you guys see Elena. Jenna and I worked our magic on her and she is gorgeous."

"Am I sensing a little pride there?"

"Actually, yes. My little sister didn't get to have a prom considering we blew up the high school again…. And the town…. Right around when prom was supposed to be happening. So…. I pretended Elena was my little sister. I got a little teary up there. I think I need to call Dawn…." Buffy looked around. "Wait…. There are all the escorts…. Where's Stefan?"

"Last I saw he was upstairs with you and Elena." Damon said.

"Oh, that's not good."

"Miss Tina Fell, escorted by Bartholomew Whitmore." The mayor announced and the first girl began her descent down the stairs.

"I've got to join Jenna." Alaric said, heading outside.

Buffy watched for Stefan as they called the next two girls down. There was still no sign of him.

"Miss Caroline Forbes and her escort Jeffrey Lockwood Hamilton." Caroline made her way down the stairs to her escort and then it was Elena's turn.

"Miss Elena Gilbert, escorted by Mister Stefan Salvatore."

Buffy looked for Stefan one last time before pulling Damon's ear to her mouth. "Do you know this dance thing she has to do?"

"Vaguely." Damon said. "Why?"

"Because you need to take Stefan's place. Go."

Damon looked a little confused, but he walked over to where Stefan should be. "Where is Stefan?" Elena whispered.

"I don't know." Damon said. He took her hand and they joined the others girls and their escorts outside. Buffy walked out to where Jenna and Alaric were.

"What is she doing with Damon?" Jenna asked.

"I have no idea." Alaric said.

"I asked him to take over." Buffy said. "Stefan is MIA."

"He was just here." Jenna said.  
>"I know, but now he's not and I couldn't let her be embarrassed. This meant so much to her mom. So I asked Damon to fill in."<p>

"That was sweet of you to give up your date."

Buffy smiled and shrugged as she watched Damon and Elena dance. "Elena's become like a little sister since I moved here."

"She talks about you all the time. I think she sees you as an older sister, too. I, personally, am very glad to have such an awesome friend in my life and in Elena's."

Buffy smiled brightly and clapped as the dance ended. He bowed to Elena and escorted her back inside before coming out to find Buffy. "Vaguely?"

"Well, that dance is kind of easy." Damon admitted. "What were you and Jenna talking about?"

"Elena." Buffy took Damon's hand and pulled. "Come on. They're going to announce who won."

On the stage, the girls were lined up and Mayor Lockwood was at the microphone. "Before I crown a winner, I'd like to offer a personal thank you to all of these young ladies for their efforts to better our community." Everyone applauded. "So, without further ado it is my honor to announce our very own Miss Mystic Falls, Miss Caroline Forbes!"

Caroline was obviously surprised as she hugged Elena. Buffy and Damon didn't get to enjoy the moment because a deputy came and said that the sheriff was requesting their presence in a bathroom upstairs.

* * *

><p>Buffy spotted Elena walking through the crowd and she waved the teenager over. "What is it? Did you find him?" Elena asked.<p>

"There were signs of a struggle in the upstairs bathroom." Damon said. "There was blood and that Amber girl is missing."

"Oh my god! He wouldn't hurt her. He won't!"

"Let's just find him ok?" Buffy said soothingly. "Let's get your coat. Come on." Damon helped both the women into their coats and the three of them ran outside. Bonnie was suddenly behind them. They heard a scream and Buffy and Damon followed it. Stefan had a hold of Amber and was tearing into her neck.

"Stefan!" Elena cried and Stefan released Amber.

"Stefan, come on…. Get control." Damon said as he cautiously approached his brother. "It's ok, come on. Breath through a it."

Stefan grabbed Damon and threw him against a tree. As Damon got up, Buffy tackled Stefan and they rolled to the ground, he tried to throw her off, but she was stronger. Since he'd taken human blood so recently, he was strong too, so Buffy was starting to struggle to hold him and keep her balance in the tight dress. Finally he managed to throw her off, but Damon was there to catch her. Stefan started to attack them, but all of a sudden he grabbed his head, screaming in pain. Everyone looked over at Bonnie.

After a long moment, he seemed to come to himself. He looked over at Damon holding Buffy up. "It's ok." Damon said soothingly to his brother. "It's ok, Stefan."

Stefan bolted.

* * *

><p>The police had surrounded the area where Stefan had attacked Amber. Amber was sitting with the sheriff wrapped in a foil blanket for warmth. Buffy, Damon, Bonnie, and Elena were still there. Finally, the sheriff walked over to them.<p>

"She doesn't remember what happened." Liz said.

"It's a good thing the girls got here before we did. She lost lot of blood." Damon said.

"You didn't see anything?" Liz asked Bonnie and Elena.

"No, we just found her and called Damon and Buffy." Elena said. "That's what Buffy told me to do if anything happened."

"Is she gonna be ok?" Bonnie asked.

"It looks like it…. Yeah." Liz said. "Why don't you girls get back to the party? Damon, Buffy, and I can take it from here."

"Ok." Elena said.

"They didn't see the bite mark?" Liz asked Damon and Buffy.

"No, we got here before they got too close." Buffy said. "There was too much blood. They couldn't see it clearly. Besides, something this traumatic…. It plays tricks on the mind. Denial is an easy thing for the mind to settle on. I saw it a lot back home in Sunnydale."

"Well, there's really nothing more you two can do here. Why don't you go on in and enjoy the rest of the party?" Liz patted Buffy's arm and headed back over to Amber.

Buffy looked up at Damon. "I really don't feel like partying anymore."

Damon nodded. "Yeah. Ok. Come on."

* * *

><p>Damon and Buffy walked towards the front door arm in arm. The car ride home had been silent, but in their heads they were going over how to fix Stefan. Buffy was still stuck in her thoughts when Damon pulled her to a stop. Anna was waiting for them.<p>

"Anna, this is getting weird." Damon said.

"We're here to talk." Anna said. Pearl walked over from the shadows by the front door.

"Not in the mood. Today's been a no good, very bad day."

"Annabelle tells me you're looking for something I took from Jonathan Gilbert." Pearl said.

"I'm listening." Pearl handed him the device and Damon pulled out a pocket watch.

"What is it?" Buffy asked.

"Jonathan was passionate about his inventions." Pearl said. "He confided in me that he had created a detection device meant to track down the town's vampire element.

"It was a pocket watch." Damon said.

"That's what it turned out to be yes. But that's not what I stole. I discovered my mistake when I saw the watch in Jonathan's hand the night he took us. Its stile pointed at me."

Damon looked at the device. "So what is this?"

"I have no idea but now it's yours."

"What's the catch?"

"There is no catch. My daughter wants to stay here. I want to stay here. You refused to trust us and for good reasons. Consider this an apology." Damon looked at Buffy and then back at Pearl and Anna, nodding slightly. He turned and headed for the front door. "By the way, Buffy." Buffy turned to look at Pearl. "You look beautiful."

"Thank you…." Buffy said slowly.

"I overheard a conversation you had with Elena about how you never dress up." Anna said. "My mother's right. The look suits you." Pearl and Anna smiled at Buffy and then disappeared.

"You even get hit on by women." Damon smirked. "I'm going to have to lock you away, aren't I?"

Buffy's cell phone rang. "It's Elena." She answered it.

* * *

><p>Stefan walked into his bedroom as he tried to calm down. Elena walking in didn't help him. "You shouldn't be here." He said.<p>

"I know."

"Now you know."

"That wasn't you."

"Oh, it was absolutely me. A monster. A predator. That's who I am, Elena."

"That's what the blood makes you."

'The blood brings out what's inside of me and if you think any differently then you're an idiot."

"I know this isn't you, Stefan."

"I wanted to drain every ounce of blood from that girl's body."

"No."

"It's who I am, Elena."

"No, you can't scare me off."

"Why would you risk it? Why would you come here?"

"Because I did this. This is my fault. I'm the one who made you drink the blood."

"All you did was expose me to who I really am."

"It isn't you."

"Stop saying that! Don't get any closer to me."

"I'm not gonna let this happen to you."

"Stop!"

"Stefan, I'm not gonna give up on you! I believe in you!"

"Stop!" He threw her against the wall. "Stop!" Stefan hit the wall next to her head and Elena jumped, terrified. "I'm so sorry."

"It's ok."

He put his head on her shoulder and began to cry. "I don't know what's happening to me."

"It's ok Stefan. Shh…. It's ok. You're gonna be ok." Elena took a vervain dart and stuck it in his back. He fell and Buffy and Damon walked in.

"Are you sure you want to do this?" Buffy asked, brushing Elena's hair out of her face.

"I'm sure." Elena said, hugging Buffy tightly and beginning to cry.

"Shh, Elena…. It's going to be ok. I promise." Buffy looked at Damon as he picked Stefan up. He nodded at her and then carried Stefan downstairs. The girls followed him down into the cellar and Damon gently placed Stefan in the holding cell down there, closing the door and locking it.

"There's no guarantee it's going to work." Damon said.

"It has to." Elena countered.

"Coming?"

"I'm gonna stay here." Elena sat down against the wall opposite the door. She looked up at Buffy and the Slayer nodded, sitting down next to her. Damon looked at the two women and then sat down across from them. Buffy smiled slightly and reached out to touch his hand gratefully.


	13. Chapter 13

Chapter 13

Elena looked at Stefan through the bars of the door. "It's so hard to see him locked up like this."

"You're the one who locked him up." Damon said.

"You helped."

"I couldn't have him running around chewing on people while the town was looking for vampires, now, could I?"

"It had nothing to do with you actually caring about him?" Buffy countered.

He smirked. "Your thing, not mine." He walked away and Buffy decided to follow him.

"I heard him talking last night…. To you. But you weren't actually there."

"What was he saying?" Damon asked as they made it upstairs.

"He was asking you not to die." Damon nodded. "What was he talking about?"

Damon sat down and patted the seat next to him. Buffy sat down and turned to look at him. "When our kind of vampire is made…. There's a transition time. If we don't feed on human blood within a certain amount of time…. We just die. Again. I thought Katherine was dead and since I became a vampire to be with her…."

"You were just going to die." Damon nodded. "Then how did you…."

"Stefan. He forced a girl on me and…. Here I am." Damon reached over and grabbed the device that Pearl had given him. "And I still have this to figure out."

"Have you tried opening it?"

Just then, Elena walked in. She saw the device in Damon's hands. "Did you ever figure out what that is?"

"Nope. Whatever it is, it doesn't work." Damon said.

"Pearl didn't say anything else about it?"

"She thought she was stealing his vampire compass, but it was a pocket watch. That Johnathan Gilbert was a crazy scientist. Have you spoken to your uncle lately?"

"I've been avoiding him, actually. That and I've been here most nights."

"So, you'll be here again tonight?"

"Is that a problem?"

"Yes." Buffy said. "You're a complete nuisance. I don't even see my sister this often!"

Elena laughed. "See you later."

Damon looked over at Buffy as the door shut. "Hmm…. Alone at last." Buffy rolled her eyes, but allowed Damon to come in to kiss her. He smiled, but just as his lips met hers, the doorbell rang. "Who could that be?" Damon groaned, getting up. He answered the door and Buffy heard a familiar voice.

"Is this where Buffy Summers lives?"

Buffy's eyes widened and she let out a squeal. "Xander!" She bolted to the door and was on her friend, giving him a tight bear hug.

"Whoa, Buff! I kinda need to breathe!"

She gave him one more good squeeze and then let go. "What are you doing here?"

"Well, I was passing through on my way to a job in Kentucky and Willow gave me your address. Thought I'd drop in."

Buffy's smile brightened and she hugged Xander again. "God, I've missed you!" Damon cleared his throat behind them. "Oh, Xander, this is Damon. Damon, this is my friend Xander."

"Hi." Damon said. "I'm going to go take Stefan some…. Food."

"Ok." Buffy watched him go before turning back to Xander. "How long are you in for?"

"Oh, just a day. I need to get back on the road by tonight." Xander looked after where the sulking Damon had disappeared. "Is this a bad time?"

"Uh…. Actually, yes, but you're more than welcome to stay and endure."

"Endure?"

"How much do you know?"

"Oh, just that you're living with two vampire brothers in a small town that's not on a Hellmouth, but has enough Hellmouth-y activity to compete with Detroit."

"Wow. You know a lot."

"Was that Damon one of them?"

"Yes. His brother's name is Stefan. He's…. downstairs."

"Say it like it's a bad thing, Buff."

"Well, it kinda is. He got a taste of human blood recently and it's…. done a number on him."

"Huh?"

"It's about as bad as a raging alcoholic who stopped drinking for about 20 years and then accidently got a hold of some rare, vintage scotch and downed it."

"Yikes."

"Big yikes. We've locked him up downstairs and made him go cold turkey."

"What? No patch?"

Buffy shrugged. "I wish."

Damon came back upstairs. "He won't eat. I just noticed…. What happened to your eye?"

"Tact, much?" Buffy shot at him. Damon shrugged. "The same thing that Pearl did to both of your eyes. Only Xander's human."

"Ouch. Sorry, man."

"Eh." Xander shrugged. "I'm over it. It's only a hassle when I have to renew my driver's license."

Damon's phone rang. "Hello?"

"Hey, it's Alaric Saltzman." Alaric said on the other end. Damon sat closer to Buffy so she could hear better.

"Before I hang up, how did you get this number?"

"Ah, it's a mystery. Listen, I've, uh, been doing some digging on Elena's uncle. You interested?"

"What kind of digging?"  
>"I've got an old friend from Duke who studied criminology when we were there together. Let's just say he's become a very proficient digger."<p>

"Well, did he find anything by chance?"

"Well, I had him run a track on John's cell records. He was getting a call from a number…. The same number that Elena dialed to get Isobel. And then the number was disconnected. Isobel knows John."

"Whatever. We knew that."

"Right. Well, after that, he started getting calls from a new number. And I had my friend run a geotrack. Got the address. It's…. It's an apartment in Grove Hill."

"Isobel's in Grove Hill?"

"I don't know. I thought we could take a look and see what we find."

"Perfect. Give me the address."

"Oh, so you and Buffy can go without me? No. I don't think so."

"I'm not going with you. You tried to kill me."

"Yeah, well, you did kill me."

Buffy's phone rang just then. "Yes, Elena?" Buffy said.

"I'm just grabbing some clothes, and then I'll be right over. How's Stefan?"

"You drive. Pick us up in an hour." Damon said, hanging up.

"He won't eat anything." Buffy said to Elena.

"He has to eat. What's his favorite…. Kind of, um…."

"His favorite kind of what?" Damon asked, taking Buffy's phone and putting it on speaker.

"Type of animal blood that he prefers?"

"Ew. Gross."

"Your joking doesn't help."  
>"Helps me. Now, hurry up. Buffy and I can't baby-sit all night. We have things to do."<p>

"I would say, 'drop dead,' but…."

Damon laughed. "Stefan likes…. Puppy blood…. Little golden retriever puppies with cute, fluffy ears. That's his favorite."

"Oh, shut up!" Buffy said, taking her phone back. "Elena, ignore him. But definitely hurry back."

"Ok." Elena hung up.

Buffy looked at Damon. "So we're checking out this address where Isobel might be?"

"Alaric will be here in an hour."

"What am I missing?" Xander asked.

* * *

><p>Elena had joined Damon, Buffy, and Xander in the library. "He's just being dramatic." Damon said to her. She'd gone down to talk to Stefan and he was now saying he wasn't going to eat because he wanted to die. "He's not gonna starve himself."<p>

"Why would he say that?" Elena asked.

"He feels bad about hurting that girl." Buffy said.

"It's very typical Stefan martyr stuff. It'll pass." Damon said.

"Will it? Because he seemed to be in lot of pain." Elena said.

"Yeah. Well, that will pass, too, once he eats."

"I didn't mean physical pain."

"I know what you meant."

"Elena, are you going to be ok if we run out? We have to go on an errand with Alaric."

"Yeah. I'll be fine."

Damon helped Buffy into her coat. Before they left, he turned to Elena. "You should, um, you should stay up here. You shouldn't be down there by yourself."

"I'll be fine."

"You know…. You're very trusting of him, given the circumstances."

"So are you. Otherwise, you guys wouldn't be leaving."

"We won't be long." Buffy said. Outside, Xander headed for his car. "Wait, you're not going?"

"I can't, Buff. I've got to get to Kentucky." Xander said. He hugged her tightly. "Don't worry. I'm not disappearing forever. You're my best bud." He glanced up at Damon. "Buff, I see the way you two are looking at each other."

"What…."

"Just…. Be careful. We don't want a repeat of Angelus or Spike." He kissed her forehead. "See you later." Buffy waved slightly as he got in his car and drove off.

"What was that about?" Damon asked.

"He…. worries. My track record with…. Guys…. Well, it's not exactly a good one."

"Is he jealous?"

"He used to be. I don't think it's his excuse anymore."

"What is?"

"Are you guys coming?" Alaric called from his car.

* * *

><p>Buffy, Damon, and Alaric walked up to a small house in a quiet neighborhood. "This is the one here." Alaric said. "The records show is was paid 3 months in advance."<p>

"This is where it gets tricky." Damon said. "I may or may not be able to get in." He knocked on the front door.

"Yeah, how does that work? You always have to be invited in?"

"By the owner or the person of entitlement. Short-term rentals and hotels are a bit of a gray area. You kind of gotta play it by ear."

"Could we not kill anyone tonight, please?" Buffy asked.

"You mean, you guys just brought me along for my company?"

Buffy rolled her eyes and broke the lock on the doorknob. The door swung open and she and Alaric walked in. "It doesn't look like anyone's home." Buffy said.

Damon did a little kick over the threshold, then stepped in. "Yeah. I'm good. No permanent resident, apparently." They moved through the house all the way to the back in the kitchen.

Damon went to the refrigerator and checked the contents. Buffy's Slayer senses went off. "Guys, we have company."

A vampire jumped out of nowhere and onto Alaric. He punched the vampire in the gut with some spiked knuckles. The vamp went down, but didn't stay down. He started to attack again, but Buffy tackled the vampire to the ground. He rolled on top and went to bite her, but Damon grabbed him and pulled him off. "All right. That's enough." Damon paused. "I know you."

"Damon?" The vampire asked.

"Your name is Henry. You were in the tomb."

"Yes, sir. What are you doing here?"

"Looking for some answers." Damon sat down in one of the chairs at the table as Henry started pouring blood from a blood bag into two cups. "John Gilbert's been asking questions…."

"How do you know John Gilbert?"

"Well, I've known him for years. He's a good friend. How do you know him?"

"I met him right after I got out of the tomb. He's been helping me out."

"Helping you out how?" Buffy asked.

"Adapting. It's a whole new world…. Cars, computers, . There's so much to learn. He helped me get this place."

"So, do you live here alone or is there someone else here?" Alaric asked.

"That's my friend's very…. Passive-aggressive way of asking, uh, do you know a woman named Isobel?" Damon asked.

"Uh, no. No, I don't know an Isobel. I know John. He's my only real friend. He really showed me the ropes…. how to use a microwave, separate my whites."

"What else do you do for him?" Buffy asked.

"I help keep an eye on things…. You know, with the others."

"The others?"  
>"From the tomb. They're still pissed at the founding families for trying to burn them alive. I'm cool, but those tomb boys, they want revenge."<p>

"What does John want with them?" Alaric asked.

"He's just keeping an eye on them, you know? Trying to make sure they stay out of trouble."

"Well, that's John." Damon said. "He's such a do-gooder."

Henry's cell phone went off. "That's John now."

"Oh. Hey, let me talk to him." Damon said. Henry handed him the phone. "All right."

"Yeah." Damon just held the phone and Henry started to get nervous. "Are you gonna answer that?"

"Am I gonna answer that?" Damon asked Buffy. She shook her head slightly.

"What's going on?"

Henry freaked and turned to attack Buffy standing right behind him. "Sorry pal." He looked down to find a stake in his heart. Buffy had barely even moved.

"'Let's not not kill anyone tonight.'" Damon mocked. Buffy shot a glare at him. "Your words. Just pointing that out."

"I'm going to go check the rest of the house out. See if he was lying about Isobel." Alaric said, walking away.

Buffy looked down at the body. "God, I really prefer it when they go poof." She turned to find Damon getting in the refrigerator. "What are you doing?"

"Here." He tossed her a beer.

"Thanks, but I don't need it." She tossed it back.

"Be that way." He made a face at her and she just shook her head and laughed.

Buffy leaned against the counter and watched Damon make himself a glass of blood from one of the blood bags. "Angel used to hate drinking in front of me."

"Why?"

"I don't know. I guess he felt…. Guilty or something for reminding me." She shook her head. "I never forgot, but I never cared really."

"And do you care about me reminding you?"

"Damon, I learned a long time ago to just accept. It doesn't bother me that you or Stefan or Angel drinks blood. It's part of what you are, but it's not who you are."

Damon was standing close enough to reach down and kiss her, but Alaric walked back in. "Find anything yet?" Damon asked.

"No, I looked everywhere. The place is…. The place is clean." Alaric said.

"Well, I found this." Damon tossed him the beer Buffy had turned down. "Behind the blood in the fridge."

"Oh, man, this was a real dead-end."

"I wouldn't beat myself up over it, man. What did you think you were gonna find, huh? Isobel with a cigar and slippers?"

"Oh, man. I…. I gotta stop this. I can't…. I can't keep searching for her."

"Really? After only 2 years? That's actually…."

"Moderately healthy." Buffy finished for Damon.

Alaric laughed and looked at Damon. "What are you going on? 146?"

"Well, I figure the 200 mark is probably a good stopping point." Damon said.

"I mean, no answer is enough. I keep thinking I wanna know why, when, you know, the precise moment. When my wife decided life with me wasn't enough."

"She charmed me, your wife Isobel. She talked a good game, man. She was smart. She had this excitement in her eyes. I probably should have known there was something different about her, some tie to Katherine. There had to be some reason I didn't kill her."

"That's enough, Damon." Buffy warned.

Alaric looked at her gratefully. "I just don't want to waste any more of my life searching for answers that I really don't want. I'm through with Isobel. I…. I'm done with all of this. Yeah." Alaric got up and walked off.

* * *

><p>Buffy and Damon walked into the library to find Elena writing in her journal. "Ugh. God. You're still here?" Damon said.<p>

"Were you expecting anything else?"

"No."

"Hey Buffy." Elena said as the blonde sat down next to her. "How was the errand?"

"Pointless." Buffy said.

"Although, I think we witnessed the teacher having an existential crisis." Damon added as he sat down next to Buffy and tossed an arm behind her on the back of the couch.

Buffy rolled her eyes at him. "Has Stefan eaten yet?"

"I think he's getting there. But he's got a lot of guilt that he has to deal with." Elena looked at Damon. "And it doesn't help that you've spent the last 145 years punishing him for Katherine getting caught."

"This is my fault now?" Damon asked.

"No, it's no one's fault, Damon. I'm just saying you're not exactly innocent. You've made it your life's mission to make him miserable."

"Let me ask you a question. In all this important soul-searching and cleansing of the demons of Stefan's past, did you ever manage to get the rest of the story?"

"He said there was more."

"Yeah. That's an understatement." He started to leave.

"Damon…." Elena got up and grabbed his arm. "Damon. Tell me." Damon looked at Buffy as if for permission, but the blonde was staring at the fire.

"I had planned to die instead of become a vampire, but my little brother…. He had other plans. He brought me a girl and he tried to get me to feed off her…. But I wouldn't. So he bit into her neck and when the blood started dripping out…. I couldn't resist it. He wasn't the Stefan you know. From the moment Stefan had his first taste of human blood, he was a different person. I suppose I should thank him. It's been a hell of a ride."

"Oh, my god. He said he wanted to die. That's why he won't feed. Now I understand why, but…."

"His choice. If he's stupid enough to make it, so be it."

"Don't do that." Buffy said. "Don't pretend like you don't care." Damon glared at her and Elena walked out.

"I _don't_ care." Damon argued.

"Don't lie either."

He was suddenly in front of her. "This is who am I."

"Is it?" Buffy shook her head. "Since I've been here, I've seen about three or four different Damons and I'm pretty sure I know who you are."

"Oh really?"

"You're not so different from the human Damon I've heard about. You've just buried him deep enough he's hard to see. But I have a gift for seeing people for who they really are. Maybe it's a Slayer thing, but…." She stood up and was barely an inch from him. "I've got you pegged, Damon Salvatore."

He couldn't resist. His lips found hers and he crushed her against him. She pulled him backwards towards the floor in front of the fireplace and before they landed, she flipped and ended up on top, pinning him to the ground and searching for the hem of his sweater. When she couldn't find it, she just ripped it down the middle to expose his chest.

* * *

><p>Buffy and Damon sat on the couch facing the fire in the library. He was shirtless since Buffy had ripped off his shirt. They stared into the flames and just sat quietly, Buffy's legs resting in his lap. He wouldn't admit it out loud, but he had never felt more comfortable with another person than he did at this moment. Not even with Katherine.<p>

Elena walked in with Stefan in tow. "I'll be upstairs, ok?" Elena said.

"Ok." Stefan nodded.

"Good night, Damon. Good night, Buffy." The teenager headed upstairs.

"Thank you. Both of you." Stefan said.

"No, Stefan, thank you." Damon said. "You're back on Bambi blood, and I'm the big badass brother again. All is right in the world."

"I mean it. Thank you…. For helping her take care of me."

"You brood too much. Everything on this planet is not your fault. My actions, what I do, it's not your fault. I own them. They belong to me. You are not allowed to feel my guilt."

"Do you feel guilt?"

"If I wanted to, it's there. Emily waited till after I turned to tell me she'd been successful in protecting Katherine with her spell. She didn't want me to know about the tomb. She thought it would impact my decision."

"She didn't want either one of us to turn. She said it was a curse."

"Witches…. Judgy little things."

"Why didn't you tell me?"

"Cause I didn't want you to know. Cause I hated you, and I still do." Buffy kicked Damon's leg. "Ow!"

Stefan laughed slightly. "I know."

"But not because you forced me to turn."

"Then why?"

"Because she turned you. It was just supposed to be me, Stefan…. Just me."

"Sibling rivalry." Buffy rolled her eyes. "I am so glad my sister and I are girls. Boys are way too complicated." She stood up and hugged Stefan. "I'm glad you're better and so is Damon."

"Thank you."

"I'm going to bed." She kissed Stefan's cheek and walked upstairs. She had just turned out the lights when Damon wandered in.

"I think you may have actually left a bruise on my leg." He said, sliding into bed behind her. "Maybe you should kiss that and see if your super Slayer powers will heal it." Buffy turned and looked at Damon just before his lips found hers.


	14. Chapter 14

Chapter 14

Buffy and Damon walked through the high school and headed to Alaric's classroom. He opened the door for her and followed her in. "Buffy, Damon, thanks for coming." Alaric said.

"Sorry we're late. We were making out in a broom closet." Damon said. Buffy glared at him and smacked his arm. She gestured at the somber faces of Stefan, Elena, and Alaric. "What's with all the furrowed brows?"

"I saw Isobel last night." Alaric said.

"Isobel is here? In town?" Buffy asked.

"She showed up at the Grill last night."

"Did you ask her about Uncle John? Are they working together?" Damon asked.

"No."

"No they're not?"

"No I didn't ask."

"What about the invention?"

"Didn't ask."

"Did she know about the tomb vampires?"

"I don't know."

"Did words completely escape you?"

"You know, I was a little too distracted by my dead vampire wife to ask any questions."

Buffy shook her head at the two and looked at Elena. "What did she want?"

"She wants to see me." Elena said.

"Alaric is supposed to arrange a meeting." Stefan said. "We don't know why or what she wants."

"You don't have to see her if you don't want to." Buffy said.

"I don't really have choice." Elena said.

"She's threatening going on a killing spree." Alaric said.

"Oh!" Damon said. "I take it that's not ok with you guys."

Elena looked at Buffy. "I want to do it. I want to meet her. If I don't…. I know I'll regret it."

"Ok, but we've got to keep it public." Buffy said. "The Grill would be good. We can all be there to watch over you."

"She doesn't want any of us in there." Alaric said.

Buffy rolled her eyes. "Of course not. Ok, Stefan, you go in there and keep enough distance that you can hear everything." Stefan nodded. "Damon, Alaric, and I can cover the outside and make sure she doesn't have any tricks up her sleeve."

* * *

><p>Damon paced the grass in front of Buffy and Alaric. "We should be in there." He said, motioning towards the Grill.<p>

"Isobel made it clear we're not to step foot inside." Alaric said.

"I'm not going to kill her in a crowded restaurant."

"You're not going to kill her period!"

"She ruined your life and you still want to protect her?"

"She's my wife…. Was my wife. I looked for the woman I married but she wasn't there. The woman over there is just cold and unattached."

"Yeah, she's just given up her humanity."

"Yeah…. See, I don't get that. Stefan has his humanity…. He's a good guy. And you're a dick and you kill people but I still see something in you. But with her there was…. nothing."

"You can turn it off, like a button you can press. I mean, Stefan's different. He wants the whole human experience. He wants to feel every episode of How I Met Your Mother, so he shuts his feelings out. The problem is, as a vampire, your instinct is not to feel. Isobel chose the easier road…. no guilt, no shame, no regret. I mean, come on, if you could turn it off, wouldn't you?"

"You haven't." Buffy said, staring him directly in the eyes.

Damon looked away. "Of course I have. It's why I'm so fun to be around." He walked off.

"Where are you going?" He didn't answer.

"What was that?" Alaric asked.

Buffy shook her head. "He tries so hard to fight the fact that he is a good person…. Deep down."

"You care for him." Buffy shrugged. "Well, maybe you'll do him some good. If only he'd just let you in."

She looked up at Alaric. "Who says I want to be let in?" He looked a little stunned. "Look, I've done the whole falling-for-the-enemy thing. It nearly ended the world. And then I used another one for sex just so I could feel anything after I came back from the dead. He tried to rape me after I brought that 'relationship' to a screeching halt and then he went and got himself a soul thinking that it's what I wanted."  
>"Wow."<p>

"My love life is a lot less complicated when I just forget about even trying to have one."

Alaric smiled knowingly. "Doesn't stop you from caring for him, though."

"Nothing stops me from caring for people close to me."

"You can't block out love forever."

"Who says you can't if you've got forever to try?" Buffy put her sunglasses on and turned back to the Grill.

* * *

><p>Buffy sat alone in the library browsing through a book she'd picked randomly off the shelf. Stefan had stayed with Elena after the meeting with Isobel and Damon had disappeared. Alaric had headed back to the school to grade papers. So, Buffy had gone home to guard the device Isobel was looking for. She had nothing better to do anyway. It was now dark outside.<p>

Finally Damon walked in. "What have you been up to?" He asked as he poured himself some bourbon.

"I could ask you the same thing." Buffy said without looking up from her book.

He sat down next to her and put her legs in his lap. "I found Isobel."

That made Buffy look up. "And?"

"She says that Katherine is behind all of this. That Katherine is the one who wants John Gilbert to have that device."

"And how did you get her to tell you all of that?"

"She's a talker."

"Uh huh."

"Jealous?"

"We'd have to actually qualify as a couple for me to be jealous."

"Ah." Damon took a sip of his drink and then offered it to Buffy. She shook her head and he shrugged, downed the rest, and set the glass on the side table. "So, no one's here. Whatever shall we do?"

"Read? It's what I've been doing."

"That's boring." He slid a hand up her leg. "How about…. Strip poker? I was playing a game earlier with a minion, but Isobel showed up."

"Strip poker?"

"It might be a game I'm better at than you."

"Doubt that. I once played poker for kittens and by the end of the night, I could've ran my own shelter."

"Kittens?"

"I was playing with demons. It was their preferred…. Meal choice. I set them all free."

"Of course you did."

"Right. Cause I'm a do-gooder that way."

Damon laughed. "Come on. I'll get the cards."

"I am not playing strip poker with you."

"Then just play with me."

Buffy rolled her eyes. "I am staying right here and not moving until I go to bed."

"I could make you move."

"You could certainly try."

Damon was suddenly standing next to the couch. He bent over to pick her up, but Buffy was suddenly not there anymore. "See. I told you I could make you move." He moved over in front of her, pressing her against the table. Just then, the front door opened and shut and Stefan called out. Damon sighed. "Damn."

Buffy moved away and picked up her book. "Hey Stefan."

"I see your alone time was interrupted."

"I wasn't bothering her. We were just talking." Damon said.

Stefan looked at Buffy. She smiled. "He's fine. I was just going to head to the Grill and get some food."

"How about I cook instead?" Damon offered. "We can have a little family dinner. Just the three of us."

"Are you going to spike the food with vervain?" Stefan asked.

"Now why would I do that? I'm going to eat it too."

"Then sure. A family dinner sounds nice. Buffy?"

"Why not?" Buffy said.

* * *

><p>"Why am I never around when this bitch shows up?" Buffy asked. Elena had called to tell her that Isobel had attacked Matt, breaking his arm, and taken Jeremy. Now she, Elena, Stefan, and Bonnie were in Alaric's classroom discussing what to do.<p>

"I think she plans it that way." Stefan said. "She knows that you could kill her before she even blinked."

"Where is the device?" Bonnie asked.

"Damon has it." Buffy said. "He's going to be difficult to reason with."

"We'll go to him. I'll talk to him." Elena said.

"He's not just going to hand it over." Stefan said. "Especially if it's harmful to vampires."  
>"What if it's not?" Elena asked.<p>

"What?"

"Bonnie, you could deactivate it, right?"

"Remove the original spell? Sure? I've got Emily's grimoire."

"Then that's our bargaining chip with Damon." Buffy said. "But…. Let me talk to him. He responds better to me than anyone. And by the way, Elena, when I get this device from Damon…. You are not meeting Isobel by yourself. I'll be with you this time."

* * *

><p>"Absolutely not." Damon said.<p>

"Hear me out." Buffy argued. She and Damon were standing in his room. Stefan, Elena, and Bonnie were waiting downstairs in the library.

"I'm not gonna give the device to Isobel so she can give it to John who's going to turn around and kill me. I like being a living dead person."

"But it would be useless. Bonnie can take its power away."

"I don't trust her."

"She can remove the original spell. And we'll all be there to make sure that happens. John and Isobel will never know."

"No, I'll get Jeremy in my own way."  
>"Really? How are you going to do that? Because Isobel is a vampire and Jeremy could be dead the second you walk in the door."<p>

"You'll go with me. I'll distract. You'll kill."

"I'm not taking that risk with Jeremy. Elena's had enough loss already."

Damon sighed. "Do you trust Bonnie?"

"Not particularly. She's not been our number one fan, but I think she'll do this to keep Jeremy safe."

"Fine." Damon walked out of his room and down the stairs to the library. "Are you even up for this?" He asked Bonnie. "I mean no offense, you're not Emily Bennett. Emily knew what she was doing."

"I've been practicing." Bonnie said.

"It's not piano lessons, honey."

"What's your favorite book?"

"What?"

"Name a book. Any book."

"Name a book…. How about _Call of the Wild_ by Jack London?" Bonnie turned and looked at the library. A book flew off the shelf and landed in Damon's hands. He looked at the book. "Jack London."

"We're doing this Damon." Elena said. "I'm gonna do it in my way. Now give me the device. We're wasting time!"

Damon ignored Elena and looked at Bonnie. "I don't trust you. I tried to kill you."

"You're right, you can't trust me." Bonnie said.

"But you can trust me." Buffy said. "We talked about this." Damon looked at her for a moment, then handed over the device. "Thank you."

"You're welcome."

Buffy turned to Bonnie. "Don't screw this up please."

"I'll try not to." Bonnie took the device and walked over to a table in front of the fireplace. She opened the grimoire and set the device next to it. She read the book for a moment, then held her hands over the device. The lights started flickering and the flames got bigger as the device floated between her hands. After a long moment, the device stopped floating and Bonnie caught it. "Done." She handed the device to Elena.

"Great, now what?" Damon asked.

"Now we give it to Isobel."

* * *

><p>Buffy and Elena walked around the square waiting for Isobel. Damon and Stefan weren't too far away. "What if she doesn't show?" Elena asked.<p>

"You have what she wants." Buffy said. "Trust me. She'll risk confronting me for that thing."

As if on cue, Isobel arrived. "Where is the device?"

"Where is my brother?" Elena asked.

"This is not a negotiation."

"Oh, but I think it is." Buffy said, crossing her arms.

Isobel looked at her. "The Slayer, I presume."

"Presume away."

"Do you really think that I came alone?" Two minions arrived behind Buffy and Elena.

Buffy shook her head. "They're human. And I heard you were smart."

"You don't kill humans."

"But I do." Damon said as he and Stefan walked up behind Isobel.

Isobel sighed, realizing she was in no position to argue. "For god's sake, call home."

"What?" Elena asked.

"Call home and ask to speak to your brother Jeremy."

Elena looked at Buffy and the Slayer nodded. Elena took out her phone and called home. Jeremy picked up after the first ring. "Jeremy, are you ok?"

"Yeah, yeah I'm fine. Uncle John hit his head. It was an accident."

"And we're all laughing." Jenna said in the background.

"But yeah, I'm ok."

"I'll be home soon alright?"

"Yeah."

Elena hung up and looked at Isobel. "You were never gonna hurt him."

"No, I was going to kill him." Isobel said. Elena looked disappointed. "Don't look for any redeeming qualities in me. I don't have any, Elena."

"But you took a risk with Damon. How did you know that he was gonna give it to me?"

"Because that little Slayer standing next to you? He's in love with her. And considering she sees you as a little sister…. He'll do anything to make Buffy happy. If she's on your side, so is he."

Buffy and Damon exchanged brief glances before Stefan looked at them both. Elena gave Isobel the device. "Thank you."

"For what?"

"For being such a monumental disappointment. It keeps the memory of my real mother perfectly intact."

"Goodbye, Elena." Isobel looked at her biological daughter and left. Stefan walked up and embraced Elena tightly as Damon and Buffy looked uncomfortably away.

* * *

><p>Damon was pouring himself a glass of scotch when Stefan walked in. Buffy was up in her room taking a shower. "Would you like one?" Damon asked his little brother. Stefan just looked at him. "Say it, whatever it is…. purge, get it out."<p>

"It's about what Isobel said."

"What about it?"

"Well, I know Buffy and you have bonded and I know she cares about you and…. I know you care about her."

"Well, this is going in an interesting direction."

"I'm just concerned about Buffy being hurt. She's gone through enough in her life and she doesn't need any more grief. She considers you a friend."

"Same here. Buffy is a very good friend. Actually, she might qualify as my only friend. Is that a problem?"

"So, at the risk of sounding like uh… like her father…." Damon rolled his eyes. "Do you understand what I'm saying?"

"Sure."

Buffy walked in. "Hey guys."

"Feeling refreshed?" Stefan asked.

"Yes. Though I still really wanted to kill Isobel tonight. She pisses me off."

"So…. Who's going to tell Elena the truth?" Damon asked.

"What truth?" Stefan asked.

"About John. Because I know you guys don't like to keep secrets."

"What are you even talking about?" Buffy asked.

"Am I the only one around here who has the ability to put everything together? Isobel! Hello? She dated John when she was 15. She gets pregnant and ends up in the doctor's office of John's brother. Now, what do you think John's role is in all this? I mean, go ahead, and think about it. I'll wait. Did you get it? Is it in?"

"So you think that John is Elena's father?" Stefan asked.

"Ding, ding, ding!"

"What proof do you have?"

"I don't need any proof. That's a DNA test for John, Elena, and Maury Povich to deal with, but I know how well you deal with these bombs so…. Sleep tight." Damon headed upstairs.


	15. Chapter 15

**_A/N Hey guys, I just wanted to thank you for all your reviews! They're pretty awesome and they keep me inspired. I'm so glad you guys like this story. I'm all caught up writing the seasons and I now find myself waiting for Thursdays to come around so I can watch, enjoy, download, watch again, and get to work on the next chapter. I really love these two shows (I've watched Buffy since Day 1). I didn't know if people would respond to a crossover between the two. You guys proved me wrong. Thank you! You're awesome! _**

**_This is one of my favorite chapters and all you Damon/Buffy shippers out there will really enjoy it like I have. (I find myself reading it over and over.)_**

**_Enjoy!_**

* * *

><p>Chapter 15<p>

Buffy and Stefan were walking around the square looking at everything going on around them. There were people dressed in Confederate uniforms and some people were dressed in civil war era clothing, including Stefan. He and Elena had to be dressed up in Gone With The Wind inspired clothing for the Miss Mystic Falls court float.

"This is crazy!" Buffy said.

Stefan laughed. "You're loving it."

"It is pretty cool. Why didn't Sunnydale ever have anything like this? Oh right! It was on a Hellmouth and about this time, it would be spewing out its latest demon to destroy the world."

"Look at you, all retro." Damon said.

"And speaking of…."

Stefan chuckled slightly. "What are you doing here?"

"Why wouldn't I be here? Bonnie deactivated the Gilbert invention, Isobel is gone, and it's Founder's Day! I'm here to eat cotton candy and steal this girl." Damon draped an arm over Buffy's shoulder. She sighed, but let him keep his arm there.

"Guys…." Buffy pointed to wear Elena was walking up in a big, beautiful era dress. She stepped away from the guys and headed over. "You look amazing."

"This dress is so tight." Elena said as she hugged Buffy.

"Eh. Corsets. Glad they don't have them as a requirement anymore."

Elena laughed. "Will you be watching the parade?"

"Of course. Jenna gave me a camera and told me to make sure I get lots of pictures from where I'm standing." Buffy held up the camera.

"Hello, Elena." Stefan said, walking up and bowing to her.

Elena laughed. "Hello, Stefan."

"You look beautiful."

"Where'd Damon go?" Buffy shrugged. "No comments from the peanut gallery today, I guess?"

Stefan shook his head, "He wandered off. I'm sure it won't be the last of him."

"Listen, I'm going to go find a good spot to take pictures as the float goes by. See you later." Buffy hugged Elena again and headed off to join the crowd.

Not even half an hour later, Damon found her. He handed her a bag of kettle corn. "This stuff is great. You should try it."

"Thanks, but I had a corn dog." Buffy turned away.

"Is this about what Isobel said?" She didn't answer. "Look, she's right about one thing. I do care about you. But love? That's such a strong word and we're both in the same boat. Neither of us are looking or care to look for love. You're fun. You're smart. You're sexy as hell."

"Point, Damon?"

"My point is: I don't get why everyone wants to ruin a good thing with…. With labels."

"Sometimes labels are good."

"Are you saying you want a label?"

"I don't know, Damon. Right now…. I want to enjoy the parade and not have to think about my love life. It's always sucked and it's always given me a migraine. So, give me that…." She took the bag of kettle corn. "And let me enjoy Elena's big moment here."

The parade had started and Carol Lockwood's voice could be heard over the loud speaker. "Let's get a big applause to the Mystic Fall's high school Marching Band!" The marching band and the cheerleaders paraded as everyone applauded and screamed. "And for a little local history, Mr. Saltzman's students have recreated Virginia's Battle of Willow Creek." The float arrived in the street and Buffy spotted Jeremy. She waved at him and took pictures. He smiled and waved back. "Ladies and gentlemen please welcome our stunning Miss Mystic Falls court and their handsome escorts." Elena, Stefan, Caroline, and Matt were on the float with the rest of the Miss Mystic Falls court. They were all laughing and saying hi to everyone. "This is Caroline Forbes, Miss Mystic Falls. Aren't they beautiful?" Elena spotted Buffy and she waved and posed for the camera, laughing the whole time.

Damon spotted Bonnie and went over to talk to her. "Damon…." Buffy warned, following him.

"What do you want?" Bonnie asked.

"Just watching the parade." Damon said.

"Hey Buffy." Bonnie said before turning to leave.

"Where are you going?" Damon called.

"Away from you."

Damon stopped her. "I want to say something to you."

"Just leave me alone."

"Thank you. The device that Emily spelled could have killed me. I don't take what you did lightly so…. thank you."

"I did it for Elena."

"I know that but I'm still very grateful and…. I owe you." Damon nodded. "Enjoy the parade." Damon walked off.

Buffy couldn't help but follow. "Ok, who the heck are you and what did you do with Damon?"

"Look, I don't want to die any time soon. Bonnie stopped that from happening and…. I'm grateful." Buffy nodded, impressed. "Shut up. Look…. Do you want to go get dinner and drinks with me? The rest of the show doesn't start until after dark."

Buffy stared at him for a moment and then shrugged. "Sure."

* * *

><p>Buffy answered her cell phone as Damon took his turn at the pool table. "Hello?"<p>

"Hey, it's me. Where are you?" Elena asked.

"I'm at the Grill."

"Ok. I'll meet you there. I changed at the school, so I'm close. I'll call Stefan and have him meet us there."

"Ok. Hey, Jenna was looking for you earlier. She said to call her when you can."

"Ok."

Buffy hung up and turned to watch Damon sink another ball. "Elena's on her way."

"Ok." Damon stood up to line up another shot.

"You know, you're still not going to beat me."

"I can try." He missed and scratched the cue ball.

"See?" Buffy grabbed her pool stick and sank two more balls.

"I like you better like this." Damon said behind her. Buffy turned to see Elena walking up. "Period look, it…. didn't suit you."

"Is that an insult?" Elena asked.

"Actually Elena, it is a compliment of the highest order."

"Just take the compliment, Elena. He's dishing them out tonight and I'm not sure it'll happen again." Buffy said. "An alien has taken over his body tonight."

Damon gave her a sarcastic laugh. "You're a riot."

"Have you seen Jeremy?" Elena asked.

"Yeah. He's over there. He seems pretty pissed off." Buffy said. "What's up with that?"

"He knows about everything."

"Oh no. How…."

"He read my journal."

"Eh…. That's what siblings do. That's how Dawn found out about me being the Slayer. She was pretty pissed for a while, but then she got over it. Just like Jeremy will. You want me to talk to him?"

"No. That's my responsibility. It's me he's mad at." Elena sighed and walked over to Jeremy. "I don't believe that we can't fix this. I lied. I was wrong but you're my brother Jer and I love you and I have to fix it. So just tell me, what can I do?"

"You can go to hell Elena." Jeremy got up and left.

Buffy walked over and hugged Elena. "Just let him get it out of his system. He's a guy. Guys are more emotional than girls are and they just don't know how to handle it." Elena laughed slightly. "That's why women are the superior species. I mean, the Slayer isn't a guy is she?"

"Girl power." Elena joked. "Hey…. Where'd Damon go?"

"Great." Buffy shook her head and shrugged. "You know what? He'll find me later." She turned back to Elena. "Dinner? Damon was supposed to eat with me, but I guess that's not happening now."

"Sure. I'll grab us a table."

* * *

><p>Later that night, Buffy, Stefan, and Elena were strolling through the square talking about the festivities. They hadn't heard from Damon in a couple of hours. They'd enjoyed a nice dinner together and had decided to catch the fireworks from a good viewpoint. As they were walking, Damon suddenly appeared and grabbed Buffy's hand.<p>

"What are you doing?" Buffy asked.

"Saving your lives. Fifteen words or less…. Tomb vamps are here, founding families are their target."

Buffy looked at Stefan. "Get her out of here, now!" She started to walk off with Damon.

"Wait, where are you going?" Stefan called.

"It's more than fifteen words Stefan." Damon called.

"I need more than fifteen words. Where are we going?" Buffy asked.

"John's going to try and use that device against the vampires when the fireworks start."

"It doesn't work."

"I know that. But John doesn't. A lot of people are about to get killed."  
>"Where is he hiding?"<p>

Damon pointed at a building on the other side of the square. "That's where Elena's dad's office was. That's where John is." Above them, the fireworks started to go off and people everywhere started clapping. Buffy and Damon picked up their pace and pushed through the crowd to get to the office. Inside, John was preparing the device. Damon slammed the door behind them and John turned around. "Do you have any idea of what you've done?"

"Yeah, as a matter of fact I do." John said.

Damon and Buffy moved toward him, but John activated the device. Buffy heard the noise and it suddenly felt like her brain was on fire. Damon dropped next to her, holding his head and screaming. She tried to stay on her feet and move towards John, but the noise only got worse. She saw John preparing two syringes just as she went down.

John injected vervain into Damon first before moving over to Buffy with the other. "I got this off of a Watcher not too long ago. He told me about this thing called the Cruciamentum. But before he releases her in that house, he has to inject this organic compound of muscle relaxants and adrenal suppressers into the Slayer so she doesn't have any powers. I'm sure you remember that. You won't be as lucky this time." John injected Buffy with the drug. "You shouldn't have sided with the enemy, Buffy." Buffy felt herself get weaker and slowly become just like a human. John kicked her in the head and she blacked out.

* * *

><p>Damon began to wake up as a deputy dragged a vampire down the stairs and dumped him a few feet away. John followed him down and looked at the vampires and Buffy on the floor. "The device is done. The only thing that's keeping them down is the vervain. We don't have much time, let's finish this."<p>

One of the deputies began pouring gasoline everywhere. Damon turned over to find Buffy next to him. Her head was bleeding pretty badly and she was unconscious. John began to leave but Anna caught his leg from her place on the floor.

John looked down at her. "Anna." He looked at the deputy. "You can head up. I'll take it from here." The deputy left and Anna tried to get up. John took a stake from his back.

"Please…. no!" Anna begged.

John staked her as Damon looked on and was powerless to do anything. John made his way up the stairs and poured gasoline on them. At the top of the stairs, he lit a match and dropped it. The fire poured down the stairs towards the vampires. Some of them began to burn.

Damon made an effort and got over to Buffy. He lifted her head up and rested it in the crook of his right arm. "Come on, wake up…. Buffy, wake up." She started to stir and he moved her blood-matted hair away from her face. "That's it. Come on."

"Damon…." She said weakly.

"Yeah. You gotta wake up. We've got to get out of here."

Buffy smelled the smoke from the fire and started to feel the heat surrounding her. "Oh god…." She started to get up, but her head swam and she fell back down into Damon's arms.

"What's the matter?"

"John…. He took my powers. He used that drug…. I'm just human…."

They heard a moan behind them and turned to see Mayor Lockwood sitting there. "Mayor. Is that you?" Damon asked.

"What are you doing here?" The mayor asked.

"I'm a vampire. What's your excuse?"

"Buffy? You're a…."

"No. I'm a Slayer. John's trying to kill me too." Buffy shook her head and wished she hadn't. Damon had to hold her up so she didn't fall back when her head swam. "I'm confused…. The vervain doesn't affect you because you're not a vampire so…. what the hell are you?" The mayor moved away from Damon and Buffy, but he fell into one of the tomb vampires.

"Mayor Lockwood!" The vampire snapped the mayor's neck.

Buffy looked at Damon as she made it to her knees and realized they might not make it out. "Oh god…."

"Don't panic on me, ok?" Damon said calmly. "We're going to get out of this. Stefan will come for us."

"The stairs are covered in flames. He'll burn." She tried to help him sit up, but she was just too weak. She let out a terrified yelp as a beam fell near them.

Damon managed to get to his knees and he took Buffy's face gently between his hands. "Shh…. Don't be scared. It'll be ok." He wiped away a tear coursing down her cheek. "It'll be ok." He pulled her to him so she could bury her face in his neck. Holding her close, Damon looked around at the flames that had consumed the entire basement.

* * *

><p>Elena and Stefan spotted John standing near the burning building. "Where are Damon and Buffy?" She demanded.<p>

John turned to look at them. "With the rest of them where they should be. It's over for them."

"You're crazy."

"Why? Because I'm doing what should have been done a hundred and fifty five years ago? This is the right thing Elena."

"Buffy's not even a vampire! What is the matter with you!"

John looked at Stefan eyeing the building for a way in. "Go ahead, you won't make it out. It'll save me the trouble of killing you myself."

"You know the building well, is there another entrance in?" Stefan asked.

Elena thought for a second. "The utility door…. There's one on the other side." Stefan ran towards the side of the building.

Elena followed him but John caught her arm. "You take one more step and I'll alert those deputies that they missed a vampire."

"I'm asking you not to." Elena said.

"That doesn't mean anything to me."

"As my father it should."

"You know."

"I wasn't sure but now I am." She looked at him for a moment longer, then ran after Stefan. Bonnie was standing there looking at the building when Elena arrived. "Stefan!"

"Elena, you can't go in there!" Bonnie stopped her from running in after Stefan.

"Bonnie, what are you doing?"

"I'm sorry I lied to you." Bonnie caught Elena's arm and closed her eyes as she began to recite a spell.

"Bonnie I've got to get in there!"

Inside the building, Stefan could finally open the door but the fire was too big on the stairs. Suddenly the flames diminished. Stefan ran down into the basement and found Buffy and Damon clinging to each other.

"Come on, hurry!" Stefan cried.

"She doesn't have her powers. She's just human." Damon said, still cradling Buffy to him. "Her head's hurt pretty badly."

"I'll carry you both." Stefan took Damon in one arm and Buffy in the other and he flew up the stairs with them.

Outside, Bonnie finished her spell and looked at Elena. "Bonnie…. Bonnie what is it? Are they gonna be ok?" Stefan suddenly appeared in the alley with Damon and Buffy. "Oh my god!" Elena caught Buffy and helped Stefan hold her up. "Are you ok?"

"For now…." Buffy said. "John used a drug on me…." Buffy started coughing as she leaned on Stefan for support. "I'm going to kill him, just to let you know."

* * *

><p>Buffy was lying in her bed when Damon found her. She'd showered and changed out of her singed and smoked stained clothes. "Hey." Damon said.<p>

"Hey." Buffy turned over to look up at him.

He kneeled down next to her bed and moved her hair away from her face, checking the bandage on her forehead. "How are you feeling?"

"Human. And it kind of sucks."

"When will you be back to normal?"

"The last time I had that drug in my system…. I wasn't as powerful as I am now. So it took longer to get rid of. I'm hoping it'll only be a day or two this time." She reached out and cupped his cheek. "Thank you."

"For what?"

"For trying to keep me calm down there. I was so sure I was going to die…. I kind of panicked."

"I noticed. But I told you everything would be ok."

"Yeah."

Damon sighed. "You know, I came to this town wanting to destroy it. Tonight I found myself wanting to protect it. Even more so I wanted to protect you. How does that happen? I'm not a hero, Buffy. I don't do good. It's not in me."

"Maybe it is."

"No. That's reserved for my brother…. And Elena and Bonnie…. And you. But somewhere along the way you decided that I was worth saving. Even after everything I've done." He took a deep breath. "And I wanted to thank you for that."

"You're welcome."

He leaned over to kiss her forehead and as he pulled back, something in him couldn't move away any further. He gently kissed her lips and her fingers wove into his hair. Her other hand pulled on his shirt. She was too weak to actually pull him on top of her, so he obliged and rested his weight above her as he started to kiss his way down her neck.


	16. Chapter 16

Chapter 16

Buffy woke up and found she was curled up on Damon's chest. He was smiling down at her. "Hi."

"Hi." Buffy stretched and realized she was slightly bruised.

"Sorry. We got a little carried away." They were silent for a long moment before Damon sighed and said, "So…. I lied."

"About?"

"Labels. I don't know what happened tonight, but…. The thought of losing you was almost too much to bear. I saw John put that drug into you and I was helpless to stop him…. It killed me that I couldn't stop him from hurting you. And then we were trapped down in that basement and I wasn't able to save you myself. I think a label would be good…. For us."  
>Buffy looked up at him. "Are you asking me to be your girlfriend?"<p>

Damon smiled slightly. "Possibly."

Before Buffy could answer, her cell phone beeped. She considered ignoring it, but after the events of the night it was impossible to. She got up and picked it up. It was a voicemail.

* * *

><p>Sheriff Forbes was standing alone in the ER when Buffy and Damon arrived. "Liz, we came as soon as we got the message." Buffy said. "Is she ok?"<p>

"She's in surgery. It's …. They're doing everything they can. I need your help." Liz said, looking at both of them.

"Sure, anything Liz."

"Mayor Lockwood is dead. They thought he was a vampire. They put him in the basement."

"Mayor Lockwood is a vampire?" Damon asked, trying to look stunned.

"No, no. A mistake was made. They said he dropped like the others when John's device went off but he…. he couldn't have been a vampire. I've known him my whole life and I know Carol Lockwood is gonna want answers and all I can think of right now is Caroline and…." Liz started to cry.

"Hey, it's ok." Buffy said, hugging Liz. "We'll look into it, I promise. You just focus on Caroline. She's more important than the Mayor or Carol or anything else."

"Thank you." Liz said. "Oh, Bonnie's here. She's out near the waiting room."

"Ok. Let us know when you hear anything more." Liz nodded and Buffy and Damon headed towards the waiting room.

"How's Caroline?" They heard Elena ask.

"She's weak. They don't know if she's going to make it." Bonnie replied.

"What?" Bonnie embraced Elena tightly as Buffy and Damon rounded the corner. "Is there something that we can do? Like a spell or something?"

"She doesn't know how, do you?" Damon said.

"No, I don't." Bonnie admitted.

"No, you don't because it took Emily years to learn a spell like that."

"Well, I can take down a vampire. That spell was easy to learn."

Damon rolled his eyes and turned to Elena. "I can give Caroline some blood…."

"No. No way." Elena said.

"No, just enough to heal her. She will be safe in the hospital and it will be out of her system in a day. She will be better Elena."

"It's too risky. I can't agree to that."

"Do it." Bonnie said. "This is Caroline. We can't let her die. Do it."

"If I do this, you and me call truce?" Damon said.

"No but you'll do it anyway, for Elena." Bonnie looked at Elena, who nodded, then turned and walked off.

"Buffy, one of the tomb vampires got into to house tonight and almost killed John."

"What? When?" Damon asked. "What are you talking about? After I left?"

"You were there?" Buffy and Elena both asked.

"Come on, Elena, you know I was."

"When were you at the house?"

"Really? Earlier, on the porch, we were talking. I snapped at you to stay out of my business?"

"Ok, I don't have time for this, Damon."

Just then, Jenna arrived. "Elena, I came as soon as I got your message. How is John?"

"Where have you been?" Elena asked.

"At the fire department. I had to fill out a report. I told you earlier."

"No, you didn't."

"Yes I did."

"No, Jenna, you didn't."

"Yes I did."

"Oh!" Everyone looked at Damon's outburst. "You have got to be kidding me!" He took Buffy's hand and pulled. "We've got to go."

"Wait…. Caroline…." Buffy started.

"No time right now."

"What's going on?" Elena asked, following them.

"I have no clue." Buffy said.

"Katherine." Damon said.

"What?"

"She's the one who hurt John. She's the one I talked to on the porch. She's the one that Jenna talked to. Katherine's here."

* * *

><p>Elena, Buffy, and Damon walked into Elena's house to find Stefan on the floor. He stood up and looked at Elena. "Stefan?" She said.<p>

"Elena…." Stefan said.

"What happened?"

"Katherine happened." Damon said.

Buffy turned to Elena. "Jeremy's home. Go upstairs and warn him."

"What…." Elena started.

"Katherine's been invited in."

Elena nodded and ran upstairs. "So psycho bitch is in town. Did she say what she wanted?"

"No." Stefan said.

"The woman certainly knows how to make an entrance." Damon said.

"She said she fooled one of us at least. What does that mean?"

"She pretended to be Elena too when I showed up earlier tonight."

"Did she try anything?" Buffy asked.

"No. She just pretended to be Elena until…. Until Jenna invited her in." Damon shook his head. "Why didn't I see it?"

Elena came back downstairs. "Are you alright?" Stefan asked her.

"No, I'm not all right." Elena said. "I thought that with all the tomb vampires gone things were getting better."  
>"I know."<p>

"We all did." Buffy said. "So…. Katherine was in this house. She's been invited in. What are we gonna do?"

"Move." Damon said.

"Very helpful, thank you." Elena said.

"Katherine wants you dead, there's zero you can do about it. You will be dead. But you're not. So clearly she has other plans."

"Right and we need to find out what those other plans are and not provoke her in the process." Stefan said. "What happened tonight when you thought she was Elena?"

Damon laughed. "We argued…. about Buffy."

"Why?" Buffy asked.

"Because she said that I didn't deserve you and that I should stop trying to have something with you."

"You think she's jealous?" Damon shrugged. "I told you when we walked in the tomb that she would be."

"I don't care about her." Damon said pointedly. "And you and I have a discussion to finish."

"But not right now." Buffy turned to Elena. "John must know something. There has to be a reason why Katherine tried to kill him."

"She's Katherine. She loves to play games and you're fooling yourself if you think you're going to find out what she's been up to before she wants you to know." Damon said.

"Damon, I've dealt with sneaky, manipulative, psycho vampires before. I know all of that."

"But Buffy's right." Stefan said. "John could know something through Isobel. She was in touch with Katherine so maybe we can go to the hospital and talk to John."

"I've got a better idea." Damon said.

"What's that?" Elena asked.

"I'm just gonna ignore the bitch. See you." He started to leave.

"Is that smart?"

"If Katherine thinks she's being ignored…. It will lure her out. She'll make a move."

"Yeah? And then what?"

"Anybody else realize that we have a Slayer who's more powerful than Katherine? She can stake her…. rip her head off…. something poetic. We'll see."

"Are we forgetting that I'm kind of powerless right now?" Buffy asked.

"Wait, what?" Elena asked. Damon turned to head out to the foyer. Stefan followed him, leaving the girls to talk.

"John got a hold of this drug that temporarily takes a Slayer's powers away. I won't be back at full strength for another couple of days I think."

"Oh my god." Elena hugged Buffy. "I'm so sorry about that. How did he even know about it?"

"It's almost common knowledge for people who know about Slayers. When…. Or rather _if_ they turn 18…. Their powers are taken away with that drug and they're locked up in a house with a vampire. To pass the test, the Slayer has to kill the vampire using only her wit instead of her strength and speed and all that good stuff that comes with being a Slayer. That's why most Slayers don't live that long."

"But you did."

Buffy shrugged. "The vampire they gave me had a pill popping problem. I switched his water for holy water and poof."

Stefan caught up with Damon in the foyer. "You need to protect her until she gets her strength back. If Katherine finds out about this…."

"I've already thought of that." Damon said. "That's why she's not leaving my sight until she's better."

Stefan nodded. "Good. Thank you."

Buffy walked out. "So…. Damon, you have a stop to make at the hospital." He looked at her with a confused expression. "Caroline."

"Oh. Right. Come on. Let's go." Damon opened the front door.

* * *

><p>Buffy looked around at the gathering. She hated wakes and funerals. She'd seen enough of them in her lifetime. At the moment, though, she, Damon, and Liz were talking with Carol Lockwood. "I want to know exactly who's responsible for killing my husband." Carol was saying.<p>

"I'm looking into it but you have to be straight. Is there any reason Richard was affected by the vampire device?" Liz said.

"Are you implying that he was one of them?"

"No, no one's implying that." Damon said.

Carol ignored him and pointed at Liz. "Your deputies screwed up, plain and simple…. Which makes you responsible."

"Carol…." Damon tried again.

"Your husband is the one who helped John Gilbert execute his idiot plan in the first place." Liz snapped.

"Liz…." Buffy warned.

"Someone got my husband killed." Carol said.

"Hey! Time out." Buffy demanded. "We're all on edge here, ok? You've suffered a great loss…. The whole town has. We have to stick together ok? We have to trust each other so we can all get through this."

Carol huffed and walked off. Liz looked at Buffy gratefully. "Thank you."

Buffy shrugged. "I'm used to this whole grief thing. You just have to know how to handle it."

"Who's the guy with Carol?" Damon asked. Carol had gone off and was talking to a tall, handsome man that had just walked in with Tyler.

"It's the mayor's younger brother, Mason Lockwood." Liz said.

"Is he on the council? Like John Gilbert when he rolled in?"

"He's nothing like John. For one, he's not an ass. He's not a believer either. He wants nothing to do with the council. He's too preoccupied with finding the perfect wave."

"Thanks." Damon took Buffy's hand as Liz moved off. "See you." He stared at Mason for a long moment.

"He's kinda cute." Buffy said.

Damon looked down at her. "But I'm cuter, right?"

"Oh, I don't know." She smiled. "I've lived in California most of my life…. Right next to a beach…. Guys like that…."

"Don't do it for you." Damon cocked his eyebrow at her. "You like em dark and sexy."

Buffy laughed slightly. "You're an ass. Come on. I'm starving and they've got a nice little spread going in the dining room." She pulled on his hand and they headed for the food.

Bonnie appeared behind them as they checked out what foods were offered. "Did you know the Gilbert device affected Tyler Lockwood?"

"Well, I know it took the mayor down." Damon said.

"Don't you want to know why?"

"Yes Bonnie, I would love to know why a non-vampire, non-Slayer was tortured by the vampire torture device that you let John Gilbert use against us. Speaking of your guilt…. how is Caroline?"

"Much better."

"You're welcome."

"No, you're welcome."

"Why am I welcome?"

"You live to see another day."

"No good deed goes unpunished with you, does it?"

"Doesn't undo the bad. I know what you are Damon, you might have Elena and the sheriff and everybody else fooled but not me. One wrong move and I'm gonna take you out."

"Bonnie, I'd appreciate it if you backed off, ok?" Buffy snapped. "Your whole witch act isn't impressive. My friend Willow is about a million times more powerful than you could ever dream of being and one phone call from me could find you in the middle of the Amazonian rainforest with no clue how you got there and no powers whatsoever to lean on."

"Why do you care for him?"

"Because I do. That's my business and no one else's. I got sick of people dictating who I can and can't care about a long time ago. If I or Elena or anyone else for that matter sees Damon as fit for being, then that's our business. Just because you don't like him doesn't mean that nobody else does. So stop please…. find some other vampire to torture. There are plenty of bad ones out there who deserve it way more than Damon."

Bonnie looked at Buffy for a long moment then marched off, obviously pissed. Damon shook his head. "Thank you."

"You're welcome. I'm just sick of her whining. I'm a witch, I'm surrounded by vampires, my life sucks…. Boohoo. Go cry to someone else that hasn't lived through worse."

"What happened to that whole 'you just have to know how to handle grief' thing?"

"That's not grief. That's feeling sorry for yourself and having just enough power to make yourself feel better. And in case you've forgotten, that device worked on me too. I didn't very much appreciate her little lie because I ended up with no powers and in a burning basement."

Damon smiled and wrapped his arms around her waist, pulling her in to him. "You'll get your powers back soon enough and then I'll take you on a road trip so you can find some demons or vampires or both to wail on."

"Throw in dinner and drinks and you've got yourself a date."

"Deal."

"Well, aren't you two just adorable?" Matt said behind them.

"Hey Matt. How's Caroline?" Buffy asked.

"She's doing much, much better."

"I was going to go out and see her after we left this."

"She'd like that. I don't know what it is about you, but she and Elena seem to adore you."

Buffy shrugged. "I'm just the cool, older sister like person I guess."  
>"Well, whatever it is, just keep it up. Hey Damon." Matt walked off.<p>

"You are impressive." Damon said as they headed out onto the porch. "Everyone just falls at your feet."

"I think it has something to do with me being a Slayer." Buffy said. "Even back in high school, people seemed to follow me without asking questions. Willow always said it was because I was pretty, but I was at the bottom of the totem pole of popularity…. Pretty didn't factor in. Not to me, anyway." She looked at her plate of cheese and fruit. "This is not going to sustain me for very long."

"I'll cook you a big meal when we get home."

"Really?"

"Whatever you like."

"You just want an answer to your question and are willing to do anything to get it, aren't you?"

"Maybe a little. But can you blame me? I've fallen at your feet."

Buffy rolled her eyes and spotted Elena walking up the stairs with Jenna and Jeremy. "Hey!" Elena said, walking over.

"How's Jeremy doing?" Buffy asked, hugging Elena.

"He's…. Jeremy. Still pretty pissed off, but I think he's starting to get over it. Have you seen Stefan?"

"He's here?"

"Yeah. He said he would meet me here."

"We haven't seen him. Though, I do need to talk to you about Bonnie."

"What's wrong?"

Just then, Bonnie ran up looking panicked. "Elena!"

They all turned to her. "Bonnie, what happened?"

* * *

><p>Elena and Stefan were sitting on a bench as she washed his wound. Katherine had run him through with a metal yard pole. "You're gonna be ok?" Elena asked.<p>

"Yeah, it'll heal." Stefan said.

"That's not what I meant."

"I was trying to figure her out. I was playing along and let her get to me."

Damon walked up to them. "I tried to track her but she's gone. Ouch, cover up Fabio. You have a crazy ex on the loose." He looked at Elena. "You better watch out. Looks like Katherine is trying to steal your guy."

"That's not what's happening." Stefan protested.

"Isn't it?"

"I'm gonna go check on Jenna and Jeremy." Elena said. "Let me know when you guys are done." Elena walked off.

"So, what _is_ happening, Stefan?" Buffy asked, sitting down in Elena's vacated seat.

"Katherine is gonna try to play us…. All of us…. against each other." Stefan said.

"Brother, don't you worry, our bound is unbreakable." Damon said sarcastically.

"We need to stay united against her. Look…. I may not like that you and Buffy have bonded so much because I care about her and I don't want to see her hurt."

"Sitting right here." Buffy said.

"Sorry. I'm just saying that…. Buffy, you being here has brought something out in Damon." Stefan looked at his brother. "You seem to actually care about her and I'm not gonna let Katherine come in here and destroy that part of you that is finally, after all of this time, willing to feel something. She will try to break you. She will try to break us and how we respond to that will define us. It's our choice."

* * *

><p>Later that night, Damon was moving between the kitchen and the dining room putting the finishing touches on dinner. Buffy had gone to the hospital to visit Caroline and bring her some flowers and a stuffed animal. He'd promised her dinner when she came home and she'd promised to talk to him about his unanswered question.<p>

Deciding they needed some wine to go with dinner, he headed down to the cellar to grab a bottle. As he came back upstairs and walked past the living room, he spotted Katherine sitting on the couch. "Very brave of you to come here." He said.

"I wanted to say goodbye." Katherine said.

"Leaving so soon?"

"I know when I'm not wanted."

"Don't pout. It's not attractive in a woman at your age."

"Ouch. What, no goodbye kiss?"

"What if I kill you instead? What are you doing here?"

"Nostalgia, curiosity etc."

"I'm better at the enigmatic one liners, Katherine. What are you up to?"

"Trust me Damon, when I'm up to something you'll know it. Come on, kiss me or kill me. Which will it be Damon? We both know that you're only capable of one." She tried to kiss him, but he turned his head so she pushed him on the floor, landing on top. "My sweet, innocent, Damon." He reached up and strangled her, rolling them over and putting himself above her. He had every intention of getting up for a stake, but her hand wove into his hair and pulled him down to her for a kiss, ripping open his shirt with the other hand.

"Well…. I guess I don't need to worry about an answer to your question now."

Katherine let him go and he was up in a flash. "Buffy…." He started.

Buffy turned to Katherine. "I heard you were smart." Katherine shrugged. "Coming in here where a Slayer lives…. Who, by the way, is more powerful than you…. and screwing with her friends? That's not smart. Get out before I kill you."

"Why don't you just kill me now?" Katherine asked.

"Well, if you're asking…." Buffy pulled out a stake from her bag.

Katherine smiled and blew a kiss at Damon. "Tell Stefan to call me." She walked out the front door leaving Buffy and Damon alone.

"Buffy…." Damon started.

She held up a hand to stop him before walking up the stairs. She heard glass break downstairs, but she wasn't going to let herself worry about it. Katherine had come back and Buffy was a moot point now.

* * *

><p>Buffy came out of the bathroom an hour or so later and Damon was sitting on her bed. She jumped a little, not expecting him. "You scared me."<p>

"I'm just doing my part for the neighborhood watch until you get your powers back."

"You've been drinking?"

"Just a little…."

"And you're upset. Why are you upset?"

"You think I kissed her."

"Damon…."

"All we've been doing here…. You and me? It means something. There is something going on between the two of us and I don't want to ruin that."

"Damon…."

"She's older than me. She's stronger than me. I was trying to kill her. She grabbed me and kissed me, but I didn't kiss her back."

"Why were you on top?"

"I was trying to kill her."

"And your shirt was torn open in the fight?" Buffy touched the flap of his shirt with the missing buttons.

"She tore it open."

"Damon…. I don't want to talk about this, ok? You can't have both of us and I understand if you want her. You've spent a 140 odd years trying to get her back and now that she's…."

"That's just it…. I don't want her. I want you."

"Didn't look like it earlier."

"Stop! Stop bringing that up." He grabbed her face and crouched down to look her in the eyes. "That was not me. That was all Katherine. I want you. Do you understand that?" He pulled her to him and kissed her passionately.

Buffy waited until he was done before pushing him gently away. "Damon…. I care about you, but…. You and I? Not right now, ok? You've got a lot of issues to deal with…. Katherine being one of them." He started to speak, but she stopped him. "It feels a little like you're trying to use me as a rebound…. To get over her."

"I'm not." Damon shook his head. "I don't do…. Rebounds. What does that even mean?"

"It means that when you're really ready to try a relationship with me…. Then…. We'll talk about it then. And until then…. Work out your issues with Katherine, ok? When she wasn't here…. It was easier for you to forget her. Trust me, I know all about it. But she's here now and she kissed you and she's not going away any time soon…. I don't think."

Damon stared at her incredulously for a long moment before turning and storming out. Buffy hung her head. She'd wanted to say yes to him, but she just couldn't. Not with the Katherine issues hitting so close to home.


	17. Chapter 17

Chapter 17

Buffy walked with Stefan around the house while Damon was visiting with Carol Lockwood. "Did I do the right thing?" Buffy asked. "I mean, was I right to say 'not right now' after everything?"

"If that's how you feel." Stefan said. "Then it's the right thing."

"I'm just worried that I've pushed him over the edge. He was already unstable when it came to her…."

Stefan stopped and took Buffy's shoulders, looking her in the eye. "Damon cares about you. If getting over Katherine is what needs to be done, he'll do it. I think he really cares very deeply for you. You're the first girl since Katherine I've ever seen him act like this over."

"Good thing?"

"I think it can only be a good thing…. For everybody." Stefan wrapped an arm around her shoulders and continued walking. "So, are you coming to this carnival at the school?"

"I suppose. There won't be any clowns, will there?"

"I don't think so, why?"

"Clowns give me the heebie jeebies."

"So you can fight vampires and demons and not even bat an eye at magic, but clowns are what scares you?" Buffy shrugged sheepishly. "I kinda love you, you know that?" Stefan laughed as he opened the door for her and they walked in to find Damon pouring a blood pouch into a glass.

"Do you care for one, Stefan?" He asked.

"No, thank you. I'm not hungry. Just ate." Stefan said.

"Are you worried that one day all the forest animals are gonna band together and fight back? I mean, surely they talk?"

"I'm just happy that it's a blood bag and not a sorority girl supplying your dinner."

"I like this. You, walking on eggs shells around me because you think I'm gonna explode. Very suspenseful. Are you worried too, Buffy?"

"Have you heard from Katherine?" Stefan asked, making Damon's attention come back to him.

"I think the Lockwood's have a family secret because the Gilbert device affected them but vervain didn't. So they're not vampires. They're something else."

"Is this your new obsession?" Buffy asked.

"You'd rather some unknown supernatural element running upon our town? Fine. I'll drop it." Buffy rolled her eyes at him.

"We haven't seen the last of Katherine, you do know that right?" Stefan asked. "We have no idea what she's up to."

"Sure we do. She came back to profess her undying eternal love for you so I'm gonna let you deal with her because I have more important things to do…. Like explode. Cheers!" Damon walked out.

"He's so mad at me." Buffy said.

"Yup!" Damon called from down the hall.

Buffy closed her eyes and shook her head. Stefan smiled and gave her a reassuring hug.

* * *

><p>Buffy walked around with Elena at the carnival. Elena was having a panic attack because she had to put the whole thing together since Caroline was in the hospital and she felt like everything was going wrong. Bonnie didn't help by catching up to them and saying, "The ring toss is out of Bart and Homer dolls and team Jacob teas."<p>

"Ok, I can grab some from the science club. Also we lost a speaker in the karaoke booth."

"Elena, take a breath." Buffy said. "Look around. This is a huge success."

"You mean I can do more than just wreak vampire havoc?" Elena asked.

"Go figure." Buffy smiled and Elena laughed, lightening up.

Elena turned and looked at a man who was repairing one of the stands. "Hey, Carter, right? You're with the carnival?"

"That'd be me." Carter said.

"Ok, great."

Carter looked at Bonnie. "Wow, what do you need beautiful?"

"What do you know about karaoke speakers?" Bonnie asked.

"Why don't you show me the problem?"

"Yeah Bonnie. Show him the problem." Elena said.

"Ok, come on." Bonnie led Carter off.

Elena looked at Buffy. "So, are you…. Feeling better?"

"Yes. I am back to full Slayer power." Buffy said. "Good thing since Damon is mad at me."

"Buffy, you did the right thing. He can't make you the rebound. You deserve better."

"Thank you."

Elena spotted something that needed her attention. "I…."

"Go." Buffy smiled and watched Elena run off. She turned to find Damon standing off in a corner watching Tyler Lockwood arm wrestling. "You're lurking." She said as she walked up to him.

"I'm observing." Damon said.

"It's more like obsessing." Stefan said, appearing out of nowhere.

Tyler won yet another round. "He's got strength." Damon observed.

"He's a triple varsity athlete, of course he has strength. You're reaching."

Mason arrived to do arm wrestling against Tyler. "I bet I could beat you." He said.

"Enter the uncle." Damon said.

"That's ridiculous." Stefan argued just before Mason beat Tyler.

"Ok, he's the champ." Tyler announced. "Who wants to go next?"

"Stefan wants a go!" Damon called.

Stefan sighed. "Yeah, sure. I'll…. give it a shot." He walked over and joined Mason.

"Get him, Stef!" Damon cheered.

"My brother over there thinks I could beat you." Stefan said.

"Your brother's wrong." Mason said. Stefan and Mason began their battle when the bell rang. It lasted longer than the other matches, but in the end Mason beat Stefan. Stefan nodded and joined Buffy and Damon.

"You didn't put in any effort at all." Damon accused.

"Yeah, actually I did."

Buffy shook her head and started towards Mason. "I want to try."

Damon stopped her. "Uh…. That might look a little suspicious." Buffy looked at him, confused. "Buffy, sweetie, you seem to have forgotten that you're a teeny tiny thing. You look like you couldn't hurt a fly." He knew he was about to get hurt, so he amended, "Though you could definitely kick that fly's ass. And Mason's. At the same time with your hands tied behind your back." He gave her a smile. "Come with me." They moved out of the way into a hallway inside the school. "Is he…?"

"No, no…. It wasn't that kind of strength but it was more than human." Stefan said. "It doesn't make sense."

"What is up with that family? They're not vampires, what the hell are they?"

"Maybe they're ninja turtles." Buffy said.

"You're not funny." Damon said.

"Guys, I'm gonna go out on a limb here and say they're werewolves."

"No comedic timing at all."

"Not being comedic. I'm serious. This type of lycanthropy is rare. Most people have to be bitten to become werewolves, but this type…. It's genetic."

"What do you know?"

"That's pretty much the extent. I only know one werewolf personally and he was bitten. I'd have to call Giles for more info."

"Good. Call Giles." Damon glanced at Carter working behind him.

"What are you up to?" Stefan asked.

Damon went over to Carter. "Hey you!"

"I have a name." Carter said.

"Yeah I don't care." He caught Carter's shoulders and looked him in the eyes. "I need you to pick a fight with someone, a kid named Tyler Lockwood."

"Damon, don't do this." Buffy warned.

"It's just an experiment. Get him mad, don't back down no matter what he does ok?"

"I won't back down." Carter said.

"I know you won't." Damon released him and Carter walked off.

"You do realize someone is going to get hurt, right?" Buffy asked.

"No, someone is going to get mad, as in rage."

"What's that going to accomplish?" Stefan asked.

"That Tyler kid is incapable of walking away from a fight. Let's see who intervenes, maybe the ambiguous, supernatural mystery uncle?"

* * *

><p>Buffy, Elena, Stefan, and Damon were in a classroom talking about Caroline. Damon had had a run in with her and she was a new vampire. Courtesy of Katherine.<p>

"How did this happen?" Stefan asked.

"Well, I fed her blood and Katherine obviously killed her and a plus b equals…" Damon said.

"But why?" Buffy asked.

"Because Katherine is a manipulative nasty little slut."

"And she said 'game on'? What does that even mean?" Stefan asked.

"It means she's playing dirty and she wants us to know."

"But why Caroline?" Elena asked.

"I don't know." Damon said.  
>"Caroline must be completely out of her mind." Buffy said. "She doesn't even know what's happening to her."<p>

"Oh I think she does. All of my compulsion from the past started wearing off the minute she was in transition."

"We have to find her."

"Yep and kill her."

"We're not going to kill Caroline."

"She knows who we are. She's officially a liability and we've got to get rid of her."

"Absolutely not."

"Need I to remind anyone of the tragic little story of a girl named Vicki Donovan? Yeah, Caroline, of all people, will not make it as a vampire. Her mother is a vampire hunter. Guys come on, we all know how this story's gonna end. Just flip to the last chapter and…."

"It's not an option, Damon." Buffy snapped.

"No?" Damon looked at his brother. "Your silence is defining, Stefan. Wait, wasn't there a school carnival the night you staked Vicki? Talk about a town where history repeats itself. You know I'm right."

"We're not gonna kill her." Stefan said.

"It's the only way." Damon argued. "You know I'm right here."

Damon started to leave, but Buffy was suddenly standing in his way. She grabbed him by the throat and slammed him against the wall with one arm, cracking it slightly. "I am not going to kill Caroline. Nobody is. We are going to help her." He struggled to get out of her grasp, but it was only when she released him that he fell to the ground. "Let's go." Buffy walked out and Stefan and Elena followed.

* * *

><p>"Damon's right." Stefan said as he, Buffy, and Elena went looking for Caroline. "Not about what we should do but about what's gonna happen. Katherine has all but signed Caroline's death sentence."<p>

"We can't let it end that way." Buffy said.

"She's doing this to me isn't she?" Elena asked.

"No, she's doing it to me." Stefan said.

"We've got to find Caroline before Damon does. Despite my violent outburst, he's still going to find her." Buffy said.

"You can find her quicker than I can." Stefan said.

"Try to keep up." Buffy took off running, following her senses for an unfamiliar vampire. She finally felt it and followed it until she saw Damon holding Caroline with a stake raised behind her back. She moved faster than the human eye could track and had the stake out of his hand, thrown a few hundred feet away, and he was on the ground.

Elena made it to them with Stefan and Caroline panicked. "Get away from me! You killed me!"

"No, no, no, no Caroline!" Elena said. "That wasn't me. You know that! That was Katherine."

"No! Then why did she look like you? And why…. why did she do this to me?"

"We've got to get her inside."

Buffy walked over and hugged Caroline. "Shh…. It's ok Caroline. Come with me."

"She will die." Damon said. "It's only a matter of time."

"Yeah but it's not gonna happen tonight." Stefan said.

"Oh yeah it is." Damon produced another stake and rushed over to Caroline, but Buffy was faster. She was in front of Caroline and her foot connected with Damon's chest, sending him flying back about 80 feet. Damon got up and came back, but didn't fight Buffy. He stayed a few feet away from her. He finally shook his head and pointed at Buffy. "Whatever happens, it's on you." He walked away.

Buffy turned to Caroline and smoothed down her hair. "Shh…."

Bonnie walked up just then. "Caroline?"

"It's ok, come on." Stefan said.

"No, you're not…. You can't be." Bonnie marched over and grabbed Caroline's arm and then stared at her in horror.

"Bonnie?" Caroline asked.

Bonnie spotted the body on the flatbed and realized it was Carter. "Oh god!"

"Elena…." Buffy said. Elena nodded and went over to Bonnie as Buffy and Stefan led Caroline away.

"Where are we going?" Stefan asked.

"Bathroom." Buffy said. "You don't mind coming in the girls' restroom, do you?"

"No."

Buffy opened the door and led Caroline in. "Come on. Sit right here." She grabbed some paper towels and wetted them down.

"She hates me! Bonnie hates me." Caroline cried.

"No, sweetie, she's just in shock. We all are." Buffy soothed as she washed Caroline's face off.

"And what…. What…. What about…. What about Matt?" Caroline was starting to lose it.

Buffy grabbed her into a tight hug and refused to let her go. "Shh…. Calm down, sweetie. Shh…. One thing at a time, ok? Breathe. Shh…. Let's get this blood cleaned off, ok?"

"I'm a m-m-murderer. I'm a monster!"

Buffy pulled back a little and smoothed Caroline's hair away from her face. "Look at me. Your emotions are heightened right now. It's part of the transformation and it is completely normal. I promise, ok?"

Caroline's face changed and she panicked again. "Why does this keeping happening to my face? I'm hideous!"

"Look at me, look at me, look at me!" Stefan said. "Caroline, Caroline! Look at me! Look at my face, look at my face!" His face changed too. "You see that? When you feel the blood rushing, you tell yourself that you're going to get through it. That you're strong enough. No matter how good it feels to let yourself over to it, you fight it off, you bury it. Watch me, watch me." Stefan made his face normal again by breathing in and out slowly and rhythmically. "It's the only way you're gonna to survive this thing. Try." She took a few breaths and her face went back to normal.

Buffy smiled. "That's good, Caroline. Shh…." She hugged Caroline again, silently mouthing thank you to Stefan.

"Why did Katherine do this to me?" Caroline sobbed.

"I don't know. I wish I did. But I promise you I will not let anything happen to you. Me or Stefan. I promise, ok?" Buffy held the teenager tightly, stroking her hair as she sobbed. "It's going to be ok. You know…. It's very hard to comfort someone taller than you." Caroline laughed slightly. "See? You're going to be ok. Let's finish getting this blood cleaned up, ok?" The younger blonde nodded and settled down to let Buffy and Stefan clean her off. "I'm going to go check on Elena. I'll be right back."

"Wait…." Caroline cried.

"I'll be right back. Stefan isn't going to leave you. I promise." Buffy waited until Caroline was reassured and then headed outside. She found Damon on fire and Bonnie casting the spell to make it happen. Elena was trapped by the flatbed because of the flames. Buffy sighed and grabbed Bonnie, shaking her harshly. "Stop it. What did I tell you?" The flames died away when the spell was broken.

"I didn't do it!" Damon screamed.

"This wasn't his fault." Buffy snapped.

"Everything that happens is his fault." Bonnie retorted.

Buffy shook her again. "If I recall, it was you who made the decision to let Damon give Caroline the blood."

"Buffy…." Elena started

"No, Elena. I have had it with Bonnie's attitude. Vampires are real and sometimes they're not a good thing. But this little wannabe badass witchy 'tude you've got going on doesn't fly. Caroline is your friend and now she just happens to be a vampire. She knew you were a witch and she didn't stop being your friend. Elena knows you're a witch and she's still your friend. But the path you're headed down? You're not going to have any friends when it's all said and done. Now if you can't control yourself, I will call Willow and she will bind your powers. Do you understand me?" Bonnie didn't say anything. "Do you?" Finally the little witch nodded. "Good. Now go away and get a hold of yourself." Bonnie ran off and Buffy looked at Damon. "Are you ok?" He nodded and Buffy turned to Elena. "Caroline is ok for now. Stefan and I are going to make sure she gets home."

"What about the guy she…." Elena started.

"It's taken care of." Damon said, grabbing a shovel. He grabbed the body and drug it off to bury it.

"Damon's right, isn't he? It won't end well for her?" Elena asked, looking hopeless.

"No. He's wrong. And I'm gonna make sure that he's wrong." Buffy said.

"I just can't believe what this day has turned into."

"Not a normal day, nope."

"I was stupid to think that it could be. I mean, nothing about my life is normal. My best friend is a witch, my friend is a vampire, and I have a doppelgänger who wants to destroy all of us."

"Hey, normal is boring. Take it from me, this is much more exciting."

Elena sighed. "I'm gonna to call you tomorrow ok?" Buffy nodded. "Good night, Buffy."

* * *

><p>Buffy walked into the house later with Stefan after making sure Caroline was safely in her house. They'd convinced Liz to invite her in without letting her realize that her daughter needed the invitation. Damon was sitting in the living room drinking a glass of scotch. Buffy sighed. "Go." Stefan said as he walked up the stairs.<p>

She walked into the living room. "Got enough for two?"

"You're not a guest, so I don't need to serve you." Damon said. "Help yourself."

Buffy just took his glass from him and downed the rest. "How's your chest?"

"It hurts, but I'll live."

Buffy nodded. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have hurt you like that. You were only doing what you thought was best."  
>"But not what you thought was best."<p>

"No. I believe that Caroline can make it through this. She'll need some help, but that's what Stefan and I are here for."

"But not me."

"You can be, you know."

"Why?"

"Because it's the right thing to do and the Damon that I've come to know…. He does the right thing."

"Right. Are we done?" Damon stood up. "Cause I'm kinda tired." Without letting her get in another word, he was gone.

Buffy sighed and made her way up to her bedroom. Damon was royally pissed at her and it wasn't going to get any better any time soon. So she now had Damon and Caroline to deal with. Two unstable vampires. "Boy my life is fun."


	18. Chapter 18

Chapter 18

Alaric finally arrived at the Salvatore house and Damon answered the door. "Thanks for coming, Rick." He said. "Can I get you something to drink? Coffee, bourbon? Bourbon and coffee?"

"Elena mentioned you needed my help." Alaric said, walking into the living room where Stefan, Elena, and Buffy were.

"Yeah, we were hoping you could help shed some light on the Lockwood family." Stefan said.

"Now, why would I know anything about the Lockwood's?"

"Well you wouldn't. But your dead…. not dead vampire wife might." Damon said.

"Isobel's research from when you guys were at Duke together." Elena elaborated.

"You said that she had spent years researching this town." Stefan added.

"Isobel's research here in Mystic Falls rooted in folklore and legends but at the time I thought much of which was fiction." Alaric said.

"Like that amazing vampire story." Damon said.

"Aside from vampires, what else?" Buffy asked.

"The lycanthrope." Alaric said.

Buffy looked at Damon. "Told you so."

"No way. Impossible." Damon said. "Way too Lon Chaney."

"Is it?" Stefan asked.

"I've been on this planet one hundred and sixty some odd years…. never came across one. Where the hell are they?"

"I told you they were real. But the ones born into it are rare." Buffy said. "I talked to Giles and he said that most people believe that they're extinct and the only werewolves around now are the ones that have to bite someone to pass on the lycanthrope curse."

"Why do you suspect the Lockwood's?" Alaric asked.

"Because vervain didn't affect the mayor at Founder's Day but the Gilbert device did and it affected his son Tyler." Damon said.

"And at the school carnival his uncle Mason exhibited inhuman behavior when he fought one of the carnival workers." Stefan said. He'd followed Tyler and Mason had intervened on the fight Damon had set up between Carter and Tyler. "It suggested some sort of a supernatural entity. Buffy believes it's lycanthropy."

"We were hoping that Isobel's research could help us figure if that's true or not." Buffy said. "Giles still isn't sure and he doesn't know the area very well. And god knows the man is terrified of a computer."

"Well, all her things are still at Duke." Alaric said. "I mean her office is still there. She's technically still missing."

"So can we get access to it?" Damon asked. Alaric looked at Damon suspiciously.

"Rick, we don't know what we are dealing with exactly." Buffy said.

"She's right. If this born-werewolf thing is true, we have seen enough movies to know it's not good." Damon added. "It means Mason Lockwood is a real life Lon Chaney and that Tyler punk may just very well be Lon Chaney junior which means Bella Lugosi, meaning me, is totally screwed."

Buffy looked at him incredulously. "Wow. Way to make it all about you."

Damon shrugged. "It's a gift."

* * *

><p>Buffy sat in the backseat behind Alaric as they waited outside of Elena's house later that morning. Damon was waiting outside the SUV. He was still upset with Buffy for turning him down. "How long can he stay that way?" Alaric asked.<p>

Buffy shrugged. "As long as he wants. But we both have forever. So somebody's going to outlast the other."

"I only require one word from you and poof…. Anger gone." Damon said, sticking his head in the car.  
>"No one asked you to eavesdrop on our conversation." Buffy shot back.<p>

"I don't know why you won't just believe me that I'm over Katherine and ready to move on to much better things."

"Because 145 years is a long time to obsess over someone. You don't just get over that in a week."

"I do."

"So if she were to walk up to you right now and profess her love for you and not Stefan, you would still want to kill her?"

"Yes." Damon sighed. "She's had 145 years to let me know she wasn't in that tomb and she didn't. She moved on with her life and I realize now that my brother was right. It was all a game to her." Stefan and Elena walked up just then and Damon turned to them. "Sorry you can't go too, Stef."

"Call me if you need anything." Stefan said to Elena.

"Ok, time to go." Damon said.

Elena kissed Stefan goodbye and climbed into the car next to Buffy with her bag. "Thank you so much for coming, Buffy." Elena said. "I know you wanted to stay and help take care of Caroline…."

"But this is important, too." Buffy finished. "Stefan is perfectly capable of taking care of Caroline alone until I get back. Besides, a road trip with no girlfriends to share it with sucks."

"Hey. I'm hurt." Damon protested.

"I'm sure you are."

"I'm fun." Elena and Buffy didn't say anything. "You can't tell me that the last road trip we went on wasn't fun." Damon looked back at them, but they were staring out their windows.

* * *

><p>Alaric, Elena, Buffy, and Damon arrived at Duke and Alaric led them up to an office on the second floor of one of the buildings. "Isobel was officially employed by the anthropology department given that most paranormal phenomenon was grounded in folklore." He was explaining. Alaric opened the door and a pretty, honey blonde woman greeted them. "Excuse me, hi. I'm Alaric Saltzman. I called earlier."<p>

"Yes, of course. I'm Vanessa Monroe, research assistant comparative folklore." She looked strangely at Elena and Buffy moved closer to the teenager. "Uh, let me just grab Isobel's keys."

"These are my friends Buffy, Elena, and Damon. I hope this isn't too much of an imposition."

"Oh please…. Isobel's office is right through there. Isobel was one of my first professors. I'm a grad student. She was brilliant and one of the reasons I went to folklore. Uh I have to ask, has there been any news?"

"No, I'm afraid not."

"It's this way." Vanessa opened Isobel's office door and they all followed her into the office. "I'll grab the light. Feel free to look around. It's fascinating isn't it?" She walked out of the office and Buffy thought that was a little strange since the light switch was by the door.

"Uh…. Guys…. Where did she go?" Buffy asked.

Vanessa came back with a crossbow and shot an arrow at Elena but Damon put himself in front of Elena to protect her. The arrow landed in his back just as Buffy grabbed Vanessa by the throat and pinned her against the wall, taking the crossbow from her.

"Damon, are you ok?" Buffy asked, not taking her eyes off of Vanessa.

"I'm gonna need someone to take this out." Damon said.

Buffy snapped the crossbow in half with her free hand and tossed it aside. "Alaric, please take this girl to the outer office and make sure she doesn't do anything else stupid while I deal with Damon." Alaric nodded and took Vanessa's arm, hauling her out the door.

"I'm gonna go with him." Elena said, following Alaric.

"Squeamish, Elena?" Damon called.

Buffy flicked the arrow and Damon yelped. "Be nice." Buffy said.

"Would you just pull the damn thing out? It hurts."

"Big wimp."

"I'll show you 'big wimp'. Ow!" Buffy had yanked the arrow out without any warning. "No countdown? That's cruel."

"Seriously, are you ok?"

"I'm fine. That bitch is dead."

"You're not gonna kill her."

"Watch me."

"You touch her and I'll kill you." Buffy waved the arrow at him.

"What makes you think that has any power over me?"

"You think I wouldn't do it?"

"I know you wouldn't. You don't commit murder."

"My bad. I forgot that I was speaking to a psychotic mind that snaps and kills people impulsively." She started to leave, but he grabbed her arm.

"You wouldn't kill me."

"Wanna try me?"

Damon pulled her to him and kissed her fervently. Her arms wrapped around his neck and one of his hands wove into her hair. When she needed to come up for air, they both pulled back. "So…. Tell me again you could kill me."

Buffy smiled. "I shoved a sword into Angel's heart and sent him to hell for 100 years. Don't think that if it came down to it, I couldn't take you out, too." Damon's smirk melted. "But right now? No, I won't kill you." She kissed his cheek and walked out into the outer office.

"I'm Elena Gilbert." Elena was explaining to Vanessa. "Isobel's daughter and a descendant of Katherine Pierce. And this is Damon Salvatore, who you just shot, and Buffy Summers."

"I'd be extra nice to me right now." Damon warned.

"Look, we need your help ok? We need to see all of Isobel's research. Anything related to Mystic Falls."

* * *

><p>Vanessa brought another box into the office and set it in front of Elena. "This box checks Katherine's arrival to Mystic Falls in April 1864."<p>

"Is that all there is about her?" Elena asked.

"All that I'm aware of."

Elena spotted vervain in the box and looked at Damon. She gave some of it to Vanessa. "Here, take this."

"Does vervain really work?"

Damon walked back in from the other office where he'd been scoping out books. "Nope, not at all." He said.

"Can he hear us?"

"No, that would be creepy."  
>"Can he read minds too?"<p>

"You know, if you want to see me naked, all you have to do is ask."

"No, that he can't do." Buffy said. "Though he surely wishes. He is highly capable of being a first rate jackass, though." Vanessa put the vervain in her pocket and Damon smiled brightly. Buffy looked at the book that Elena was reading through. "Any luck?"

"There's nothing in here about Katherine that we don't already know." Elena said.

"Ah, you know, it's a bummer we're not friends because I could tell you what I know." Damon said.

"Hey guys, check this out." Alaric said, looking at one of the books.

Vanessa took the book from Alaric and held it out to show them. "There's no record of werewolf mythology in Mystic Falls but here are some records of some the lesser known legends. Everything from Scandinavian skin walkers to Aztecs legends." She pointed to one of the pictures and she read the inscription. "It translates into the 'curse of the sun and the moon.'"

"It's Native American?" Alaric asked.

"Aztec. It explains one origin of the werewolf curse traced through Virginia. The short story: 600 years ago, the Aztecs were played by werewolves and vampires. They terrorized the countryside, made farming and hunting impossible until an Aztec shaman cursed them, making vampires slaves to the sun and werewolves servants of the moon. As a result, vampires could only prowl at night and werewolves could only turn on a full moon. When the full moon is crossing the sky, whoever's unlucky enough to fall into the werewolves curse turns into a wolf."

"Can they control the transformation?" Buffy asked.

"If it were a choice, it wouldn't be called a curse. Werewolves will attack humans but instinct and centuries of rivalry have hardwired them to hunt their prey of choice: vampires."

"Well, if werewolves were hunting vampires, I would know about it." Damon said.

"I would know more about it." Buffy said. "And like I said, this type of werewolf is pretty much extinct."

"She's right." Vanessa said. "There aren't many werewolves left alive. Hundreds of years ago vampires hunted them almost to extinction."

"Why would they do that?" Elena asked.

"To protect themselves. According to the legend, a werewolf bite is fatal to the vampires."

Buffy shook her head. "I've seen a vampire bitten by a werewolf. Nothing happened except he had a chunk missing."

"Werewolves that are turned by a bite don't pose any danger to vampires. Werewolves that are born into lycanthropy are 100% pure bred. Their bite is fatal."

Elena pulled out a picture of Katherine. "Hey, have you done any research on doppelgangers?"

"Well, the world means a lot of different things to different cultures but typically a doppelganger is a living, breathing double of oneself."

"Did Isobel have anything that explains the link between me and Katherine?"

"That's all she had on Katherine, unfortunately, but I can tell you that doppelgangers usually torment the people they look like, trying to undo their lives. It's not exactly uplifting."

"And more things we already know. Just…. I want to know why we look alike."

"Head scratcher isn't it?" Damon asked.

"Do you know something or are you just being yourself?" Elena shot back.

"Well, if I know anything, I'm not gonna tell you with that attitude."

"That's good, Damon. And this is coming from someone who wants to be my friend but you know what? Friends don't manipulate friends, they help each other."

* * *

><p>Buffy was waiting by the car with Elena. It was dark outside now. Elena was trying to open the car but it was locked. Damon walked up then and pushed the button to unlock it. "You're not gonna be able to hate me forever." He said to Elena.<p>

"Can we just go?" Elena asked.

Damon handed her a book. "You didn't dig deep enough."

She looked at the book and read what was written on it. "'Petrova'. I saw it on the shelf."

"Katherine originally came from Europe. Petrova was her real name. Katarina Petrova, to be exact."

"How did you know that?"

"Back when, I saw it engraved on an old heirloom." Elena looked surprised. "Men snoop too, you know. Let me know what you find, I'm very curious myself."

"Thank you for the book, Damon." Elena got into the car.

"Where's Rick?" Buffy asked.

"He's saying goodbye to Vanessa." Damon said.

* * *

><p>Buffy was sitting on her bed later that night reading a book. She heard him well before he walked into the room and was waiting for him expectantly. "Listen…. You're wrong about me not being over Katherine." Damon said, standing in the doorway of her room. "Being hit with the bomb that she's been alive and roaming free this whole time and she didn't care enough about me to come find me and tell me…. It was enough for me to say to hell with her. And even before then…. There's something about you I just can't bring myself to let go of. I want to fight for you. I want a shot with <em>you<em>."

"Damon…. I don't want to get hurt. Ever again." Buffy said.

"You can't build a wall around you and never let anybody in. I tried that already. Doesn't work." He sat down. "Buffy, I can't promise you that I won't hurt you. Nobody can promise that, but I can promise that I will try my hardest not to."

Buffy sighed. "One wrong move from you and I won't hesitate to put a stake in your heart."

Damon looked seriously confused. "Wait…. Was that a yes?"

"It was a tentative yes."

He smiled. "I'll take tentative." She blinked and found herself pulled and then rolled on top of him as he moved over her and then onto his back on the bed. They both laughed as he brought her lips to his and kissed her gently.


	19. Chapter 19

Chapter 19

"You're very sneaky." Buffy said, bending over to check the peach cobbler in the oven.

Damon was behind her and his arms snaked around her waist and pulled her upright and against him. "Well, there's only one surefire way to be sure about Mason Lockwood. And hey…. Bonus? You're baking."

"My mom used to bake this a lot. I hope I can get it right."

"I'm sure it'll be delicious." Damon grabbed a left over peach slice and popped it in his mouth. "Did you hear that Katherine was in the house this morning?"

Buffy looked at him sharply. "I did not. I was a little busy."

"So was I." Damon smirked. They'd been in the shower together. "But Stefan filled me in when I was getting dressed."

"She's really after him, isn't she?"

Before Damon could answer, Jenna walked into the kitchen. "That smells delicious."

"Thank you." Buffy smiled slightly. "I just hope I did it right. This was my mom's recipe and I never really got the chance to actually watch her make it before she died."

"You know, Elena mentioned that your mother had passed away. Do you mind me being morbid and asking how did she die?"

"It's ok. She had a brain tumor…. Cancer. The doctors removed it, but they left an aneurism behind. It burst while I was out with some friends and when I came home…. She was just lying there. Everyone assures me it was painless."

"I'm sorry."

"It's ok. I've come to terms with it. But there are moments when I feel like she should be here. And me baking? That's always one of them."

"Well, from the smell…. She would be seriously proud of you."

"Oh! I forgot the vanilla ice cream!"

Damon smiled. "I'll go out and get it. Keys." Buffy got in her purse and tossed him her keys. "Thank you." He kissed her and headed out.

"You've made him bearable." Jenna said.

"It was always under there. I just held out until he showed it."

Jenna laughed. "Well, keep it up." She went to answer the doorbell.

"Hey Buffy." Elena said, walking into the kitchen.

"Hey, where's Caroline?" Buffy asked.

"She's upstairs. The teens always get separated from the adults."

Buffy laughed. "Then maybe I should head up there with you guys. Sounds like more fun than Damon's little sting operation."

"What?"

Buffy leaned in and whispered, "He wants to prove Mason is a werewolf, so he's planning to slip him some silver."

"That's the reason behind this whole barbeque?"

"Yup."

"Come on in." Jenna said to Mason. "Mason, this is my niece Elena and this is our friend Buffy. Alaric is out back working the grill like a manly man and Damon went out to fetch ice cream."

"Damon fetches?" Elena asked, obviously surprised.

"He's on good behavior." Buffy said. "Hi Mason." She shook his hand.

"Hi Buffy. It's nice to meet you. All right, I've got a surprise. I just need some glasses. You mind?"

"Be my guest." Jenna said and Mason ran off.

"Thanks for letting me invite Caroline." Elena said. "She could use a day of distraction."

"She should come down for the party."

"She will. She's just trying not to call Matt."

Mason came back in just then. "Good news! I found the shot glasses!"

"That would be my exit." Elena grabbed some grapes and left.

"You're here for 10 minutes and I'm already back into the bleachers of the pep rally." Jenna said.

"Like old times, huh? Only I didn't swipe this bottle from my old man."

Alaric walked in. "Oh, the expensive stuff! I like you already." He said.

"Just happy to be invited." Mason replied, looking at Jenna.

"Thank Rick." Jenna said. "This was his idea."  
>"Really?" Mason asked.<p>

"Yeah, you know…. I thought it would be nice to meet some of Jenna's high school friends. Dig up a little dirt." Alaric said.

"I've got dirt. I've got dirt."

"I have no secrets." Jenna proclaimed as everyone grabbed a shot glass. "Only dirty shame."

"To dirty shame." Alaric said and everyone clinked glasses and threw back their shots.

Damon walked back in with a carton of ice cream in a bag. "Hey."

"Welcome back." Buffy said as Jenna took the ice cream from Damon and put it in the fridge. Damon wrapped an arm around her waist.

"We were just doing shots." Alaric said. "Let me give you a shot glass, buddy."

"We haven't met." Mason said, shaking Damon's free hand. "Mason Lockwood."

"Oh sure." Damon said. "Damon Salvatore."

"I know. I've heard great things about you."

"Really? That's weird. Cause I'm a dick."

Buffy rolled her eyes and bumped Damon's hips. "Shut up and drink."

"What is that smell?" Mason asked.

"Depends. Is it a good smell or a bad smell?" Buffy asked.

"Good. Definitely good."

"Then that would be the peach cobbler I'm burning. Excuse me." Buffy took the oven mitts Jenna offered her and went to check on the cobbler.

Mason leaned into Damon and asked, "Girlfriend?"

"Yes." Damon said, his eyes narrowing slightly.

"She's…. Wow."

"Thank you."

"How long have you known her?"

"A long time. She was a friend of my brother's best friend and we just kind of hit it off."

"And Buffy is doing an amazing job of domesticating Damon." Jenna announced loudly for Buffy to hear.

"Thank you." Buffy said, fanning her mouth. "So, the cobbler's not burnt. It is just right, but we need to wait a while before we try to eat it. Ow."

"Did you burn your tongue?" Damon asked.

"If I say yes, will it make me less Susie Homemaker?"

"Yes."

"Then yes. I burnt my tongue." Mason laughed and handed her a cold, bottled beer. "Why thank you. Just what the doctor ordered."

* * *

><p>Damon was at the board playing Pictionary. He was working on a drawing of a wolf with a tutu. "Dress! Ballerina!" Jenna yelled.<p>

"Puppy!" Caroline yelled. "Puppy with a tutu?"

"No, no." Damon said.

"A dog! Hound-dog!" Jenna said, then started singing Elvis's _Ain't Nothing But A Hound Dog_.

"'Dances With Wolves'." Mason said.

"Mason wins…. Again." Damon said.

"How is that a wolf?" Jenna cried.

Buffy shook her head at Elena as they got the cobbler ready for everyone. "Jenna is getting tipsy." Damon said

"Will you stop plying her with alcohol?" Elena asked.

"I want her to like me."

"How is operation Lockwood?"

"He's my new BFF."

"I think he's getting suspicious." Buffy said. "Maybe you should reel in the wolf puns for a while."

Jenna danced in and smiled at Elena. "There you are. Isn't this fun?"

"Yes, thank you so much for inviting me." Damon said.

"Well, you were Buffy's plus one."

"I know what you must think about me."

"No, you don't. You've never dated you. I have dated many yous."

"I'm a work in progress." Damon kissed Buffy's cheek.

"She has been good for you. You're at least bearable now." Jenna took the cake knife from the silver set Elena had brought out.

"These are fancy." Buffy said, eyeing them.

"Thanks. My mother's silver set."

Elena looked at Damon as he took a knife from the set. "She's kinda crazy when she's tipsy."

Buffy laughed. "It's kinda fun." She looked at Damon as he took a knife from the set. "I wouldn't suggest stabbing him in front of everyone."

"I'm not. I'm going to let him cut into the cobbler." Damon said.

Mason walked in with Alaric. "So, is dessert ready?" Mason asked. "I have been dying to try that since I first smelled it."

Damon put the cobbler dish on the table in front of Mason with the silver cake knife in it. "Mason, why don't you start this off?"

"Sure." Mason took a slab of cobbler out with his hands and not with the knife. Everyone stared at him. "I apologize. I'm an animal."

"So Mason, you and Jenna never dated?" Alaric asked.

"She was always lost in Logan Fell land." Mason shot at Jenna.

"My first mistake." Jenna said. "Mason was a catch. The girls lined up."

"Really? I always pegged you for a lone wolf." Damon said. Buffy rolled her eyes.

"I'm sure I wasn't half the lady killer you were." Mason said with a pointed look at Damon. Buffy's eyes widened and she turned to look at Elena. "How about a toast? To new friends." Mason raised his glass and everyone else did too.

"Oh! I have an awesome idea!" Jenna grabbed Alaric and ran out of the kitchen.

Mason shook his head. "There's no telling what she's come up with." He followed her out.

"He didn't use the knife." Damon hissed.  
>"Well, if it's harmful to him, then of course not." Buffy said.<p>

"Jenna just brought out Guitar Hero." Mason said, walking back in.

Damon smirked. "Well, I just happen to like Guitar Hero. So you, my friend, are barking up the wrong tree."

"Ok. Enough with the implies. You win. You're hilarious."

"Thank you."

"Come on, man. You don't think I know what this barbecue is about?"

"How did you know about me? Your brother was completely clueless."

"It doesn't matter. I'm not your enemy, Damon."

"You tried to kill my brother."

"That was a mistake."

"Really?"

"I was confused. I couldn't chain myself up in time. I have no control once I shift."

"What, no obedience school?"

"I'm serious. Let's not spark some age old feud that doesn't imply us."

"You expect me to believe that you are in Mystic Falls planting peace trees?"

"I lost my brother. My nephew lost his father. I'm here for my family. Let's be above this." Mason held out his hand and Damon reluctantly shook it. He turned his gaze on Buffy. "So, what are you? You're more than human but you're not a vampire and you're not a wolf."

"Slayer." Buffy said.

"Wow. I've never actually met one. I've heard about them, though. That's impressive. I hear they don't live long."

"Nope."

"So you're new at this?"

"Only if you count new as being fourteen years and counting."

Mason's eyes widened. "You look so young!"

"Apparently Slayers don't age."

"You're immortal?"

"In so many words, yes. The longer a Slayer lives, the harder she is to kill. I'm _very_ hard to kill."

"I'll remember that."

"If we ever become enemies, it would serve you well."

"I don't want to become enemies."

"Good. Neither do I. So let's don't."

Mason nodded his head as Jenna walked in. "Well, I'm headed out."

"What? No!" Jenna protested. "We have Guitar Hero!"  
>"Hey, I don't want to miss last call at the Grill." He winked at her. "Plenty of lonely girls look for a tanned young piece of meat."<p>

"No fun!"

"You can come with me." Jenna thought about it, then shook her head. "No takers for some more drinks at the Grill? It's like I'm with a bunch of adults here!"

"I prefer the term 'role model.'"

"Ok. Well, thanks for having me, it was awesome. Alaric, I'll catch you at the game next week?"

"Yeah, I look forward to it." Alaric said.

"You know, we should probably head out too." Damon said to Buffy as Mason left.

"We should?" Buffy asked. "Jenna and I were going to go crazy with some Guitar Hero."

"Yeah!" Jenna cheered.

"You know what, sweetie? Stay and play Guitar Hero with Jenna. I don't want to spoil your fun. And I will see you at home?"

"Are you sure?" Buffy asked.

"On one condition." Buffy cocked an eyebrow and waited. "You walk me to the car."

"Oh…. Who's going to drive me home?"

"I've got that." Alaric said.

"Thank you, Rick. Jenna, you are a wonderful hostess." Damon said, kissing her hand.

"And you are a terrible artist." Jenna said.

"Is that the only thing that makes me terrible?"

"I'm still deciding."

"Good enough for me. Alaric, let's not catch that game next week."

"I'll…. Be right back." Buffy followed Damon out to the car. "What are you plotting?"

Damon produced the silver knife. "Werewolf hunting."

"Damon, drop it. Please? He doesn't want trouble."

"Right. I'll believe that…. Never. Besides, it's just for protection."

"Please just leave it alone and come play games with us. It'll be like a double date."

"You know once I've got an obsession…."

"You don't give it up until you've spent at least 145 years on it. Don't do anything stupid."

"Like?"  
>"Start a feud that doesn't really exist here between you two."<p>

"I'll try not to. Kiss?"

"Do you deserve one?"

"I've been a good boy."

"Yeah, yeah." Buffy kissed Damon sweetly. "See you later."

* * *

><p>Buffy walked into the house and called out for Damon. When he didn't answer, she made her way up to her room. He wasn't there either. She had a sinking feeling that something was wrong. When she found him lying in his bed staring at the ceiling, the sinking feeling sank completely.<p>

"Damon, what did you do?" Buffy asked, putting her hands on her hips.

"You know me. I couldn't resist." Damon sighed.

"You killed Mason?"

He sat up. "No! I tried…. But did you know silver doesn't affect him?"

"He's a werewolf. It has to." Buffy found herself completely distracted from her anger by the sudden confusion of the revelation.

"Nope. He pulled it right out."

"So silver works for the werewolves that are bitten but not born. So…. What is his weakness?"

"I don't know. But I intend to find out."

"Damon…."  
>"I know. I know. I should've dropped it liked you asked. It was wrong to try and kill him. Blah blah blah. Shut up and kiss me. I need comfort."<p>

"Why?"

"I feel like I'm not living up to my best self. I tried to kill a werewolf and I failed. It makes me feel less manly."

Buffy shook her head. "I should make you suffer some more."

"That would go against your good nature."

"Don't use that against me."

"Are you saying you want to bring out your bad nature? Cause…. I can help with that."

"I'm sure you could. But let's leave bad Buffy locked in a cage for now."

"And good Buffy?"

"Is going to kiss you and hope that makes you shut up." Buffy closed the distance between them and pushed Damon back into his mattress.


	20. Chapter 20

Chapter 20

Buffy walked through the park and admired the picnic going on around her. Damon had promised to meet her there since she'd woken up and gotten ready first. Somewhere off to Buffy's left, Carol Lockwood was doing a speech.

"You look bored." Stefan said, suddenly standing beside her.

Buffy shrugged. "Yeah. Picnics don't excite me."  
>"Where's Damon?"<p>

"He was still asleep when I left about 30 minutes ago. I managed to get a 'meet you there' before he completely passed out again." Buffy sighed. "I also wanted to get a head start here and talk with Mason."

"Great minds think alike."

"You too?"

"I don't want a feud. I'm just going to get dragged into it and so are you."

"Yeah. With Katherine running amok and wreaking havoc, we just don't have time for feuds. Have you seen him?"

"I saw him earlier moving boxes for Carol. He's probably still over there. Come on." Stefan led the way and sure enough, Mason was still removing boxes from his trunk.

"Stefan right?" Mason said when Stefan and Buffy approached. "The other Salvatore."

"The nice one." Buffy said.

"The one offering an apology." Stefan added.

"Not interested." Mason said.

"Mason…. Look, Damon acted impulsively." Buffy said.

"You think?"  
>"If you and Damon keep at each other throats, somebody innocent is going to get hurt and we don't want that. You have family here so we can imagine you don't want that either. You said so yourself. So can we just quit the whole alpha male fighting thing and call a truce?"<p>

"I made that same offer to your boyfriend. He turned it down with a knife."

"He made a mistake." Stefan said. "We're here to make sure neither of you make another one."

"Tell Damon to watch his back." Mason started to move off, but Buffy caught his arm.

She didn't let him budge an inch as she pulled him closer and said, "Ok, considering that you can only worry about that during a full moon? I think it would be wise to remember what I told you. You're not as strong as I am. And when you're not a wolf, you're not as strong as Damon or Stefan. You would've killed Damon by now."

"Don't threaten me." Mason said.

"I'm not threatening you, Mason. I'm just reminding you that it's only one of you. There's two of them and then there's me. I may be smaller than you, but I can rip you to shreds before you could even think about what was happening to you. I think you're the only one that needs to watch his back."

Mason considered what Buffy was saying. "If he comes at me…."

"He won't. Stefan and I will make sure of that."

Mason looked at her for a moment and then shook her hand before walking off. Buffy turned and saw Damon walking up. He smiled at her and kissed her before asking, "What are you two doing?"

Buffy slipped her arms around his waist. "Negotiating peace on your behalf."

"I don't want peace."

"Consider it opposite day." Stefan said.

"Please tell me you two don't seriously think a hand shake just solved our problem?"

"No actually." Buffy said. "I think that the first chance Mason Lockwood gets, he's going to try and drive a stake through your heart. And then through Stefan's because you took it upon yourself to try to kill him."

"As if we don't have enough problems." Stefan walked off.

Damon looked down at Buffy. "I liked your little threat. It was sexy."

Buffy shook her head. "If anybody gets to kill you, it's gonna be me."

"I'm touched." Damon slipped his hand into hers and began to walk. "So, a picnic…. Whatever shall we do?"

"Don't know. I've never really been on a picnic." Buffy paused. "Ok, I have, but it was in a graveyard with my creature of the night boyfriend and it was interrupted by attacking vampires. I was 16."

"Well, let's try to make this one better, shall we?"

"I think we're supposed to be volunteering."

Damon smirked. "So let's volunteer to clean the woods and then do something nasty. I know some old ruins nearby."

Buffy rolled her eyes and spotted Mason talking with Liz. "Oh, that can't be good." She pointed and Damon looked over. "I can't hear them. There's too much background noise."

"I can't either." Damon shook his head. "We should get closer."

"Leave it. Please? If he's trying anything, Liz will show her hand. She gets nervous around real vampires, so if she knows, she's going to act funny."

"I picked a smart one."

Buffy shrugged. "I'm not smart. Just experienced."

"You're plenty smart. And plenty experienced. And you've got a surplus of gorgeous. And why am I even telling you these things?"

She smiled up at him. "Because every girl likes to be reassured by their vampire boyfriend who's seen them all."

He kissed her. "And you beat them all out."

"Good answer."

"Come on. Let's go talk to Liz." They walked over to the food table where Liz was gathering a plate of food. "Hey, I saw you with Mason earlier. What was that about?"

"I just asked him to help with the cleanup in the woods." Liz said.

"That's what we're here for. Put us to work. Should we go help him?"

"Oh no. You know, he's…. I'm sure he's fine."

"Are you ok, Liz?" Buffy asked. "You seem really upset."

"It's Caroline. We had a moment."

"Is there anything I can do?"

"No. Thank you. It's just the horrible parental skills paying off in spades." Liz walked off in a rush.

Buffy looked up at Damon. "She knows."

Damon sighed. "Damn. I really do like her, too."

"We're not going to kill her. We're going to figure out a way to make it right."

"I could compel her and beat the crap out of Mason."

"There are more subtle ways than beating the crap out of someone." Buffy spotted Elena with Caroline and started for them. "For right now, we're going to look normal. Hey girls."

"Hey Buffy." Caroline said. Elena walked off to talk to Stefan. She'd been staring at him for a minute before Buffy and Damon had approached.

"What's her problem?" Damon asked.

"Don't worry about it." Caroline said.

"Caroline, what's going on between you and your mom?" Buffy asked.

"Don't worry about it."

"Do you still care about Katherine?" Elena asked Stefan directly.

"Don't be like this." Stefan said. "Please don't turn this into something that it's not."

"So this is not for discussion. That's what you're saying?"

"No. I'm saying that is enough for discussion right now because we have ears on us." Stefan looked over at Buffy, Damon, and Caroline who turned away and pretended that they weren't listening.

"Ok, when?"

"I don't know."

"I saw her Stefan. It's like we're the same person. How could you hate her and be in love with me?"

"You're reaching. I'm not…. I'm not Damon."

"How about we don't bring Damon into this right now?"  
>"You know, I can't…. I can't do this anymore, Elena."<p>

"Fine, Stefan. Whatever." Elena walked off.

"Relationships are about communication." Damon said. Caroline left and Buffy shook her head at Damon.

"They're not really fighting." Buffy said.

"How can you tell?"

"I've been in love before and I've had to…. Pretend bad things with him before. They're acting."

"Oh, look! Mason." Damon walked over to where Mason was drinking lemonade.

"Damon!" Buffy looked at Stefan for some backup and they turned and headed after Damon.

"Hello, Mason. Working hard?"  
>"Doing my part." Mason retorted.<p>

"I heard you talked to my girl and Stefan."

"Nice guy."

"Yeah, a lot nicer than me."

"Niceness is overrated."

"That's what I think."

"You have a good day, Damon." Mason walked off.

"Please tell me that you were just bonding." Stefan said when he and Buffy walked up.

"So what's up this faux drama in your relationship?" Damon asked.

"What are you talking about?"

"Oh come on, Stefan. You and Elena don't fight, especially not over me."

"Drop it, Damon."

"With pleasure." Damon turned and the little girl handing out lemonade smiled up at him.

"Would you like some lemonade?" She asked.

"Thank you sweetie." Damon took the cup and drank the lemonade. He suddenly spit it out and collapsed onto a bench.

"Damon!" Buffy dropped down in front of him. "What's wrong?"

"Vervain! Vervain!" Damon gasped.

Buffy closed her eyes and shook her head. "He spiked it. Mason spiked the lemonade with vervain to prove to Liz he's right."

"What?" Stefan asked.

"Liz knows about you two. Mason told her." Buffy got up, pulling Damon with her, and got him a bottle of water. "Drink this." Buffy handed the bottle to Damon and he went over to the railing of the gazebo and gargled the water before spitting it out.

"I'm gonna kill him." Damon growled.

Buffy and Stefan blocked him. "Listen!" Stefan said. "Sit! Sit!"

"I'm not listening to anymore of your 'give peace a chance' crap. He's dead!" Damon tried to get up, but Buffy just shoved him down one handed and pinned him to his seat.

"Ok." Buffy sighed. "I don't like it but he's making open threats now. He could expose you and Stefan to everyone else. We need to put him down."

"All right. Let's do it."

Buffy looked around and spotted Mason. "There. The woods. He's on trash duty. Let's help him." She led the way and the three of them spread out to form a triangle around Mason.

"Don't look so surprised." Damon said. "You knew this was inevitable. Go ahead. Run. We'll give you a head start." Mason bent down and Buffy was the first one shot. She looked down in shock at her stomach as the blood blossomed on her shirt. Damon was suddenly at her side, but more shots rang out and both Damon and Stefan were shot down. Liz and some of her deputies arrived with their guns pointed. "Thank you, Mason." She injected Damon and Stefan with vervain and Buffy with a sedative. The world went dark.

* * *

><p>Liz, Mason, and the deputies carried Buffy, Damon, and Stefan down into the Lockwood's old estate ruins. "It's down the stairs to the left." Mason directed.<p>

"Careful." Liz said. "The wooden bullets and the vervain won't keep them down for long. And I'm not sure how long that sedative will work on her. What is this place?"

"Old slave quarters from the original Lockwood house." The deputies and Mason dropped Buffy, Damon, and Stefan on the floor of an old cellar.

"Thank you, Mason. I appreciate all you've done. We've got it from here."

"You're gonna kill them right?"

"Yes. That's why you should go. Here it's the Council, not the law. You can't be a party to this. It's for your own protection."

"Liz, I don't care about…."

"I do and I'm not asking. Goodbye Mason."

"Don't take any chances." Mason turned and walked out.

A minute later, Damon woke up and Liz shot him in the leg. His screams brought Buffy around and she rolled her head over to look at him. "This is how it's gonna work." Liz said to Damon. "Answer me and you don't get shot, understand? How many of you are there?"

"Please…. Please…." Damon tried. She shot him again and he screamed. Buffy fought the drug and the pain in her stomach and tried to gain control over her limbs.

"How did you fool us? How do you walk in the sun?" He didn't answer and she shot Stefan in the chest. "I will drag this out painfully."

"But you're my friend…."

"Our friendship was a lie. Answer me and I'll kill you fast." Damon stopped caring about Liz and reached out towards Buffy. "He's not going to tell us anything. Kill them both. Let's do this. Each with a stake in the heart, then burn them both. I'll deal with her last." A gate somewhere in the cellar creaked. "Check it out." One of the deputies went to check out the creak and Elena hit him with a plank of wood and then ran into the cell. "Elena! What are you doing?"

"You can't kill them." Elena said. "I'm not gonna let you." The deputy Elena had hit came up behind Elena and pushed her into the cellar. All guns were on her now. Buffy groaned and rolled over, holding her stomach. The door to the cellar slammed shut.

"What was that?" A deputy asked.

"Who else is with you?" Liz asked Elena. Buffy knew it was Caroline. She moved fast around the cellar, distracting the deputies and her mother, and then jumped on one of the deputies and sank her teeth in. The other deputy began firing and Caroline jumped behind the deputy she was holding. The gunshots killed him. Caroline moved in front of the shooting deputy and backhanded him. He fell into her and she shoved him down next to Buffy who bashed him on the back of the head, knocking him out cold.

Caroline moved out of the shadows, blood covering her mouth and her face was changed. "Hi mom."

Liz looked like she was about to faint or throw up or all of the above. She sat down on a rock and Caroline moved over to guard her. Buffy crawled painfully over to Damon and Stefan. Elena moved over to help her and then over to Stefan when he started to wake up.

"You need to feed." Buffy said, nodding at the unconscious deputy. Damon nodded and moved over to the deputy's neck. Buffy turned to Stefan. "You need to drink some deputy blood."'

"No. I'm gonna be fine. It's gonna take a little bit longer." Stefan said.

"Buffy's right you know." Caroline said. "If it's ever time to break your diet…."

"He said he didn't want it, ok?" Elena snapped.

Damon rolled his eyes and helped Buffy sit up. "Are you ok? Let me see." He checked out her stomach and back. "It went all the way through and missed the major organs, but it's already healing up." He brushed the hair out of her eyes and looked desperately in her eyes to make sure she wasn't going to die. "Are you ok?"

Buffy nodded. "I'll live."

"This is a most unfortunate situation." Damon said, getting to his feet. "Two deputies dead and you…." He looked at Liz as he helped Buffy to her feet. "You shot my girlfriend…. Who's not a vampire, by the way. What am I gonna do with you?"

"You won't tell anyone, will you?" Caroline begged. "Mom? Mom? Please. Look, I know that we don't get along and that you hate me but I'm your daughter and you'll do this for me, right? Mom, please. He will kill you."

"Then kill me." Liz said.

"No!"

"I can't take this. Kill me now."  
>Damon moved over to Liz and bent down. "But you were gonna drag it out so painfully." He grabbed Liz up suddenly.<p>

"No, no, no, no, no, no, no!" Caroline screamed.

"Damon, don't!" Buffy cried, wincing in pain at her sudden movement.

"Relax guys. No one is killing anybody." Damon said. He looked at Liz. "You're my friend." He looked at the deputies and sighed. "We gotta clean this up."

* * *

><p>Buffy sat on her bed and allowed Stefan to finish bandaging her stomach up. "Thank you." She said.<p>

"You're welcome." Stefan said. "Are you ok?"

"Yeah. It's mostly healed now. The older I get, the faster I heal. Thank god." She dropped her t-shirt down over her stomach. "And speaking of…."

"Don't."

"Stefan…. You need to learn to control it. Drinking human blood is the only way you're going to bounce back from things like tonight."

"I don't know how."

"Didn't you say that Katherine is immune to vervain now because she ingested a little every day? Well…. Apply that to blood. You don't have to tap a vein in someone. You can drink out of the blood bags downstairs." She stood up. "Think about it, ok? I was worried about you tonight." Buffy walked out and headed down to the cellar where Liz was on the phone. She moved over to Damon and he wrapped a protective arm around her shoulders.

"A stomach bug." Liz was saying. "Yeah, it came on fast. I'll definitely be out tomorrow." Damon made a noise to get her attention. "Or longer. I'll text you. Yeah. Good night." She hung up and gave the phone to Damon.

"Thank you." Damon said. "It's not exactly the Ritz, but it's secure. I brought a good thread count…. And once the vervain is worked out of your system, I will compel you, you will forget everything, and you will be a free woman." Caroline was at the door with a suitcase for her mother.

"Can you keep Caroline far away from me please?" Liz asked. "I don't want to see her."

"She's your daughter, Liz." Buffy said, glancing at Caroline.

"Not anymore. My daughter's gone."

Buffy walked over in front of Liz and carefully squatted down in front of her. "You really have no idea how wrong you are about that. And just so you know, she didn't ask for that to happen to her. She's suffering too." Damon helped Buffy up. "Think about that, ok? A daughter needs her mother. I'd give anything to have mine back. Even as a vampire."

* * *

><p>Buffy laid on Damon's chest and sighed as he played with her hair. "Is what you said down there true?" He asked quietly.<p>

"What?" Buffy asked, looking up at him.

"About your mother?"

"Yes. My dad may be a total flake, but my mom…. She made up for it. She made everything better. She was the strong one."

Damon stroked her cheek. "You're strong."

Buffy sighed. "What are we going to do about Mason?"

"Kill him before he kills us." Damon sighed. "How's your stomach?"

"Healing." Buffy gently fingered the bandages around her abdomen. "It'll be better by tomorrow."

"Good. This 'no vigorous activity' is a real bitch."

She laughed. "Well if that's all you want me for, then I'm going back to my room."

Damon pulled her back to him. "Shut up." He kissed her and then wrapped her in his arms as they drifted off to sleep.


	21. Chapter 21

Chapter 21

Buffy opened the door to let Alaric in. He was carrying a box with him. Jeremy and Damon were in the living room. Jeremy had come over and told them about Mason Lockwood being after a moonstone and that Tyler Lockwood had to kill someone to activate the werewolf curse. Buffy didn't really want him involved, but he was stubborn.

"Rick!" Damon said as Alaric and Buffy walked into the room.

Alaric looked at Jeremy. "What are you doing here?"

"Helping Damon and Buffy." Jeremy said. "I'm the one who found out about the moonstone."

"Does Elena know you're here?"

"Not exactly."

"What do you got?" Damon asked.

Alaric set the box down. "This is Isobel's research from Duke. Her assistant sent it to me."

"Vanessa, the hottie."

Buffy smacked Damon's stomach. "Vanessa yes." Alaric said, chuckling. "Do you remember the old Aztec curse she told us about?"

"Son of the moon, blah, blah, blah, blah…."

"An Aztec curse?" Jeremy asked. "Cool."

"Yeah, supposedly vampires and werewolves used to run freely until a shaman put a curse on them, limiting their power." Alaric said. "Since then, werewolves can only turn on a full moon and vampires are weakened by the sun."

"Most of them anyway." Damon waved his ring.

"According to the legend, the werewolf part of the curse is sealed with a moonstone."

"What do you mean sealed?" Jeremy asked.

"It's a witch thing." Buffy said. "Whatever seals the curse is usually the key to unsealing the curse. Unless there's a loophole, which in this case, there doesn't seem to be. Hey, maybe Mason believes he can use the moonstone to break the curse."

"If we start believing in some supernatural witchy mojo legend from a picture book, we're idiots." Damon said. "Where is the stone now?"

"Tyler." Jeremy said.

"Can you get it?"

"Yeah."

"You see, now your life has a purpose."

"So you do believe it?"

"This is the same book that says the werewolf bite kills a vampire. Ignoring it makes me an even bigger idiot. Let's go."

* * *

><p>Buffy walked over to Elena with Damon not far behind her. Elena was helping set up the masquerade ball for the following evening. Elena turned when she heard them walking up. "What are you guys doing here?" Elena asked.<p>

"Looking for my baby bro." Damon said. "Speaking of…. you should tell yours to stop following me around."

"What's going on?"

"Ask him." Damon nodded towards Jeremy walking up and he and Buffy walked off to find Stefan.

"What are you two doing here?" Stefan asked.

"We need to talk." Buffy said.

"I was just going to call you guys."

"News, news all around." They walked off a little ways for some privacy. "You first."

"Bonnie bumped into Mason Lockwood today and had a vision. She said she saw Elena kissing him."

"Elena doesn't even know him."

"Katherine's with Mason Lockwood?" Damon cried.

"He got into town after she did. It makes perfect sense." Stefan said.

"I know but Mason Lockwood? Werewolf thing aside, the guy is a surfer. She's got to be using him. It has to be."

"Using him for what?"

"Mason Lockwood's looking for a moonstone that allegedly can break the full moon werewolf curse." Buffy said. "Maybe Katherine wants it too."

"Why?"

"No idea."

"This is the beauty of Katherine, though." Damon said. "She's always up to something."

"So how are we gonna find this moonstone?" Stefan asked.

"Jeremy is gonna get it from Tyler."

"Why would you involve Jeremy?"

"He's playing Indiana Jones. He involved himself."

"I'm not partial to it, but he's stubborn. Kinda like his sister." Buffy said. She spotted Jeremy walking over to Tyler. "Hey man." He said.

"Hey!" Tyler said.

"Hey, so I did a little research on that stone you showed me."

"What? Why?"

"I don't know. Curiosity? Boredom?"

"What did it say?"

"Well, it turns out that it's part of this Aztec legend but I want to make sure it's the same kind of stone. You think I could check it out again?"

"No. I gave it to my uncle."

"Why did you do that?"

"Because I'm done with legends and curses. I don't want anything to do with it, ok?"

" Yeah. Yeah sure."

Buffy stopped listening. "That's not good."

"Not at all." Stefan said.  
>She smiled suddenly when she spotted Bonnie. "We need bait." The guys looked at where Buffy was looking.<p>

"What are you planning?" Damon asked.

"Bonnie's going to help us get Mason Lockwood."

"Why would she do that? She hates us."

"But she likes Stefan. And Stefan's going to ask nicely." Buffy walked over and caught up with Bonnie. She grabbed the girl's arm and pulled. "Come on."

"What are you doing?" Bonnie demanded, trying to wriggle free.

"We need to talk to you." Buffy said. She stopped well away from people.

"This is as far as I go."

"Yeah, that's why I stopped."

"What do you want?"

"A favor." Damon said.

"That's not gonna happen."

"Predictable much?" Buffy said. "That's why we brought him." Buffy hooked her thumb at Stefan.

"I know how you feel about helping us out but since you're the one that linked Mason with Katherine, we finally have an opportunity to get an upper hand on both of them so just hear us out." Stefan said.

"Pretty please." Damon said sarcastically.

"I'm listening."

Stefan's phone started ringing. It was Elena. "I have to fill Elena in on what's going on. Can you two play nice please?" He answered his phone and walked off.

Buffy looked at Bonnie. "All you have to do is touch Mason Lockwood again to see if he gave Katherine the moonstone."

"My visions don't work like that. I don't get to ask questions." Bonnie said.

"How inconvenient." Damon said. "Although, let's talk about that witchy mojo you do with me. You know the fun one when my brain bursts into flames? What is that?"

"That's me giving you an aneurysm. Your blood vessels go pop but you heal quickly so I do it over and over again."

"Is it vampire specific?" Buffy asked.

"It'd work on anyone with a supernatural healing ability."

"Good."

"I'm not gonna help you hurt him."

"Mason Lockwood's a werewolf." Damon said. "Katherine's evil. They're the bad guys. Really? You're gonna play morality police with us right now?"

"Let me explain it to you another way." Buffy offered. "They're a threat to Elena. You're gonna get over yourself and help us."

"Yeah, she meant that as a question with a 'please' on the end." Stefan said, rejoining the conversation.

"Sure." Buffy said with a sarcastic smile.

* * *

><p>Mason was heading to his car when he noticed a moving van in his way. "Hey, can you move your van? I'm blocked in." Then he noticed Bonnie trying to remove a table from the truck. "Hey, how did you get sucked into that by yourself?"<p>

"All the guys baled." Bonnie said. "Something about draft picks…. I don't know. I don't speak that language."  
>"Here, let me give you a hand." Mason helped her with the table but she used her powers on him and he held his head in pain, falling to the floor.<p>

"Sorry." Bonnie said.

Damon arrived and kicked Mason in the face, knocking him unconscious. Bonnie went into Mason's car and Damon and Stefan put Mason in the trunk. Buffy jumped into the driver's seat with Damon and Bonnie climbing in on the other side.

* * *

><p>Damon carried Mason into the library and set Mason in a chair. Buffy stood guard while Bonnie brought in Mason's bag and handed in to Damon. "Here's his bag as requested." She said.<p>

"Ok, grab that corner." Damon said, pulling out a tarp.

"Why are we doing this?"

"Because I don't want to stain the carpet."

"I knew you were gonna say something like that."

"You're judging again." Buffy warned as she lifted the chair and Mason so Damon and Bonnie could maneuver the blanket under the chair. "FYI: He's not gonna be out much longer."

Damon found chains in Mason's bag. "Looks like this guy is used to being tied up."

"Can I try something?" Bonnie asked Buffy. Buffy stepped away and Bonnie took Mason's head in her hands.

"What are you doing?" Buffy asked.

"You're looking for a moonstone and I'm trying to help you find it."

"Oh good, yeah." Damon said. "Find out if he gave it to Katherine and find out where she is and find out what they're gonna do with it once they get it." He started tying Mason down to the chair.

Bonnie concentrated herself while she touched Mason's head. "Somewhere small, dark…. there's water."

"Like a sewer?" Buffy asked.

"No. Like a well…. That can't be right…. Yeah. It's a well."

"Why would it be in a well?"

"I told you…. I only get what I get." Mason caught Bonnie's wrist but Buffy grabbed his wrist and squeezed, making Mason release her. "That's it. That's all I got." She was obviously wigged.

"Hey judgy. Thank you." Damon said sincerely. Bonnie just looked at him and scurried out.

"This part sucks." Buffy said.

"Which part?" Damon asked, joining her in front of Mason. He was starting to come around.

"The waiting part."

Damon smiled and stepped up to Mason. "Come on. Wake up wolf boy!" He punched Mason in the face.

"What do you want?" Mason demanded.

"To torture you." Damon grabbed an iron poker from the fireplace and started heating it up in the fire he'd built there while Bonnie had been looking in Mason's head.

Mason looked at Buffy in a panic. "Are you going to let him do this!"

Buffy bent down to be eye level with Mason, bracing herself against the back of the chair next to his head with one arm. "You've threatened people I care about and you're shacking up with someone who has threatened people I care about. And, oh yeah, you got me shot. I don't take very kindly to being shot."

"You're human! You can't let this happen."

Buffy laughed. "Oh, sweetie. I may look human and I may sound human. I may even have a beating heart. But I am far from human. Not anymore. And by the way…. Just to give you something to think about…. I dated one of the world's most notorious serial killers. He liked to torture his victims in some seriously twisted ways and guess what? I learned some things." She stood up with a bright smile and Mason started panicking. He struggled against his bonds, shaking the chair.

"Someone's feisty." Damon said as he moved toward Mason with the now orange tipped poker. Buffy calmly sat down near Mason and watched. Mason wouldn't stop moving and he toppled to the floor with the chair.

"What?" Mason screamed.

Damon shoved the iron poker into Mason's chest and caused him to scream in agony. "You can hurt. Good to know. I was afraid you were gonna be some beast master with no affinity for pain." He looked at Mason's wound to find it was healing. "Oh, you heal quickly. Not good."

"Way good." Buffy interjected. "Means he'll last longer. It's no fun if they talk too quickly."

Damon shrugged as if this were an everyday conversation. "I guess I'll just have to keep applying pain." Damon grabbed a chain and hauled Mason and the chair back upright. He calmly walked back to the fireplace and heated up the iron bar again. "So…. Katherine. How do you know her? What is she up to?" Mason spit on the ground.

"You know…. We have all day." Buffy said. "And we can take turns."

"You wanna…?" Damon offered her the hot poker.

Buffy shook her head. "I'm content to watch you for right now. Gives me something to think about for later."

Damon laughed at Mason's appalled and terrified expression. "That's my girl." He stabbed the iron poker into Mason again. Mason screamed as it seared his insides. After a minute, Damon pulled it back out and took back to the fireplace. "So…. When did you two meet? Did she seduce you and tell she loved you? You're supernatural so she can't compel you. I'm sure she used her other charms. Katherine's good that way."

Buffy stood up and blocked Jeremy's path. He'd just walked into the room with Alaric's box. "Hey, Jeremy, I thought I asked you to leave." She said.

"I found something in Rick's box of stuff." Jeremy said, setting it down.

"Oh…. What is it?" Damon asked, dropping the poker and walking over.

"I did a search on my phone. It's a plant: Aconitum Vulparia. Grows in the mountains of the northern hemisphere, communally known as 'Aconite', 'blue rocket' and 'wolfsbane'."

Buffy took the plant from Jeremy. "Hmm…. Willow uses this in her spells sometimes. What else did you read?"

"Well, every source says something different. One myth says it causes lycanthropy, which sounds bogus. Another one says that it protects people and another one says, well it's toxic."

Mason whimpered and Damon looked over at him. "I'm guessing toxic." Damon said. He took the plant from Buffy and went towards Mason. "What's Katherine doing in Mystic Falls?" Mason didn't answer so Damon trailed the plant down Mason's cheek. Where the wolfsbane made contact, Mason's skin burned. "Why is she here?"

"She's here with me!" Mason screamed. "Why are you asking? Jealous?"

"How rude of me. I just realized I didn't offer you anything to eat." Damon shoved the plant into Mason's mouth. "Yummy!"

Buffy noticed Jeremy flinch. "Hey," She said softly. "Maybe you should head out."

"Why do you want the moonstone?" Damon demanded.

"Screw you!" Mason choked out.

"Ahhh! Wrong answer!"

"If he was gonna say anything, he would have already!" Jeremy cried.

"Jeremy…." Buffy warned, holding him back.

"I'm taking your eyes now." Damon held up another sprig of wolfsbane.

"The well! You'll find it there!" Mason said.

"I know where it is. I want to know what it does and why you want it."

"I'm getting it for Katherine."

"Why?"

"She's gonna use it to lift the curse."

"Of the moon? Now, why would a vampire help a werewolf break a curse that keeps him from turning whenever they want?"

"So I wouldn't have to turn anymore."

"Why?"

"Because she loves me!"

Damon laughed and looked at Buffy. "Now I get it." He looked back at Mason. "You're just stupid. Katherine doesn't love you. She's using you, you moron!"

"I'm done talking."  
>"Yes you are." Damon handed the wolfsbane to Buffy. "It's time to take a walk, Jeremy."<p>

"I'm staying." Jeremy said.

"You should go." Buffy said.

"I'm staying. He's had enough."

Mason looked at Jeremy. "Just help Tyler. Don't let this happen to him."

"Damon…."

Damon rushed over to Jeremy and strangled him. "Damon!" Buffy cried.

"You want to be a part of this?" Damon growled, releasing Jeremy when Buffy tugged on him. "Well, here it is! Kill or be killed!"

Buffy pushed Damon away and pulled Jeremy gently aside. "Jeremy, he's a werewolf. He'll kill Damon and Stefan the first chance he gets. I need you to leave, ok? You do not need to be a part of this." Jeremy looked horrified, but he left.

"You really want me to kill you anyway, don't you Mason?" Damon asked, moving back towards the werewolf. "Really is a curse, isn't it? You know…. when I look at you I see myself. A less dashing and less intelligent version."

"I love her." Mason said.

"Oh, I know! I've been where you are. But Katherine will only rip your heart out. Let me do it for her." Damon shoved his hand into Mason's chest and pulled out his heart. It was the only time Buffy ever flinched.

* * *

><p>Damon was wrapping Mason's body in the tarp when Stefan arrived. He tossed the moonstone to Buffy. "All this for that?" Damon asked.<p>

"Yep." Stefan said. He looked at Damon. "I see you've exercised your usual restraint."

"Had to be done." Damon grabbed Mason's phone and texted Carol Lockwood from it. "'Carol…. big opportunity in Florida. I'm gonna be gone for a long time. I'll send for my things once I get settled. Much love, Mason.'"

"Let's get rid of the body." Buffy said.

"Oh, last number dialed. I wonder who that could possibly be."

"No, Damon! Don't provoke her!" Stefan said.

Katherine answered, thinking it was Mason. "Mason, you should have been here an hour ago."  
>"Wrong boy toy." Damon said.<p>

"Damon. For once you surprise me. I guess Mason's with you."

"He's right beside me…. Although his heart's across the room."

"You shouldn't have."

"I've had a very busy day today. I killed a werewolf, found the moonstone…. Hey, did you know that he hid the moonstone at the bottom of a well full of vervain? I guess he didn't trust you very much but he did love you. Poor guy. Hey, where are you? Because I could bring him over. Last goodbyes and all that."

"You have no idea what you've just done."

"Awe, did I put a kink in your master plan? I'm so sorry."

"Do you honestly believe that I don't have a plan B? And if that fails a plan C, then a plan D and…. you know how the alphabet works, don't you? Send my love to Stefan." She hung up and Damon looked at Stefan and Buffy.

"Why did you do that?" Stefan asked.

"I couldn't help myself. You know me."

"She's going to retaliate." Buffy said. "And soon."

"Let's just get rid of the body." Damon stood up and looked at Stefan for some help.

While the boys were gone, Buffy's cell phone rang. It was Elena. "Hey."

"Buffy…." Elena was crying.

"Oh god…."

"Jenna…. She stabbed herself. Katherine…. She made Jenna stab herself. Alaric and I are behind the ambulance."

"I'll be right there, ok?"

"Is Jeremy with you?"

"No. He left a while ago. Keep trying him and if I see him, I'll pick him up."

"Ok."

Buffy hung up and grabbed her car keys.

"Where are you going?" Damon asked, walking back in with Stefan.

"Katherine retaliated."

"What happened?" Stefan asked.

"She compelled Jenna to stab herself. Elena's on her way to the hospital now with Alaric. I'm going to meet them there and try to find Jeremy."

"I'm coming." Stefan started to follow her.

"No. You stay here. You and Elena are supposed to be broken up, remember? Damon…."

"I'll make sure he doesn't leave. Go." Damon said.

* * *

><p>Buffy sat with Jeremy in the waiting room. She'd found him near the town square heading for home. Finally Elena came out of the back. "Is she ok?" Buffy asked.<p>

"The doctors told Alaric that she got lucky. She's gonna be ok."

"Did she remember what happened?" Jeremy asked. Buffy had filled him in.

"No, nothing. It's all part of Katherine's mind compulsion."

"Why would Katherine hurt aunt Jenna?"

"Because she's trying to send a message that she could get to anybody." Buffy said. Elena started to cry and Buffy hugged her tightly. "It's gonna be ok."

"No it's not." Elena sobbed.

"She's gonna pay Elena. I promise you that she's going to pay." Buffy smoothed out Elena's hair like she would Dawn's. "Come on, you two. Let's get you home. You can pack up some stuff and stay with me and the guys."

* * *

><p>Buffy opened the door and let Jeremy and Elena in. "There's a spare bedroom a couple of doors down on the left from my room, Jeremy. You can stay there." Jeremy nodded and headed upstairs.<p>

Elena sighed. "I need to talk to Stefan."

Buffy nodded. "Ok." She watched Elena walk off. A minute later, Damon was standing next to her.

"What's going on?" He asked.

"I don't feel safe with Katherine out for blood and those two don't have anyone at their house. They're staying with us till Jenna comes home. Alaric's staying at the hospital."

"We were stupid." They heard Elena say. "Sneaking around, thinking that we weren't gonna get caught."

"I know." Stefan said.

"We did this. Stefan, Jenna's in the hospital and Jeremy could be next all because we didn't listen to her…. Because we're together. Stefan…."

"I know what you're gonna say to me."

"Then let me say it. I've been so selfish because I love you so much and I know how much you love me but it's over. Stefan, it has to be."

"Elena, I…."  
>"No, Stefan. It has to be."<p>

Damon hung his head. "I'm so stupid."

"Yeah. You are." Buffy said. She sighed and shook her head. "I'm sorry. I'm sorry, Damon." She wrapped her arms around his waist and kissed his bare chest where the buttons on his shirt were undone. "I'm just upset and worried."

He kissed her hair. "It's ok." Damon looked over at Elena. "Elena." He went over to stop her from going upstairs. "I riled Katherine up. I wasn't thinking. I didn't think!"

"It doesn't matter, Damon." Elena said, tears streaming down her cheeks. "She won. Katherine won."

Buffy walked up to Elena. "You don't have to stay here if you don't want."

"Can I just stay with you?" Elena begged. "I don't want to be alone."

Buffy nodded. "Sure. Yeah, go on up and get settled and I'll be up in a little bit."

Damon watched her walk up the stairs, a pained expression on her face. "I hate that I did that to her."

Buffy gently touched his cheek and made him look at her. "We're going to fix this."

"How?"

"We're going to kill Katherine. Once and for all."

"Easier said than done."

Buffy shook her head. "I've taken down bigger and badder things. I've taken down a god before. Katherine's nothing compared to that."

"What do we do?" Stefan asked behind them.


	22. Chapter 22

**_A/N Hey guys! Thank you for all of your reviews. I'm really excited about this chapter, so please enjoy and send me lots of reviews!_**

* * *

><p>Chapter 22<p>

Caroline was sitting on the couch looking at Damon and Buffy. Damon gave her a glass of blood. "Here," He said.

"I'm still shaking." Caroline said.

Stefan walked in. "What happened?"

"Go ahead, tell him." Damon said to Caroline. "You're gonna love this."

"I saw Katherine today." Caroline said.

"Where?" Stefan asked.

"At the grill. I just stopped by to gawk and…. Quasi stalk Matt. He was bussing tables and he looked so cute and I couldn't help but stare and then he asked if I needed a table. God, he's so mad at me!"

"Skip the teen drama and get to it." Damon said.

"Then I had to pretend to use the bathroom even though I didn't really have to go because I'm a doofuss. As I'm washing my hands, Katherine just appears. I totally knew it was her, but I wanted to make her believe that I didn't so maybe she'd leave me alone. She asked me about Matt and I played along and after I'd dried my hands, I tried to rush past her, but she blocked me. And she asked me to give you guys a message."

"What was the message?" Stafan asked.

"'Tell Damon and Stefan and their little pet Slayer that I want the moonstone or I will rip this town apart until it rains blood.'"

"Tell him the rest of it." Buffy said.

"Tonight…. At the masquerade ball."

"She wants to do it in public. Killing Mason threw off her guard."

"She's running scared." Damon said. "What she did to Jenna was desperate. She's out of tricks."

"We can't underestimate her." Stefan said. "We have to play this smarter than her."

"Can we just give her the moonstone so she'll leave?" Caroline asked.

"No, Katherine's not getting dick." Damon said. "Buffy and I are gonna go to the masquerade ball and I'm gonna kill her…. Tonight."

"You're not gonna kill her." Stefan said.

"Don't give me that goody goody crap."

"You're not gonna kill her."

"Really?"

"Because I am."

"You guys aren't going to succeed unless we all work together." Buffy said. "And we're in luck because I already have a semi put together plan." The doorbell rang and Buffy smiled. "Right on time."

"Who's that?" Damon asked.

Buffy went to answer the door. "All right, you dragged me all the way out here for some witchy help and to bring the rest of your weapons and I don't even get a squeal and a hug when you answer the door?" Willow asked. "Xander gets all that good greets. It's because he has a patch, right?"

Buffy smiled brightly and hugged her best friend tightly. "God, it is so good to see you. I missed you!"

Willow hugged her back. "Xander had to help me load up all of your weapons and my books."

"Is he here?"

"Nope. That's why you and your guys need to help me unload them. And speaking of…." Willow raised her voice playfully. "Where's the hottie boyfriend you've described numerous times but never sent me a picture of to ogle?"

Buffy shook her head. "Not like you would really ogle. You're gay."

"Oh, crap. I forgot." Willow smiled and followed Buffy into the foyer where everyone had gathered to see who the new person was.

"Who's this?" Caroline asked.

"Guys, this is my best friend Willow." Buffy said.

"The all-powerful witch?"

"The very one. Willow, this is Caroline."

"Newbie vamp. I'm so sorry." Willow said, giving Caroline a hug. "Buffy told me about everything."

"Thanks?" Caroline said.

"Down Willow." Buffy joked.

"Sorry." Willow said. "Everything you've said…. I just feel so awful for her. Is everything ok with your mom?" Caroline nodded.

"Wills, this is Stefan."

"Hi. Buffy talks a lot about you." Willow shook his hand.

"She talks a lot about you too. It is very nice to finally meet you."

"Definitely." Willow looked at Damon. "And this must be…."

"The hottie boyfriend she's described numerous times and never sent you a picture of?" Damon said. "In the flesh."

Buffy rolled her eyes. "And that's Damon."

"Ok, I may be gay…. But wow." Willow looked at Buffy. "Wow. Why is that you get all the hot ones? I mean, they just fall at your feet. I bet if Bradley Cooper walked through here, he'd be putty in your hands. Thank goddess you're not gay, cause I'd have zero chances against you."

Buffy shook her head at her best friend. "Let's get my weapons in here and get you and your books all set up. You got here just in time because Katherine's threatening mayhem tonight."

* * *

><p>Caroline opened the door to Bonnie. "Hey, come on in."<p>

"I got Stefan's message." Bonnie said.

"Hey, you brought the grimoire, thank you." Stefan said when he saw her.

Bonnie saw Buffy, Damon, and Alaric talking over a serious cache of weapons on the table. "What's going on?"

Jeremy walked in. "We're gonna kill Katherine."

"I can explain." Stefan said.

"Please." Bonnie pleaded.

"We're gonna kill Katherine."

Buffy was showing off a few of her niftier weapons. "This is a wrist stake launcher. The trigger mechanism is here, so all you have to do is flip your wrist and the stake ejects into your hand." Buffy handed it to Damon. "It fits nicely under a jacket sleeve. And since I'm not wearing a jacket…."

"I get the wrist stake thing." Damon said.

Willow walked in carrying one of her books. "Is the other witch here yet?" Buffy nodded at Bonnie. "Oh, hi. I'm Willow. Buffy's best friend and witch extraordinaire."

"It's nice that you finally admit that." Buffy said.

"If you got it flaunt it."

"That's Xander's line."

"Well, he's not here." Willow turned back to Bonnie. "So, I need to see your grimoire and that spell to trap vampires."

"That spell is dangerous." Bonnie said. "Are you guys planning to lock Katherine in that tomb?"

"We're planning to lock her in a room at the Lockwood mansion tonight and kill her there." Buffy said. "Willow needs to check out that spell."

"I can do it." Bonnie said.

"Right. Because that spell didn't kill your grandmother." Damon said. "And you too, almost."

"I've gotten better."

"But you're not even one, one hundredth as powerful as I am." Willow said. "Therefore I will be doing the spell. But I don't mind assistants. And since you're experienced enough…. Well, maybe you could learn a thing or two."

"I really approve of your friends." Damon said to Buffy, causing her to smile brightly.

* * *

><p>Buffy, Damon, and Stefan were on the back lawn of the Lockwood estate looking at the party goers. It was hard to tell people apart since they were all wearing masks. Buffy and Damon and positioned themselves higher up on the stairs and Stefan was further down from them. Willow was with Bonnie and Jeremy.<p>

"I have to say," Damon said. "I know I'm supposed to be looking for Katherine, but you…. You are just a mouthwatering distraction."

Buffy's hair was curled and up in a loose ponytail with wispy tendrils falling around her face. She was wearing a black, strapless cocktail dress that was form fitting all the way to her knees and had an empire waist that was a thick, white band. The best part in Damon's eyes was the slit that went dangerously high up her thigh. She was wearing simple black high heeled sandals with a small strap across her toes and a strap around her ankle. Her makeup was subtle like it always was except for the crimson lipstick she'd chosen. The mask she was wearing was a black, intricately beaded eye mask with a beautiful and delicate jeweled butterfly sitting on the top right of the mask by her temple.

"Where do you find these amazing dresses at?" Damon asked.

"The internet." Buffy said as they started down the stairs to Stefan. "Hey. Do you see her?"

"Nope." Stefan said. He looked at Damon. "You're sure you can do this?"

"Who are you talking to?" Damon asked.

"Oh, I had the chance to kill her and I hesitated."

"Well that is the fork in the road between you and me my friend. I don't hesitate."

"You spent 145 years loving her. It could happen."

"I won't hesitate."

"Ok." Stefan walked off.

"Is there food at this party? I'm kinda hungry." Buffy said.

Damon held his arm out to her. "Let's go see, shall we? So, I have a question. Where in the world are you hiding your weapons?"

Buffy smiled. "You don't wanna know."

"That's kinda hot."

She shrugged. "A girl's gotta do what a girl's gotta do."

Willow walked up to them. "Why didn't Sunnydale have anything this cool? I lived there my whole life and the only thing cool about it was the Bronze."

Buffy laughed. "Awe! I miss the Bronze."

"I do too. I actually miss Sunnydale. I kinda wish we hadn't turned it into a crater." The two were silent for a moment and then both started laughing. "Yeah, never mind. Must be the champagne and the after effects of the spell making me loopy."

"You guys finished the spell?"

"Yeah. Piece of cake. That Bonnie's got some power, but she doesn't know how to wield it very good."

"She can make my brain feel like its melting." Damon said.

"Oh, yeah. That's a parlor trick. Nothing special."

"It sure _feels_ special."

"Hey, Buff, what did you say to her because she really doesn't like you."

Buffy shrugged. "She whines too much. Like I told Damon, she can go whine to someone else. I've lived through worse."

"You've died through worse."

Buffy nodded. "This is true."

"We were headed to get food." Damon said. "Would you care to join?"

"Sure. I'm starving. I've managed to snag some fruit walking around on trays but I need something like…." They'd made it to the dining room where an elaborate food display was set up. "Oh, finger sandwiches." Willow was like a heat seeking missile towards the sandwiches. "Wow. These people go all out."

"Calm yourself, Wills." Buffy laughed.

"You know how slaying makes you hungry? Well…. Magic makes me hungry." Willow grabbed a plate and started making her way around the room.

Damon wrapped an arm around Buffy as he grabbed a plate for her. "You know, I was looking forward to spending the night dancing with you."

"We still could." Buffy said, putting some vegetables on her plate.

"It just wouldn't be the same. We'd both be too preoccupied with looking for Katherine."

"We won't be the ones to find her. Stefan will."

"Why's that?"

"She's avoiding you because you're with me and she knows I can kill her. She's only ever come around you when she knows I'm not around."

Damon thought about that for a minute and realized she was right. "Huh. That makes me all tingly inside to know you're more badass than Katherine is."

"Buffy's more badass than a lot of vampires." Willow said. "She always has been."

"Willow, I may have to get you to go to dinner with me so I can pick your brain about my girlfriend."

"You want dirt? I got _plenty_ of it." Willow smiled at Buffy's playful glare.

"Honestly, Willow, it really is good to finally meet you. Buffy can't say enough about you and she's so much more at ease now that you're here."

Willow shrugged. "She's my best friend. We have that effect on each other."

Damon's phone went off and he pulled it out. "Uh oh."

"I hate uh ohs." Buffy said. "What's wrong?"

He sighed as he put his phone back in his pocket. "Katherine's killed someone and left the body with Stefan."

"Does that mean it's showtime?" Willow asked.

* * *

><p>Buffy, Stefan, and Damon waited in the room that Willow had cast the binding spell on. Willow had gone to find Bonnie and Jeremy and let Jeremy know he had to lure Katherine to Caroline. "I put the body in the trunk for now." Stefan said.<p>

"We'll dump her when we get back." Damon said.

"This is exactly what I didn't want, Damon."

"Stefan, it's collateral damage." Buffy said.

"Right, which is why we need to call it off."

"What?" Damon demanded. "Who's hesitating now? Hey! Don't do this! That woman ruined our lives. She destroyed us! Tonight it ends. We can do it together. All three of us. We've got your back. All right?"

Stefan sighed. "All right."

"Guys…." Buffy stood up. "I hear Caroline and she's with Katherine."

"Showtime." Damon said. He and Buffy retreated into the bathroom while Stefan hid in a corner. Buffy grabbed Damon's shoulder for balance and removed her shoes.

He looked at her questioningly and she shrugged, setting her shoes down. "I don't want to ruin them."

"Why do you keep dragging me into this?" Caroline wept. "I don't want any part of it."

"Shut up!" Katherine said. "Which room is it?"

There was a moment's silence before Caroline said, "It's that one."

Katherine threw open the doors to the room and walked in. "Where is she?"

Caroline began to laugh. "I did it. I really didn't think that I'd be able to fool you but I did it!"

Katherine rushed over but she couldn't leave the room. "What the…?" She sighed. "Stefan?"

Stefan stepped out of the corner with a stake in his hand. "Hello Katherine."

"Goodbye Katherine." Caroline waved and walked off.

"You don't really think that you can kill me with that now, do you?"

Buffy was suddenly standing behind Katherine holding a stake she'd produced from inside her dress. "No," Stefan said. "But she can." Buffy shoved the stake into Katherine's back, purposely missing the heart. She wanted to make this vampire suffer for all the pain she'd put Damon and Stefan and Elena through. Katherine stumbled forward and Stefan rushed over, driving his stake through her arm.

That just pissed Katherine off and she went to attack Stefan, but Buffy was there, tossing her across the room. The two women faced off while Damon and Stefan stood ready to jump in. "Let's play a game, shall we?" Buffy taunted. "It's one I bet you've never played. It's called Vampire/Vampire Slayer. You can be the vampire and I'll be the Slayer."

"Vampires kill Slayers." Katherine growled.

Buffy laughed. "Right. If they're tough enough. Are you?"

The two started ripping at each other, but Katherine was having a hard time gaining the upper hand. Buffy was just that much faster and that much stronger. The Slayer got Katherine down on her knees and delivered a vicious kick to the brunette's face, sending her sprawling face first on the floor. Buffy pounced and flipped Katherine over, holding her down as Stefan moved in for the kill.

Jeremy ran in suddenly yelling, "Stop! You're hurting Elena! Everything you're doing to her is hurting Elena!" Damon stopped mid swing and looked at Jeremy.

Katherine used the surprise to her advantage and squirmed away from Buffy with a smile, standing up. "You think you three are the only ones with a witch on your side? Wrong. And something tells me that my witch is better than your witch." She took the stake from Damon's hands.

"Jeremy, go check on Elena." Stefan said. "Make sure she's ok. Go!" Jeremy ran out.

"Let's all make sure poor Elena is ok. Just a little bit of pressure." Katherine cut her hand with the stake. Buffy slapped Katherine's hand and knocked the stake on the floor.

Katherine grabbed another stake and was about to drive it through her stomach. "This is really gonna hurt."

"Wait!" Buffy cried.

Katherine sat down on the couch. "Ok. So, how about that moonstone?" When no one answered, she sighed. "The three of us together just like old times. Well, except the Slayer here. She's just an annoyance." Katherine looked at Damon. "The brother who loved me too much…." She looked at Stefan. "And the one that didn't love me enough."

"And the evil slut vampire who only loved herself." Damon shot back.

"What happened to you Damon? You used to be so sweet and polite."

"Oh that Damon died a long time ago."

"Good. He was a bore."

"Oh, why don't you two stop antagonizing each other?" Stefan snapped.

Katherine rolled her eyes. "Where is the moonstone?"

"What do you want with it?"

Buffy heard Willow's voice in her head telling her that she'd broken the binding spell on Elena. "Katherine?" Buffy asked. The vampire looked at her. "Do you really think my witch can't break your witch's spell?"

Katherine laughed. "Please. Bonnie isn't powerful enough."

Buffy smiled. "Who said anything about Bonnie? I didn't." She looked at Damon. "Did you?" He shook his head and Buffy looked at Stefan. He smiled slightly and shook his head. "Yeah, see…." Buffy leaned down and got in Katherine's face. "Again with the 'I'm more powerful than you' thing." She grabbed Katherine's throat and hauled her up, slamming her against a wall. "My witch created thousands of Slayers around the world. Can yours do that?"

"You can't hurt me."

"Sure I can. And Elena? She's fine." Buffy started squeezing Katherine's throat. "So…. Mason? That has me a bit confused. Why a werewolf? The moonstone can break a curse that would help them destroy all vampires. So what's in it for you?" Katherine couldn't answer because of the pressure Buffy was putting on her throat.

"Sorry about your pet wolf." Damon said. "You should have been sure to keep him on a tighter leash."

"I'll have to remember that for next time." Katherine choked out. Buffy eased up a little to let her talk. "He's not the only wolf in town."

"Stay away from Tyler." Buffy warned.

"How about your friend Oz? Think he's available?" Katherine laughed at the shocked expression on Buffy's face. "I know a lot about you, Buffy. I do my homework."

"Well, I am pretty famous." Buffy said, recovering from her shock. "Dracula wanted to hang out with me."

"Don't worry about your little werewolf friend. He's not covered by the curse, so he's no use to me."

"You bargained the moonstone." Stefan said suddenly.

"What are you mumbling about over there?" Damon asked.

"When you shopped a deal with George Lockwood to help you fake your death, you told me that you gave George something he needed. It was the moonstone, wasn't it?"

"Good for you, Stefan." Katherine said. "2+2…. And it would have worked except that people found out that I wasn't in the tomb." She looked at Damon. "Thanks to you by the way. Have I mentioned how inconvenient your little obsession with me has been?"

"You and me both, honey." Damon said.

"Apparently one of you is over it." Buffy said, smiling slightly at Damon.

"Why do you need it back?" Stefan asked Katherine.

"I love you in a suit, so dashing." Katherine said. Her words were choked off by Buffy's hand tightening around her throat.

"What were you doing with it in the first place?"

"You're wasting your breath, Stefan." Damon said.

"Unless it wasn't yours to begin with." Buffy said, catching on. "In 1864 you faked your death. Who were you running from, Katherine?"

"Why would I even tell you?" Katherine croaked.

"Because I'll let you live."

Katherine noticed Damon pouring himself a glass of scotch. "We're missing the party. I'll have one of those."

"Right away, Miss Katherine." Damon said sarcastically.

Willow walked upstairs. "Hey guys! Having fun?"

"What took you so long?" Buffy asked.

"Sorry, had to make sure Katherine's witch was subdued. That one had some serious power, but once again…. I'm better." Willow turned her eyes on Katherine and they were suddenly completely black. Katherine suddenly started choking and clawing at her throat. Buffy wasn't choking her, so she knew it was Willow and let go of Katherine. After a long moment, Katherine collapsed.

"What did you do?" Stefan asked.

"Well, I made it feel like there were about a thousand boulders pressing down on her. Kinda like the old fashioned torture they did to witches during the witch trials." Willow said. "She was around back then. Probably helped them out to save her own hide."

"Is Elena ok?" Stefan asked.

"Oh, yeah. She's fine. All healed up." Stefan ran out of the room. Willow looked down at Katherine. "What are we going to do with her?"

"I have an excellent idea." Damon said with a smile.

* * *

><p>Katherine woke up in a dark and dirty cave. The moonstone was on the floor next to her. She picked it up and walked around. When she made it to the door of the tomb, she slammed against a barrier.<p>

Buffy was perched on a stone a little ways away and Damon walked over to the door. "Hello Katherine."

"Where am I?" Katherine asked.

"Where you should have been all along."

"You should have killed me."

"Death would have been too kind." Damon went towards the door to close it.

"No, Damon, don't! Damon, don't! You need me! Elena's in danger."

Buffy rolled her eyes. "From whom?" Katherine didn't answer.

"You're lying." Damon said. "You're always lying."

"Why do you think I haven't killed her? Because she's the doppelganger. She needs to be protected."

Damon looked at Buffy questioningly. "Then I'll protect her." Buffy said. "Damon, Stefan, and I will all protect her while you rot in hell."

Damon closed the door while Katherine started screaming, "Damon, don't! I'll do anything, please! Damon! You need me! You need me!"

As soon as they were out of the tomb, Buffy turned to Damon. "Feel better?"

"Much." Damon said, pulling her to him. "Bitch got what she deserved." He looked down at the entrance to the tomb.

"She was probably telling the truth, you know?"

"Why do you say that?"

"She's a lot like Angelus. He lied with the truth. And she was desperate enough down there to start spouting some serious truths."

"Then…. Like you said…. We'll protect Elena." Damon said seriously.


	23. Chapter 23

Chapter 23

Buffy sat on Caroline's bed watching her move around her room getting ready for school. The blonde vampire had called Buffy about what had happened with Tyler. Damon was standing in the doorway. He and Buffy had been on the way to a hardware store to find some shelves to store her weapons on in the room they were starting work on to turn into a training room.

"So Sarah attacks Tyler and he pushed her away and she tripped and she fell and she hit her head." Caroline said.

"Does Matt remember anything?" Buffy asked.

"He thinks he blacked out but I think they were both compelled by Katherine. That's why I covered for Tyler and said it was an accident."

"Yeah, I don't understand that." Damon said. "The guy is a tool."

"Well gee…. duh. Tyler getting blamed for Sarah's death just opens up questions that I can't answer and do you really think that's a good idea for him to tell his mom he's a werewolf?"

"Well, no."

"And that werewolf road leads straight to Vampire Boulevard! I thought I was thinking fast on my feet."

"Where is your mom?" Buffy asked.

"Leading the search party for Aimee Bradley. They haven't found her body yet."

"Ah, teens today and their underage drinking." Damon said. "Tragic. Wait, did you see Tyler's eyes turn yellow?"

"They were more gold with amber highlights."

"Hmm…."

"Can he turn into a wolf now?"

"Only on a full moon." Buffy said. "But now he has crazy strength and who knows what else. I wonder how much Mason told him. Does he know about Damon and Stefan?" Caroline didn't answer. She was texting.

"Hey! What did you tell him?" Damon demanded.

"Nothing, really." Caroline insisted. "I don't think he knows much of anything. He seemed really freaked out and honestly, I felt kind of bad for him." She left her room and went towards the front door.

"He's got to know something."

"All right, I'll ask him."

Damon rushed over to her and caught her by the collar. "No, you won't, Caroline! He cannot know about us. The bite from a werewolf can kill a vampire so don't be his friend! Do you understand me?"

"I understand. I'm late for school."

"Right." Damon opened the door for the girls. "If you want to drop the hints to your mom…. Aimee's body is at the bottom of the ravine with a cracked spine. Might save your mom some time."

Buffy's phone went off and she looked. It was a disturbing text message from Stefan. "Damon, we need to meet Stefan at the school."

"What's going on?" Damon asked.

"Elena's missing."

* * *

><p>Buffy, Stefan, and Damon were outside the school. "This has Katherine written all over it." Stefan insisted.<p>

"Katherine's in the tomb." Buffy said.

"Trust me. I'm the one who shut her in." Damon said.

"Did you?"

"Did I what, Stefan?"

"Well, I know the hold that Katherine has on you."

"She's in the tomb." Buffy said, splitting the brothers up. "End of story. But she did say something to us right before Damon shut her in. We both thought she was lying."

"What did she say?"

"Elena's in danger."

"What? And you guys didn't think you should ask her to elaborate?"

"Everything she says is a lie." Damon insisted. "How are we supposed to know she was going to start spouting out the truth?"

"We have to go talk to her."

"No, no. Let me tell you how that's gonna go. We're gonna go ask her for help, she's gonna negotiate her release which we're gonna be dumb enough to let her and she's gonna get out and kill us! This is exactly what she wants!"

"I don't really care."  
>"It's a bad idea, Stefan." Buffy said.<p>

"It's Elena."

"I know that! I care about her, too, remember?" Buffy grabbed his arm and stopped him. "Hey! Look, Willow is still here. We can find her without getting anywhere near Katherine."

"Are you sure?"

Buffy rolled her eyes. "I'm sure she's gonna turn you into a toad when she finds out you're second guessing her abilities."

* * *

><p>Willow, Buffy, Damon, Bonnie, and Jeremy were convened in Alaric's classroom. Willow had a map on one of the desks. "How does this work?" Jeremy asked.<p>

"Well, blood magic is a lot more powerful." Willow said. "I'm going to use your blood to draw the energy for the tracking spell. Since you're related by blood, it'll make the connection stronger."

Stefan walked in. "Alaric said we've got to clear out of here within 10 minutes."

Willow took Jeremy's hand. "Are you ready?" He nodded and Willow cut into his palm. "Hold the blood drips over Mystic Falls." Jeremy did as he was told and his blood fell onto the map over Mystic Falls. Willow touched the map and it started to glow. The blood drops merged into one and went toward Elena's location. It was right next to a place called Reidsville, North Carolina. "She's there."

"That's 300 miles away." Jeremy said.

"We need a more exact location than that." Stefan complained.

"That's the closest the spell will get. There's some kind of cloak around the place." Willow said.

"How can you tell?" Buffy asked.

"I can feel that spell."

"It's ok. We can map it." Jeremy said. Aerial view will show us what's around there…. Help us narrow down the area."

"Perfect." Buffy said. "Come on guys. Jeremy, call me with whatever you find."

"No, no, I'm coming with you!"

"No Jeremy, you're not."

"No! I'm not gonna just sit here. What if she's hurt? Or worse? What if she's…."

Buffy placed her hands on Jeremy's shoulders. "She's not. Willow, take Jeremy back to his house just in case. I'll call you guys the minute we find her."

* * *

><p>Buffy was stretched out in the backseat of Damon's car while Stefan rode shotgun and Damon drove. They'd been in the car for a couple of hours. "Buffy, you sure do like your weapons." Stefan joked.<p>

Buffy shrugged. "A Slayer's best friend. Check this out." She handed Stefan a little bottle with vervain water in it.

"What the hell is that?" Damon asked.

"It's like a grenade, but it's a vervain bomb…. Or a holy water bomb…. Or a holy vervain water bomb. Xander made it for me."

Damon eyed it again. "Weird."

"I think it's pretty cool." Stefan said, handing the little bomb back to Buffy. "How much further is it?"

"About 80 miles." Damon said.

"Who do you think took her?" Buffy asked.

"Someone from Katherine's past. She said she was running from someone. They picked out the wrong girl."

"Thank you guys for helping me." Stefan said.

"Can we not do the whole road trip bonding thing?" Damon said. "The cliché of it all makes me itch."

"Oh, come on Damon. We both know that you being in this car has absolutely nothing to do with me anyway." Stefan glanced back at Buffy and she sat up, leaning between the front seats.

"Keep it up, Stefan." Damon said. "I can step out of helping as easily as I stepped in."

Buffy smiled and scooted behind Damon, wrapping her arms around him and his seat. "No you can't." She kissed his cheek and smiled at Stefan.

Stefan laughed. "Admit it. You're here because, like your girlfriend, Elena has become something more to you."

"Shut up." Damon said. Buffy squeezed harder. "Ow! Strength."

"I know how much I'm applying." Buffy said playfully. "Would you just admit that you like Elena? And you like your brother."

"I can easily not like you." Damon reached behind him and poked her in the side.

"That's not true and you know it. I've grown on you just like you've grown on me."

"Like a fungus!"

Buffy laughed. "Something like that." Damon smiled. He couldn't help himself. When he noticed Stefan staring at him with a smirk, he stopped smiling. "Would you sit back? If I wreck this car, you'll go through the windshield."

"Oh dear! How will my little immortal self ever survive that?" She smiled brightly as Stefan laughed and sat back. "Is this better?"

"Thank you."

Buffy's cell went off. "Wow! I get service in the middle of nowhere. Awesome." She checked the text message. "Willow says Bonnie just sent Elena a message to let her know we're coming."

"Magically?" Stefan asked.

"How else would two witches do it?" Damon started to say something smart, but Buffy clapped a hand around his mouth. "Shush."

* * *

><p>"We're getting close." Stefan said about an hour later. "Jeremy said there was an access road just past mile marker 6."<p>

Damon reached behind him, purposely grazing Buffy's leg, and grabbed a blood bag from the cooler. Stefan looked at him as he sipped it. "If you want some, just ask."

"I want some."

"Ah, it's so sweet. You're gonna be all big and strong and save your girl but don't worry, I've got your back. It'll be fine."

"I'm not joking. I've been drinking a little every day. I'm slowly increasing my intake and building up my strength."

Damon looked impressed and handed Stefan the blood bag. "Does Elena know you're drinking blood?"

"I've been drinking hers."

"Hmm, how romantic." Damon looked at Buffy in the rearview mirror. "How come you don't do things like that for me?"

"Because my blood isn't just regular blood." Buffy said. "It's kinda like a power trip for vampires. Angel described it to me once a long time ago."

"What do you mean?" Stefan asked. Buffy took out a knife and poked her finger. The smell of the blood hit the two vampires and their mouths started watering and their eyes began to change. "That smells…."

"Yeah. So…. I hoard my blood. It's nothing personal, Damon, I just…. Well, I don't trust any vampire with my blood." She touched the scar on her neck automatically.

"Did you trust him?" Stefan asked, noticing Buffy's little move.

"Yes. And it nearly killed me."

"I thought Slayers don't scar."

Buffy looked down at her hands, uncomfortable talking about that night and her scar. Especially in front of her current. "He marked me. I…. I didn't know it at the time…. Or for a few months after, but eventually Spike explained it to me. Angel says he did it to protect me."

"From what?"

"Other vampires. He said that no other vampire was ever supposed to touch me again…." Buffy cleared her throat. "In any way." She added quietly. Stefan glanced at Damon. "Yeah…. I got really pissed off at that. I don't take very kindly to my exes dictating my love life. Or anyone else for that matter." Damon smiled slightly.

"Have you talked to him since you moved here?"

Buffy shook her head. "I rarely ever talk to him. It's a can of worms that I'm leaving on the shelf to collect dust. There's mile marker 6."

Damon turned off on the access road and parked about a mile in. Stefan got out and went to the trunk as Damon helped Buffy out of the back. "The house should be behind those trees." Damon said.

Buffy caught up with Stefan, blocking his path. "You're not going in alone. I've got a lot more experience than you do with those sorts of things."

"What is your point?" Stefan asked.

"My point is: whoever has Elena is probably who was after Katherine in 1864…. and before that. So it kinda puts them at 500 years old and strong. Which means I'm the better chance here. Are you sure you want to do this?"

"Yeah, I'm certain I want to do it. You're not going in without me."

"If you go in that house, you may not come back out."

"All right, then I won't come out."

"So noble, Stefan." Damon said.

"I can't think of a better reason to die but if you want to stay here, Damon, I totally understand." Stefan turned and left.

* * *

><p>Buffy waited on the front porch while Stefan and Damon went inside. They'd heard only two other voices besides Elena's. "What is that?" She heard the male voice say.<p>

"I don't know." Said the British female. Her voice sounded familiar.

"Who else is in this house?"

"I don't know."

Buffy heard the movements and then they were in the foyer in front of the front door. She heard Stefan and Damon moving fast around them with their super speed. "Rose." The male voice warned. Buffy was confused because there was no way this was the Rose that Lexi had introduced to her.

"I don't know who it is." Rose said.

"Up here." Stefan called.

"Down here." Damon called.

There were some more noises and then silence as the male walked around the foyer. "Excuse me." He called. "To who it may concern, you're making a great mistake if you think that you can beat me. You can't. Do you hear that? I repeat, you cannot beat me. So I want the girl. I'm gonna count to three or heads will roll. Do we understand each other?" Buffy decided that was her cue and kicked the doors open. The male turned to look at her. She noticed that he didn't flinch from the sun. "Who are you?"

"The Slayer." Buffy said. "Who are you?"

"I am Elijah."

"How very Madonna of you. What do you want with Elena?"

"That's none of your concern little girl. You have no business here."

"Oh, but I do." Buffy was suddenly standing behind Elijah. She shoved him forwards, but he turned fast and threw out his hand. He connected with her sternum and she heard it crack as she went flying up the stairs. She landed hard on the stairs, feeling some ribs crack with the wood beneath her.

Elijah came and grabbed her by the throat. "You have power." He smelled her hair. "You're the Slayer I've heard tell about. Pity I'll have to kill you for interfering."

"You can try." Buffy kicked out and sent Elijah back down the stairs. His grip didn't loosen, so Buffy ended up tumbling with him down the stairs. They rolled to a stop and that's when his grip loosened enough that she could scramble away. He was on her in a heartbeat and she felt blood trickle down her cheek as he backhanded her across the room.

Elena appeared at the top of the stairs. "I'll come with you but just please don't hurt my friends anymore. They just wanted to help me out."

Elijah went up the stairs with his super speed, a very large stake in his hand. "What game are you playing with me?" Elena threw the vervain bomb in his face and it exploded. His skin burned but he healed immediately. He went towards Elena but Stefan arrived and shot him with the compressed air stake launcher that Buffy had borrowed from Alaric. It didn't hurt Elijah at all.

Stefan was going to die when Elijah got his hands on him, so Buffy threw herself up the stairs and grabbed Elijah. She kicked him forward and he broke through the banister and fell down to the foyer floor. Buffy jumped on top of him, but he kicked her away. She landed hard and skidded to a painful stop against the wall by the front doors. Elijah got up immediately but Buffy stayed on the floor. He went towards Buffy but Damon arrived with a massive stake and shoved it through Elijah's heart. He pushed Elijah against the door and pinned him there.

While Elijah died, Damon rushed over to his injured girlfriend. "Buffy…. God…." He gently touched her bruised and cut cheekbone.

Elena rushed down the stairs and dropped down next to Damon. "Oh Buffy…. I'm so sorry. How did this happen? You're so powerful…."

"He was an ancient." Buffy said, shaking her head against the pain. "I'm not as strong as them, but I can hold my own for a little while."

"You've fought one before?" Stefan asked, glancing at Elijah as he helped Damon hold Buffy up.

"Not one like him…. Like the other type of vampire." Damon and Stefan helped Buffy to her feet and she leaned on Damon for support. Her knee was throbbing. "I won, but just barely."

"Should we go to a hospital?" Elena asked.

Buffy shook her head. "I'll heal. I just need to rest." Damon swept her into his arms and the four of them made their way back to Damon's car.

* * *

><p>Damon was pouring himself and Buffy glasses of scotch. He was bandaging her up, but her wounded pride had wanted a drink. Stefan walked in. "Hey." Buffy said. "Where's Elena?"<p>

"She's home." Stefan said.

"And you're here why?" Damon asked, handing Buffy her glass.

"Because she wanted to be with Jeremy."

"Here," Damon handed Stefan his glass of scotch and poured himself another one.

"Thanks. Listen, what Rose told Elena about the curse…."

"We'll keep her safe." Buffy said. "I'll be in my room whenever you're ready." She said to Damon, limping out. Damon watched her go with a sad expression on his face. It killed him to see her hurt.

"Hey." Stefan said.

"What?" Damon asked, picking up the first aid kit.

"I'm sorry."

"About what?"

"For being the guy who made you turn 145 years ago."

"Enough Stef, it's late and I've got a girlfriend to doctor. Don't need to rehash that."

"You know what? I've never said it out loud. I guess I just need to say it and you need to hear it. I'm sorry. What I did was selfish. I didn't want to be alone. I guess I just needed my brother." Damon nodded. "Go on. Go help Buffy."

Damon nodded again and went out into the hallway. Buffy was sitting on the stairs waiting. "Hey." He said. "Are you ok? Did you fall?"

She smiled. "No. I just wanted to wait for you."

"Eavesdropping? Isn't that below you?"

Buffy shook her head. "Nope. Plus I was hoping you'd carry me up the stairs."

Damon smiled and bent down, swooping her up in his arms. She giggled and he flew up the stairs. Later that night after she was all bandaged and in one of Damon's button up shirts, they laid in his bed together. He held her tightly and protectively against him, stroking her hair. He wasn't ready to admit it out loud, but inside he knew that he was falling for Buffy. The anger that had welled up in him at seeing her hurt had been overwhelming. A part of him wanted to tell her that, but he wasn't ready to be that guy. He was selfish in his silence. But at the same time, he was being unselfish. Buffy had made it very clear she wasn't looking for love again. He wasn't going to be the one to ruin what they had.

"Damon?" Buffy murmured sleepily.

"Yes?"

"Thank you for saving me."

He chuckled. "Hey, I couldn't let him kill you. The only one who gets to do that is me." She smiled as she drifted off to sleep.


	24. Chapter 24

Chapter 24

Buffy walked painfully down the stairs the next morning. She'd slipped out of Damon's grasp and out of his bed to go get some food. Her stomach had woke her up. She hated that she was still healing and that her ribs still felt broken. They must've had some serious breaks.

"So it was you yesterday." Buffy's eyes snapped up and she found Rose standing in the hallway. "I thought I'd recognized your voice."

"Rose? That was you yesterday?" Buffy asked.

"Yes."

"You kidnapped Elena?"

"I'm sorry. Trevor and I were tired of running. She was our answer. I didn't know that you were involved. I swear if I'd have known, I would've come to you."

"I still don't understand why you didn't come to me in the first place. After Lexi explained everything to me…. I could've helped."

"Not against Klaus."

"Klaus may be big and bad, but he doesn't have what I do." Rose cocked her eyebrow questioningly. "Willow."

"He's got plenty of witches at his beck and call."

"But he doesn't have Willow."

"You're so sure of her abilities?"

"Damn skippy."

Rose smiled and hugged Buffy gently. "It is so good to see you." Buffy hugged her friend back with a wince. "Elijah really did a number on you." Rose touched the bandage on Buffy's cheek. "Are you ok?"

"I'll heal." Buffy shrugged. "Why haven't you called?" She asked as they made their way to the kitchen.

"Trevor and I were in hiding planning Elena's abduction. We wanted Elijah off our backs."

"Well, that's understandable." Buffy opened the fridge and got out some fruit. "You've been running for 500 odd years."

"So Lexi introduced you to the Salvatores?"

"Yes."

"And you're shacking up with the older brother?"

Buffy smiled slightly. "Yes."

"Didn't he kill Lexi? At least, that's what I heard…."

"Make me feel guilty."

"I'm sorry. Life is unexpected and I suppose he was unexpected."

"Way unexpected." Buffy paused. "When did you get here?"

"Last night. I talked to Stefan. He's going to call Elena over here before school so I can apologize and explain."

"Good. Because I'm still not clear on what he wants with Elena."

"Buffy?" Damon called, walking in a split second later. "There you are. You shouldn't…." He spotted Rose and was suddenly standing in front of Buffy, blocking her with his body. "What the hell are you doing here?"

"Damon, it's ok." Buffy said, gently grasping Damon's arm. "She's my friend."

He looked at her, then at Rose, then back at Buffy. "How many friends do you have?"

Buffy chuckled. "More than you. Damon, this is Rose."

"Still going with 'what the hell are you doing here?'"

"I came to apologize." Rose said. "And to see my friend."

"Right." Damon turned to Buffy. "You weren't in bed."

"I was hungry. My stomach was threatening to kill you if I didn't eat something, so I got up."

"You should've woke me up. I would've gotten it for you."

"That's sweet, Damon, but I don't need a protector."

"Right now you do and right now you need to heal."

"And I will. Before the day's out, I'll be healed." She took the bandage off her cheek to show the small bruise and thin pink line where the horrible looking gash had been. "See?"

He gently touched it and sighed. "Where's Stefan? Does he know she's here?"

"Stefan invited me to stay." Rose said. "At least until I can explain everything."

"Good." Buffy said. "We need to catch up."

"How do you know the person that kidnapped Elena?"

"Lexi introduced us." Rose said.

"Rose was with Lexi and I in the Amazon." Buffy said. "She's been around a long time and she knows more about the Slayer line than even Giles does. She helped me figure out my powers and between her and Lexi, they turned me into the badass Slayer you see before you."

"The potential was there. You just had to unlock it. The Watchers Council hid those facts from Slayers."

"They hid a lot of things."

"It's a good thing that you fixed that."

Buffy smiled. "Yeah. The stuffy tweed people had to go."

Stefan walked in. "Good, you've met Rose." He said to Damon.

"You know her too?" Damon asked.

"No. We only officially met last night. But she explained to me her and Buffy's history with Lexi." Stefan turned to Buffy. "How are you feeling?"

"Better. Still healing, though." Buffy said. "My ribs were pretty broken, but I'll be back to normal by the end of the day."

"Good. So, I've called Elena over. She'll be here in a little while."

"I'll go wake up Willow. She'll want to be in on this."

* * *

><p>Elena knocked on the door and Damon opened it. "Hello, Elena." He said.<p>

"Stefan's here? He called. He said it was important." Elena said.

"Right this way."

"How's Buffy?"

"She's better. Willow made her some kind of witchy tea to help her heal faster than she already does."

Stefan met them in the hallway. "Hey." He said.

"What is this about?" Elena asked. Behind Stefan, Rose stepped into the hallway. "You."

"She's here to explain."

"Explain what?"

"The reason why you were kidnapped."

"This ought to be good."

"His name is Klaus."

"Let's go join Buffy and Willow in the living room." Damon said. "They want to hear this too."

Elena followed them in and sat down on the couch between Buffy and Willow. Damon stood in front of Buffy, but off to the side so she could see. "Ok, you have to understand I only know what I've picked up over the years and I don't know what's true and what's not true." Rose said. "It's the problem with all this vampire crap but Klaus, I know he's real."

"Who is he?" Elena asked.

"He's one of the originals."

"He's a legend." Damon interjected.

"From the first generation of vampires." Buffy said.

"Kinda like the Master." Willow chimed in.

"Like Elijah?" Elena asked.

"No." Rose said. "Elijah was the Easter Bunny compared to Klaus. He's a foot soldier. Klaus is the real deal."

"Klaus is known to be the oldest." Buffy said.

"Ok, so you're saying that the oldest vampire in the history of time is coming after me?"

"Yes." Rose said.

"No." Stefan argued.

"What they're saying is, I mean if what she's saying is true…." Damon started.

"Which it is." Rose said.

"And you're saying it so I don't kill you."

"Which I'm not."

"Then we're looking at a solid maybe."

"Look, Elijah's dead, right?" Stefan said to Elena. "So no one else even knows that you exist."

"Not that you know of." Rose said.

"That's not helping." Damon said.

"They've been like that all morning." Buffy said to Elena.

"Look," Stefan said. "I've never even met anyone who's laid eyes on him. I mean, we're talking centuries of truth mixed with fiction. We don't know if he's real. For all we know he could just be some sort of stupid bed time story."

"He's real and he doesn't give up." Rose said. "If he wants something, he gets it. If you're not afraid of Klaus, then you're an idiot."

"All right, we're shaking." Damon said. "You made your point."

Elena shook her head and got up. "Where are you going?" Stefan asked.

"To school. I'm late." She said.

"Let me grab my stuff. I'll go with you."

"It's ok. I know where it is." Elena waved at Buffy and walked out.

"She's in denial." Damon said, sitting down on the arm of the couch next to Buffy.

"Shut up, Damon." Stefan snapped.

Damon looked at Buffy. "So, do you feel up to some more planning for your room up there?"

Buffy shook her head. "I'm gonna take it easy today. Catch up with Rose and Willow."

"Actually…." Willow said. "I've got to finish packing because I've got to get back to England."

"Today?"

"Yeah. Giles needs my help. Besides, I want to research more into this Klaus guy. What better research than Giles' collection?"

"It's a good thing we didn't blow it up with the school."

* * *

><p>Damon finished packing Willow's car while Buffy and Willow said their goodbyes. "Promise me you'll call the minute you land." Buffy said.<p>

"I promise. I've got a layover in New York, so I'll get to see Dawnie."

"Tell her that I promise she can come down as soon as everything gets cleared up."

"Really, Buff? Your life is never calm. She might as well come down now."

Buffy shook her head. "No. Klaus is big and bad and scary and I don't want him anywhere near Dawn. If he's after Elena, eventually he'll come here."

"And you will have all the information myself and Giles can find to help you defeat him. Cause that's what we do."

Buffy hugged Willow tightly. "I'll talk to you soon, ok?"

Damon wrapped an arm around Buffy's waist as they watched Willow pull out and drive down the driveway. "You ok?" He asked.

"We never get to hang out much." Buffy sighed. "I miss the old days where we turned on a foreign movie, turned off the subtitles, and made up our own story."

"Think you can get your friend Rose to give us more info on Klaus?"

"I think she's tapped, Damon."

"She's got to know more. Come on." He tugged her inside the house and they went looking for Rose. They found her in the library crying. "All right Rosebud. I need some answers. Oh please don't tell me you're crying 'cause your buddy Trevor lost his head."

"Damon!" Buffy cried, smacking his arm. "Hold on, Rose. I'll get you some tissues." She went off into another room to find some tissues.

"You've always been this sensitive?" Rose asked.

"Little vampire switch for this very reason." Damon said. "Takes the emotion out of it."

"Yeah, you switch yours, I'll switch mine."

"Is that a dig?"

"It's an observation. Being in love with Buffy…."

"I'm not in love with anyone."

"You want to try that again?"

"Don't get on my bad side."

"Then show me your good side."

"Here, Rose." Buffy handed Rose some tissues. "I'm sorry about Damon. He lost his manners somewhere along the way."

"How do I find Klaus?" Damon asked.

"You don't find Klaus, he finds you." Rose said.

"Come on. Somebody's got to know somebody who knows where he is, right?"

"Add another two hundred somebodies to that and you're still not even close."

"Humor me. You got in touch with Elijah. How did you do it?"

"Through a very low somebody on the totem pole. A guy named Slater in Richmond."

"Perfect. I'll drive."

"No. You forget not all of us can do sun."

"Then you drive. Come on."

"Wait…. How can you drive?" Buffy asked.

"My SUV is specially tinted." Rose shrugged.

"Oh. Nice. Let's go then."

* * *

><p>Rose parked the SUV in an underground parking lot. Damon got out and helped Buffy out of the car. The bumps in the road hadn't helped her broken ribs much. She'd been gasping for breath at one point.<p>

"Back entrance." Damon said. "How convenient."

"That's the point." Rose said. "We can't all have little daylight rings."

"How do you know this Slater guy is even here?"

"I called him. He's here. He's always here."

"Good." Damon suddenly slammed her against the wall. "Just one thing. If you're setting us up in any way, I will rip your heart out and shove it down your throat. It's something I'm very good at."

Buffy rolled her eyes as Rose turned Damon's arm backwards and slammed him face first against the car. "I'm older than you and stronger." She said. "Don't get on my bad side." She released him.

"Damon, you can trust her." Buffy said, taking his hand. "She's not going to hurt me or Elena." Damon looked at Buffy until he saw what he was looking for. He gripped her hand and they headed into a little coffee shop through a back door. The place was bathed in sunlight streaming in through the windows. "Rose, what about the sunlight?"

"Double paned and tempered." Rose said. "UV rays can't penetrate. You see the appeal now?"

A vampire Buffy presumed was Slater joined them saying, "That and the free Wi-Fi."

Rose embraced him warmly. "Hey, how are you?"

"Good. I saw you come…. What are you doing here?"

"Mmm, it's a long story but I want you to meet…."

"Damon Salvatore. Turned 1864 in Mystic Falls by Katherine Pierce aka Katerina Petrova. And the lovely Buffy Summers. The oldest living Slayer who changed the game by turning all potential Slayers into actual Slayers. I am honored." He did a small bow towards Buffy and then looked at Rose. "So I take it I was right, what I told you about the tomb under the church was true?"

"Yes. It was right. Thank you for the tip."

"It's nice to meet you." Slater said to Damon. He didn't respond. "Maybe."

"It's nice to meet you, Miss Summers. It truly is an honor. You're like a celebrity!"

"Thank you, Slater." Buffy said.

"So…. What's going on Rose? Where is Trevor?"

* * *

><p>Slater led them over to a table by the window after Rose had explained everything. "And you're sure Elijah's dead?" He asked.<p>

"Beyond dead." Damon said.

"Trevor was a good man. He helped me with my dissertation on sexual deviance on the baroque period. I was schooling for my psych PHD."

"Slater's been in college since 74." Rose said.

"When I was turned." He said proudly. "I have 18 degrees, 3 masters, and 4 PHDs."

"The point?" Damon asked.

"Exactly, I mean, what is the point? What should I be doing with my eternity? If you have an answer, please enlighten me." Damon scowled, but Buffy laughed.

"I like him." The blonde said.

"We need your help." Rose said. "If someone wanted to get in touch with Klaus, how would you hook him up?"

"Craigslist." Slater said simply.

"Really?" Buffy and Damon asked.

"Seriously. I respond to a personal ad to get sent to somebody who knows somebody who knows Elijah…. Who's dead and that's where my connection ends."

"Here's what I don't get: Elijah moved around during the day, which means the original people knew the secret of the day ring." Damon said. "Know why would Klaus want to lift the curse of the sun and the moon?"

"To keep the natural born werewolves from lifting it. If a vampire breaks the sun curse then the werewolves are stuck with the curse of the moon forever and vice versa."

"But natural born werewolves are extinct." Rose said.

"True. I've never seen one but rumor has it…."

"Not such a rumor." Buffy said.

"Mystic Falls?" Buffy nodded. "God, I have got to visit this place. It sounds awesome."

"Can we stop the curse from being broken at all?"

"What do you mean?"

"Well, what if we make the moonstone useless? Would it stop the curse from being broken?"

"Yeah, probably but why would you want to do that?"

Buffy went off into thinking mode, so Damon picked up the conversation. "Tell me how." He said.

"You think I'm gonna help you figure out how to do something that will piss of an original? And keeping them from walking in the sun?"

"You want to walk in the sun? I can make that happen if you help us."

Suddenly all the windows shattered. Slater and Rose's skin began burning. Rose started screaming as Slater managed to get up and run. Rose was trapped in the sunlight. Damon looked outside as Buffy shoved people away to get to Rose.

"Here!" Damon tossed Buffy his jacket and she covered Rose's exposed skin with it. She helped get Rose away from the windows and over to Damon as they ran out of the coffee shop. Damon didn't stop running as he scooped Rose up and carried her to the car. Buffy opened the back door and Damon put her in the backseat.

"You're gonna be ok." Buffy said.

"I know." Rose said.

"Who's behind that?" Damon demanded.

"I don't know. Where is Slater?"

"Iowa by now. Who the hell knows?"

"He's not behind this. He's a good guy. He wouldn't betray me."

"Who did it?"

"It's Klaus, don't you understand?" Rose sobbed. "You don't know this man. We're dead. We're all dead."

Buffy shook her head and gently hugged Rose. "Rose, I've heard that before and I'm still here."

Rose let out a sob and said, "You've died twice."

The Slayer shrugged. "Death and me? We're just not a good match so our relationship doesn't ever stick. Trust me, ok? We are going to get out of this." Buffy looked at Damon with a worried expression.

* * *

><p>Damon was drinking in the living room while Buffy was upstairs talking to Willow and Giles. Rose joined him. "I'm sorry about today." She said. "I didn't know that was gonna happen."<p>

"I believe you." Damon said.

"I wish we could save Elena. I know that you want to. I know Buffy wants to."

"And we will."

"You remind me of Trevor."

"Why? Why him?"

"Because he always talked a big game…. Always working an angle but underneath all that, he was the best friend anyone could hope for."

"And where did that get him?"

"Dead. And my loyalty to him almost got me dead too."

Damon gave her a glass of scotch. "To friendship."

"You're right to fight it…. How you feel about her."

"And why's that?"

"Because if you want to survive, you need to not care about anyone."

"Caring gets you dead, huh?"

"It might just be time to turn the switch off on your emotions." Rose said sarcastically.

"I will if you will."

Rose laughed slightly. "I was being sarcastic." He shot a glare at her. "It's a lie, you know. There's no switch you can turn. Sure when you're a newbie but after a couple of hundred years…. you just have to pretend." Damon gave her a sour look. "That woman up there…. She's the best thing that will ever walk into your life. Honestly, she's a once in a lifetime deal. You should fight your feelings for anyone else because they will never be worth it…. But her…. Her you should fight for."

"Why?"

"Because she is the best person I have ever met in my many hundred years. Lexi couldn't speak highly enough of her. And in my many, many years, I have never come across anything or anyone quite like her."

Buffy walked in. "Giles says that he's trying to track a way to get to Klaus…. What did I miss?"

"Nothing." Damon said. "Just drinking." He handed her a glass of scotch. "What else did the Watcher man have to say?"

"That he's incredibly excited to find that natural born werewolves aren't extinct." Buffy rolled her eyes playfully. "He's such a nerd."

Rose's phone rang and she answered it. "Hello?"

"Rose?" Slater said on the other end.

"Slater? Are you ok?"

"Yes. I took off. I'm sorry. I was freaking freaked."

"No, I'm sorry to have involved you."

"Look, I want no part in any of this but I did some digging."

"Ok, what did you find?"

"You can destroy the curse but you need the moonstone."

"How? What do you mean? I don't follow."

"Can your friends get the moonstone? You need it."

Rose looked at Buffy first, then Damon. Damon nodded his head and Buffy shot him a worried look. "Yes, they can get it. What next?"

"You need a witch. Get the moonstone…. A witch should be able to figure out the rest. Good luck, Rose." He hung up.

"What was that about?" Buffy asked, confused. "He didn't want to break the curse earlier."

"You think something's wrong?" Rose asked.

Buffy sighed. "Well, I don't ever ignore my spider senses, so yeah…. I'm going with Big Problem for $800, Alex."


	25. Chapter 25

Chapter 25

Buffy followed Stefan and Damon under the church ruins. They were there to talk to Katherine since Buffy's feeling of something bad wasn't going away. They had talked it over extensively and had decided to try talking to her.

"Let's do it." Damon said to Stefan. They both looked at Buffy and then grabbed the tomb slab and pulled it away from the door.

After a long moment, Katherine appeared. "Please, come on in. There's plenty room for all of us."

"I'd rather poke my eyes out." Damon retorted.

"Hmm, they are such pretty eyes."

"We're here for the moonstone." Stefan said.

"Feel like tossing it over?" Buffy asked.

"Tell you what, _Buffy_, you get your little witch to hocus pocus me out of here and you get whatever you want." Katherine said, making fun of Buffy's name.

"I thought you liked it in here." Stefan said. "Nice and safe where Klaus can't get to you."

"I've had time to reconsider."

"Meaning you're hungry." Damon said.

"I'm starving, Damon, and dirty…. but above all, I'm bored. At least running from Klaus was not boring. So here's the deal: you get me out of here, you get the moonstone, and I'll disappear from Mystic Falls forever. Let me know what you decide." She flashed them the moonstone as she turned and walked away.

Buffy nodded. "That went well!" She sighed and set her coffee down. "I'll go in there and take it by force."

Damon stopped her. "Hey, whoa…. You're not at one hundred despite what you told us. You still wince whenever you rollover at night…. So those ribs of yours are still broken somewhat."

"So? I can take her."

"Damon's right." Stefan said. "I don't want to risk her hurting you any more than you already are."

Buffy sighed. "Fine." Damon handed her her coffee.

* * *

><p>Buffy, Elena, Damon, and Stefan were in Elena's kitchen talking. Buffy was sitting on the edge of the island counter, leaning back on her hands to keep weight off her ribs. Damon was bent over across her, leaning on his elbows while his torso leaned on Buffy's thighs. Stefan was on the other side behind Buffy while Elena stood in the doorway.<p>

"You don't believe her, do you?" Elena asked.

"No, of course not." Damon said. "We just wanted the moonstone."

"According to Rose's friend Slater, there's a way to destroy the spell that Klaus wants to break." Buffy said.

"No spell, no doppelganger sacrifice, so…. Ergo…. you live."

"How do you destroy it?" Elena asked.

"By releasing it from the moonstone." Stefan said.

"You guys have been busy."

"Willow and Giles have done most of the work." Buffy said. "They've got all the best research books."

Elena sighed. "How do you guys even know this is gonna work?"

"Cause we have a crafty witch on our side." Damon said.

"You discussed it with Bonnie?"

"She's in contact with Willow, so she's all set to go. And she's agreed to do anything she could to help us." Buffy said.

"It's Katherine who has the moonstone. She's not gonna give it to you."

"We're gonna get it from her." Stefan assured her.

"Well, what he means to say is we will pry it from her cold dead hands if we have to." Damon said.

"Courtesy of me once Damon and Stefan realize that I can still fight even with some broken ribs." Buffy said, glaring at her boyfriend's back laying across her thighs.

"Bonnie just needs to find a way to release the seal long enough for us to get in, get the moonstone, and get out in time for her to return it." Stefan said. "That way Buffy doesn't have to fight. She can just rest and heal like she's supposed to."

"Whoa, seems like you guys have already got it all planned out." Elena said.

"Yep, we're awesome." Damon said.

"Except for one thing. I don't want you to do it."

"What are you talking about?" Buffy asked.

"Elena, we don't have a choice." Stefan said.

"What about Klaus?" Elena asked.

"We'll find him right after we get the moonstone." Buffy said.

"Is that before or after he kills everyone that I care about, including the three of you."

"Elena, if we can despell the moonstone, we can save your life." Stefan said.

"I know. Everybody keeps saying that." Elena turned and walked out, leaving Buffy, Damon, and Stefan to stare after her.

* * *

><p>"Willow says there might be a way to lower the tomb spell long enough for you to get in there and grab the moonstone from Katherine." Bonnie said. She, Jeremy, Buffy, Stefan, and Damon were all standing in the library.<p>

"How?" Jeremy asked. "It took both you and your grams last time and look what happened to her."

"I'm aware of what happened. I've learn a few new things."

"Bonnie…."

Bonnie looked at Stefan. "How will you get it?"

"She hasn't been feeding. She's weaker, we're not." Stefan said. Damon showed her a glass of blood he was drinking.

"You wouldn't be underestimating her, would you?"

"It's a plan. Is it perfect? What plan is?"

"I still don't understand why you guys won't let me just go in and knock her ass out while I look for it." Buffy said.

Damon poked Buffy in the ribs and she yelped. "That's why." He countered.

"Let me do it." Jeremy said. "I've got my ring. I could get in, get out, and no spell necessary."

"Gee thank you 16 year old child. Why didn't we think about that? Why are you even here?"

"Maybe I can help better the plan." Bonnie said. "Do you have anything that belongs to Katherine?"  
>"I'll be right back." Stefan walked out of the room.<p>

Buffy turned to Damon and smacked his arm. "That hurt."

"It was meant to." Damon said. She jabbed him hard in the ribs. "Ow! That hurt!"

"It was meant to." She shot back with a smirk.

Damon smiled seductively, moving closer to Buffy. "Don't make me feisty."

Buffy rolled her eyes. "There are children present."

"And we're kinda grossed out." Bonnie said.

Stefan came back in with his portrait of Katherine. "This belonged to Katherine. I found it with her things after I thought she was dead but it was hers." Bonnie took the portrait and put it in a bowl on the table. She put a few drops of water on it and it began to burn. She closed her eyes and started her spell. The flames died down after the portrait was consumed.

"What will this do?" Damon asked.

"I can turn the metal into ash. Blow the ashes on her and it will incapacitate her for a minute or two. Long enough for you to get the stone and get out." Bonnie said.

Damon nodded. "We should get weapons." He smirked at Buffy and walked out.

"Why do you need weapons?" Buffy asked, following them up to the room where her weapons were stashed until the other room was finished.

"She's stronger and faster." Stefan said, grabbing some short swords.

"So am I."

"But you're hurt."

"I'm tender. There's a difference." Buffy grabbed both of the brothers' arms and pulled them back, slamming them against the wall behind her simultaneously and effectively stopping them in their tracks. "Look, I appreciate the whole protective thing, but I've been at this gig a long time. I can handle Katherine on a bad day better than the two of you on a good day. So, let's make this easy, ok? I'll go in the tomb and get the moonstone."

Damon was the first to recover from the sudden outburst. "Look, if she did anything to you…. I wouldn't be able to help you. Neither would Stefan. We can't go in there. I don't want that." She started to protest, but he held up his hand. "You can go in the tomb with us. And if anything happens and Bonnie can't do the spell, then you'll be the backup plan."

"I'm not the backup plan."

"Then we're saving the best option for last."

"Don't coddle."

"I'm not. I just…." Damon sighed and gently gripped Buffy's upper arms. "I just don't want anything to happen to you." Damon smiled at her and Stefan did the same.

She glared between the two of them. "Fine. But only because Bonnie won't be able to do that spell. She's not strong enough."

"How do you know that?" Stefan asked.

"Because Willow told me that these spells were a slight drain on _her_. Which means they require a massive amount of power. Bonnie's just starting out. Didn't anyone else notice the nosebleed she got in there? And Willow told me that just sending that message to Elena sent Bonnie into seizures."

"Why hasn't she told us?"

"Because she doesn't want to seem weak. She's a teenager and they think they're the best. That they're invincible. That no one can ever beat them. So when someone can and does…. It wounds their pride and they have to prove they can be bigger and badder. Jeez, don't you guys remember being teenagers?" Buffy rolled her eyes and headed back to the library.

Damon and Stefan exchanged glances and then followed her. "We should get the torches." Stefan said.

"Buffy, your stakes are in my trunk." Damon said. "Bonnie?"

"Go ahead. I'm almost done." Bonnie said.

"Buffy…." Damon allowed her to go first, twirling her scythe the whole way. He and Stefan followed at a safe distance behind.

* * *

><p>Bonnie finally joined Buffy, Stefan, and Damon at the church ruins. "Sorry I'm late. I had to grab the grimoire from home." She said.<p>

"Jeremy couldn't take the pressure, huh?" Damon asked.

"He said he'd be here." Bonnie said as she and Stefan headed down to the tomb.

Buffy's phone rang, so Damon waited with her. "Not really the best time right now, Rose." Buffy said.

"Don't be angry with me." Rose said.

"Why? Rose, what did you do?"

"You need to get to Richmond immediately."

"Tell me why, please?"

Rose sighed. "Elena wanted answers, so she asked me to bring her to Slater. She bribed me with the chance to walk in the sun. But when we got here, we found Slater dead in his apartment. His girlfriend was here and Elena convinced her to hack into Slater's computer and get a message to Klaus."

"What message?"

"She's on a suicide mission, Buffy. She told this contact of Slater's to let Klaus know that she's alive and ready to surrender."

"Oh my god…." Buffy looked at Damon. "We're on our way."

"What's going on?" Damon asked.

Buffy went to the stairway. "Stefan!"

"What's up?" He asked, appearing at the bottom of the stairs. "Damon and I have to run. Rose has a problem. Can you handle this?"

"Yeah. Sure."

Buffy nodded and started a fast hike back to the car. "Where are we going?" Damon asked.

"Elena's trying to get herself killed."

Damon stopped dead. "What?"

Buffy turned and grabbed him, pulling him with her. "She convinced Rose to take her to Slater, but Slater's dead. So she convinced Slater's girlfriend to get a message to Klaus."

"What is wrong with this girl!" Damon and Buffy sped up.

* * *

><p>Elena was drinking a glass of water. She looked at Alice, but Alice was staring in awe behind her. Elena turned around and was face to face with an angry Buffy and Damon standing right next to her.<p>

"What are you doing here?" Buffy asked, hands on her hips. Despite her small size, she was incredibly imposing at the moment.

"W-What are you doing here?" Elena asked. She turned to look at Rose. "You called them?"

"I'm sorry, Elena." Rose said.

"You said that you understood."

"She lied." Buffy said.

Alice rushed over. "Damon Salvatore! No way!"

"Get rid of her." Damon said. Rose caught Alice's arm and took her to another room.

Buffy looked at Elena. "We're leaving."

"No." Elena said.

"I said we're leaving and that's final."

"I'm not going with you."

"You do not get to make decisions anymore."

"When have I ever made a decision? You or Damon or Stefan do that for me but this? This is my decision."

"Whose gonna save your life while you're making decisions?"

"You're not listening to me. I don't want to be saved. Not if it means that Klaus is gonna kill every single person that I love."

Buffy rolled her eyes. "I've done the whole martyr thing, Elena. It's old news and it doesn't really do much."

"It will save my family."

Buffy sighed and put a hand to her forehead as she shook her head. "Damn it, Elena! It won't! Klaus will go after everyone you love whether you're alive or dead. That's what bad guys do." She grabbed Elena's arms. "And that's why I'm here. You need to have faith in me. I will stop Klaus."

"Elijah beat you. If it hadn't been for Damon, he would've killed you."

"What's your point?"

"My point is that you can't save me. Not this time."

Damon sighed and grabbed Elena's arm, turning her to him. "Get your ass out the door before I throw you over my shoulder and carry you out myself." She struggled to get out of his grip, but he held firm. She went to hit him with her fist but he caught it and leaned closer to her. "Don't ever do that again."

Buffy sighed. "Damon, let her go." He looked at her and then let Elena go. Buffy turned to the teenager. "You sit down right there. Rose?" Rose appeared. "Please guard her while Damon and I take care of the creepy goth chick and don't let her do anything stupid…. er."

Buffy and Damon went into the room where the goth chick was and shut the door. "Oh my gosh! This is so wild!" She said. "I'm Alice. I'm such a huge fan! You're the Slayer! I can't believe it."

"Shut up." Buffy ordered. "Please god, shut up! Damon…."

Damon grabbed Alice and made her look him in the eyes. "All right, listen up. You are not going to remember that we were here."

"I'm not going to remember." Alice repeated.

"You are going to go to sleep and when you wake up, you are going to go home and you are going to forget about vampires. You're not ever going to believe in them again."

"I won't believe."

"Good. Now go to sleep." Alice slumped in Damon's arms and he placed her on the bed.

"Thank you." Buffy said.

"Let's just get Elena home." Damon opened the doors and Buffy followed him out as he said, "Time to go. Alice is sleeping and won't remember a moment of this horrible stupid day."

Three men suddenly threw open the doors and entered the apartment. "We're here to meet the doppelganger." The first one said.

"Thank you for coming." Elena said as she started to move towards them.

Damon, who was closest, caught her arm. "I will break your arm." He threatened as she tried to struggle.

Buffy took a step towards the men. "There is nothing here for you." She said.

Suddenly the third man in the doorway was killed and his body fell on the floor. Elijah was standing there, alive and well. He moved closer to the two other men. Rose panicked and ran out of the apartment.

"I killed you." Damon said. "You were dead."

"For centuries now." Elijah said. He looked at the ring leader of the three men. "Who are you?"

"Who are you?" The man demanded.

"I'm Elijah."

"We were gonna bring her to you for Klaus. She's the doppelganger. I don't know how she exists but she does. Klaus would want to see her."

"Does anyone else know that you're here?"

"No."

"Well, then you have been incredibly helpful." Elijah shoved his hands into the two men's chests and ripped their hearts out, throwing them on the floor. Buffy sighed and dropped down into a defensive crouch, ready to fight, but Elijah just looked at them and left. Buffy turned to look at Damon, confused.

* * *

><p>Elena was walked to her door by Buffy on one side and Damon on the other. "Thank you for bringing me home." She said to them, though the car rise home hadn't been the most pleasant.<p>

"Well, your ride left you." Damon said. "We didn't want to leave you stranded."

"She was just scared. She didn't mean to run."

"Yes she did." Buffy said. "She's been running for 500 years."

"I can't believe Elijah is alive. Why do you think he killed those two vampires and just let us go?"

"If I had a dollar for every time some evil vampire surprises me…." Buffy caught Elena's arm before she could open the door. "What you did today was incredibly stupid."

"Actually the only thing that was stupid was that I got caught. I don't question why you two and Stefan and everyone else try so hard to save me. You shouldn't question why I would try to save all of you. Good night, ok?"

Just then, Jeremy opened the door. The look on his face wasn't a good one. "What's wrong?" Buffy asked.

Jeremy looked at his sister. "It's Stefan."

* * *

><p>Elena rushed down to the tomb calling Stefan's name. Buffy and Damon were right behind her. She stopped at the tomb's entry and waited for Stefan. When he didn't appear, she started to go in, but Damon grabbed her and pushed her against the wall.<p>

"Don't you dare." He said.

"Stefan's in there, Damon! How could you let this happen?"

"What are you talking about? We were too busy saving you from your crazy kamikaze mission."

"You didn't have to go after the moonstone in the first place!"

"It was the right call, Elena!" Buffy said.

"The right call? How would any of this be the right call? Damon, let go of me! Let go of me!" She hit him with her fists but he didn't release her.

"Elena, calm down!" Buffy snapped.

"Please…." Elena sobbed.

"Are you done?" Damon asked. He released her and she went towards the tomb again but he stopped her. She glared at him before shoving past Buffy and leaving. Stefan appeared at the entry of the tomb. "Of all the idiots plans, Stefan…."

Stefan nodded. "Yeah."

Buffy walked up to Stefan. "I'll find a way to get you out."

"Oh, it's alright. I'll handle myself. Bonnie has the moonstone. Work with her. Try to figure out how to despell it."

"You martyr yourself into a tomb and we get to partner with a semi competent witch?" Damon asked. "Wonderful."

Buffy shook her head. "I'm calling Willow. She'll get you out, Stefan, while psycho bitch stays entombed."

"Heard that." Katherine called from further in the tomb.

"Meant for you to." Buffy called back.

Stefan smiled and hugged Buffy. "Keep Elena away from here."

"Oh yeah…. Give me a hard task why don't you?"

"Promise me. No matter what happens, you'll protect her."

Buffy nodded. "Yeah, of course. I promise. You know I will."

"Thank you." She hugged him again and then backed up to where Damon was waiting on the other side of the barrier. He took her hand and they walked out of the tomb.


	26. Chapter 26

Chapter 26

Buffy stood with Damon down at the entrance to the tomb. Bonnie had called Buffy to let her know that the spell to seal Elena in her house had worked. "You trapped her in the house?" Stefan asked incredulously.

"It's for the best." Buffy said. "Trust me."

"Elena is on a martyr kick that rivals your greatest hits." Damon said. "You should be glad the witch and us are getting along."

"What about Willow?" Stefan asked.

Buffy sighed. "She's in touch with Bonnie, but she can't come back right now. All the research on Klaus and the moonstone is where she's at and she can't bring it all with her. Giles said he could come out, but I think it's best he stays where he's at. He's more useful there." She grabbed the backpack by the stairs. "We brought you this. It's a care package with candles and lanterns…. Some clothes…."

"And lunch." Damon added, pulling a bottle of blood out of his pocket.

"Give that to me and I'm just gonna have to share with her." Stefan said.

Damon looked at Katherine lingering behind Stefan. "Yeah…."

"You three are surprisingly calm considering Klaus will hunt you down and kill you if you mess with his little plan." She said.

"I've been dead before." Buffy said. "I got over it. Twice." She snickered at Katherine before turning to Stefan. "Once we deal with this moonstone, we'll figure out a way to get you out of there."

"Don't worry about me." Stefan said. "Just make sure Elena's safe."

Buffy nodded and took Damon's hand. "Bye psycho bitch." She shot at Katherine.

"Bye dead little Slayer." Katherine said back.

Buffy rolled her eyes and walked out with Damon. "I can't stand her."

"I can tell." Damon smiled. "So, what shall we do now?"

"I think we should go visit Elena."

"Oh, yeah…. She's gonna be pretty pissed."

"I expect her to be. But she's got to understand it's in her best interest."

"Can we make a pit stop by the house?"

"Why?"

He moved closer to her and wrapped his arms around her waist, pulling her tightly against him. "Because I want some alone time with you." He kissed her neck and nuzzled her hair. "Or we could act like animals and stay out here in the woods…."

Buffy started to melt into it when he nipped at her neck, but she fought to keep her focus. "Hey…. Hey!" She laughed. "Damon, quit it! We've got work to do." He pouted at her. "We'll make some alone time later. I promise."

"When's later? We've been so busy with this whole Klaus and Elena trying to kill herself thing that our alone time is spent sleeping."

She reached up on her tiptoes and kissed him gently. "You're not the only one getting restless. Trust me. I will make time to spend with you alone." Buffy kissed him again before slipping her hand in his and starting the hike back to the car.

* * *

><p>Damon opened the door to Elena's house and let Buffy enter first. They found Elena sitting in the living room glaring at the floor. "You should really lock your door." Damon said. "Oh, come on pouty. Just give us two points for ingenuity."<br>"Do you think this is funny?" Elena asked.

"Yes Elena." Buffy said sarcastically. "We find hilarity in the links that we have to go to repeatedly save your life."

"What does Stefan say about this?"

"He got a pretty good laugh." Damon said.

"And what did he say about Elijah still being alive?"

Buffy sat down next to Elena on the couch while Damon sat on the coffee table. "We didn't tell him." Buffy said.

"Why not?"

"He can't do anything about it. So why worry him?" Jeremy came down the stairs and joined Damon on the coffee table. "Hey, where's Bonnie?"

"I thought she was meeting you." Jeremy said.

"No, she's on moonstone duty and Damon and I are on Elena patrol."

"And who's on Tyler Lockwood and the full moon?"

"Vampire Barbie asked me if she could handle that." Damon said. "And why not? Because if she screws up, he'll bite her and then I'll be rid of two of my problems."

"Damon!" Buffy slapped his thigh.

"Hold on a second." Elena said. "Tonight is a full moon?"

Buffy's phone rang as Damon said, "Yeah but you were too absorbed with all your suicidal tendencies to notice." He glanced at Buffy as she got up to answer her phone.

"It's Alaric." She mouthed to Damon before hitting the answer button. "Yes, Rick?"

"Sheriff Forbes has officially declared Mason Lockwood a missing person." Alaric said.

"What? Why?"

"Some girl from Florida showed up on the Lockwood's door step looking for Mason."

"What girl?"

"I don't know but she sure got everyone in a tizzy."

"That's not good. Where are you?"

"I'm at the Grill."

Buffy sighed. "I'm on my way, then." She hung up. "Change of plans. Jeremy, you get to babysit your sister!" Jeremy smirked and sat down on Elena's lap. "Damon, you're with me, of course."

"Of course." Damon got up and followed Buffy to the door. "Hey you know, you should get out…. Enjoy the sun." He said to Elena. "Oh wait, you can't." Elena threw a pillow at him and Jeremy laughed. She stood up and dumped him on the floor.

* * *

><p>When Buffy and Damon arrived at the Grill, Damon grabbed her hand and stopped her. "What's wrong?" She asked.<p>

"Nothing." He smiled. "I just felt like doing this." His hands snaked up to cup her neck and jawline and he kissed her gently, but deeply. It made Buffy's stomach do flips and her heart rate sped up. "I feel better."

"What was that for?"

Damon shrugged. "I'm feeling frisky and you're looking extra yummy in those tight jeans of yours." He smirked as he checked out her backside.

"Would you two stop flirting? We're on a stake out." Alaric said, walking up to them.

"He started it." Buffy said. "So, is the new girl here?"

"Haven't seen her yet. But I've got a table with a view." He turned and led them up to the table.

Damon held Buffy's seat out like a gentleman and Alaric eyed him suspiciously. The vampire shrugged. "Habit."

"Never seen you do that before." Alaric smirked.

"Well, there's not a lot of women out there who deserve manners."

"I'm one of them?" Buffy asked. "Cause earlier you were talking about being an animal." She smirked at him and Alaric shook his head.

"You're getting to the sappy part of your relationship." Alaric said. "Only your version is a little bit more…. More terrifying."

"Thanks?"

"Anytime. Oh, hey…."

Buffy looked over to where Alaric was looking. A tall woman with long dark blonde hair and big eyes had just walked in. "Jeez, could you get any skankier?" Buffy asked, eying the woman's outfit.

"Hey, excuse me." The woman asked Matt. "Crazy question: do you know Tyler Lockwood?"

"Mason's mystery woman." Damon said.

"Where is Mason anyway?" Alaric asked.

"Decomposing in his truck."

"So you think she's a werewolf?"

"My gut's saying yes." Buffy said. "But that's bad news for certain vampires around here because it's the full moon."

"We should definitely find out for sure." Damon said, taking some wolfsbane out of his pocket.

"What is that?" Alaric asked.

"Wolfsbane." Buffy said. "If you're a born werewolf that stuff's like vervain to Damon."

"And the old silver myth?"

"Only works for weres that were bitten just like holy water works on the bumpy faced blood sucking freaks."

"You have such a way with words." Damon said. "How are we going to go about this?"

"Drunk guy hitting on the new girl?"

"Who's the drunk guy?"

"Well, I would say you, but if she actually fell for it, I'd have to kick her ass…. Wolf or no."

"The jealous type? I like it."

"Make me gag." Alaric said. "I'll be the drunk guy." He grabbed his drink and got up, moseying over to the bar where the woman had sat down. "Well hello. Can I have a scotch and whatever this beautiful woman is drinking?"

"No, one is my limit." The woman said.

"Oh come on! It's not like I'm a freak. I'm just friendly to somebody who's new to town."

"Ok, if you insist. How do you know I'm new?"

"Because I've never seen you here before and I am here every night."

Damon arrived on the woman's other side. "Excuse me, is this guy bothering you?"

"I'm not bothering anybody." Alaric insisted.

"Perfect. Well…. Do it elsewhere." The woman's attention was diverted to Damon. "Don't worry, he's harmless. He's the town drunk, you know." While Damon was talking with her, Alaric put the wolfsbane in her glass.

"Please don't talk about me like I'm not here." Alaric said as he gave the glass to Jules.

"Why are you here?"

"Thank you for the drink." The woman said. Alaric raised his glass and left. She watched him walk over to Buffy and say something to her.

Buffy looked over at Damon and then marched over. "Are you being mean to my brother again, sweetie?"

Damon shrugged. "He's going around hitting on women again when he should be at home…. Sober."

Buffy shook her head and looked at the woman. "Hi. I'm Buffy. I apologize for my brother…. And my boyfriend."

"It's ok. I'm Jules." The woman said, shaking Buffy's hand. "You have some very handsome men in your life."

"Thanks. Sometimes they can be a handful…. But then again, what man isn't?"

"True." Jules laughed. "Hey, you wouldn't happen to know a good place to stay around here, would you?"

"There's a B&B down the road." Damon said. "And there's a motel on the I9 but you know, if you ask me, it's kind of a mistake."

"No it's fine. I'm just here for the night. It's a long story. Looking for my friend."

"Who?" Buffy asked.

"Mason Lockwood."

"We know Mason."

"You do?"

"Yeah."

"He's missing."

"What do you mean? Like…. Missing, missing?"

"How do you two know Mason?"

"Friends of friends." Damon said. "You know, I'm really tight with the sheriff. We both are. If there's anything we can do to help with looking for Mason, we will. He's a great guy and after his brother's funeral, he stuck around and he helped his nephew and…."

"Tyler?"

"Yep. Mason was with him the whole time. Helped him with all that grief. You haven't touched your drink."

"You know, I'm not much of a drinker. I should get going."

"Oh, come on. Look, one drink."

"It'll help me sleep."

"To sleep."

She picked up her glass and then slammed it down on the bar. "You fools. You think you're clever, don't you?"

"What do you want with Mason Lockwood?" Buffy asked.

"He's my friend."

"Well, I'm sorry to inform you that you probably won't find him." Damon said.

"And why not?"

"You should leave town."

"You're threatening me? On a full moon? How stupid are you?"

Alaric walked back over. "How about that second round?"

"I think we're done, Rick." Buffy said.

"You think I'm afraid of you?" Damon said to Jules.

"No, I don't. That's your vampire arrogance. You should be. I sniffed you out the moment you entered this bar along with your pathetic wolfsbane. I've been at this a long time and any other night of the month, the situation would be reversed but tonight is not the night to pick a fight with me. You've been marked."

Buffy grabbed Jules's arm and squeezed. "Do you have any idea what I am?"

Jules looked her up and down before trying to get out of Buffy's grip. "You're not a vampire."

"Nope. Slayer. Which makes me stronger and faster than you _any_ night of the month. I wouldn't go around threatening my people or me. Got it?"

"Let go of me."

"Leave Tyler alone and get out of town and I will." Buffy squeezed harder and she saw Jules wince. She looked at Buffy in pain with a touch of anger and fear and finally nodded. The Slayer let go, noting the bruises forming on Jules's arm, and she ran out of the bar.

"You are so hot when you're all imposing." Damon said.

"And you…. Stay away from her."

"She threatened me."

"You go after her and she will kill you. One bite, Damon, that's all it takes and you're for good dead. I don't want that."

Damon sighed. "Fine. I'll leave it alone." He smirked. "And speaking of alone…."

She smiled. "Yeah. Let's get out of here."

"I'm gonna stick around and make sure there's no more wolfy trouble." Alaric said. "You guys have a good night."

"Oh, we will." Damon said, throwing an arm around Buffy's shoulders.

* * *

><p>Damon managed to get the front door open with Buffy pressed against it. He kissed his way back up to her mouth as she walked backwards into the house and kicked the door shut behind him. He reached behind him and locked the door before wrapping his arms around her waist and pulling her tightly against him.<p>

Buffy gasped when his hands snaked under her shirt and up her back. He smiled into her mouth and started to work on the clasps on her bra. "Damon, wait…." Buffy stopped. "Shh…."

"What's wrong?" Damon asked.

"There's someone here."

He paused to listen. "I don't hear anything."

"Shh…." Buffy moved away from Damon and followed her gut. They moved stealthily towards the library. When Buffy walked in, she sighed. "Rose."

"You don't answer your phone." Rose said, standing up. "I wanted to apologize."

"Just admit it." Damon said. "You don't have anywhere else to go."

Rose ignored Damon and looked at Buffy. "I'm sorry about Elena. I wasn't thinking straight. I didn't know she had a death wish but I called you. I tried to make it right, ok? I'm sorry. And I have nowhere else to go."

Before Buffy could answer, they heard a noise coming from the living room. Buffy was out the door first followed by Rose and Damon. In the living room, a window was broken and the wind from outside rustled the curtains. Buffy reached over and yanked a sword off the wall. When she turned back around, a wolf was standing there growling at them. The wolf jumped on Rose and managed to bite her shoulder.

Buffy, despite Damon trying to stop her, hurtled herself at the wolf and tackled it off Rose. The wolf turned on her, grazing her arm with its teeth before Buffy got a foot between them and launched the wolf in the air. She jumped to her feet and stabbed the wolf before it could attack again. The wolf yelped and ran off, jumping back out the window.

Buffy went over to where Damon was checking on Rose. "How bad is it?"

"It hurts." Rose said, pulling her shirt away from the wound.

"It's healing." Damon said, stunned.

"Oh my god!" Rose started to sob and Buffy hugged her tightly. "I thought a werewolf bite was fatal and I thought…."

"Shh…. It healed." Buffy said. "You're gonna be ok." She didn't believe it for a second and Damon read that in her face when she made eye contact with him.

* * *

><p>Damon was laying in Buffy's bed going through one of her Cosmo magazines while she finished up in the shower. Finally, she came out of the bathroom and grabbed her robe off the door. "I talked to Caroline." Damon said.<p>

"Yeah?" Buffy asked, slipping into the robe.

"She said Tyler was all locked up."

"So it was Jules."

"I'm thinking." Damon pulled her to him and kissed her. "I'm also thinking it's pretty cool that the whole fatal bite thing is fake. Maybe the werewolves made it up to keep vampires away."

Buffy shook her head. "I'm not so sure, yet. I mean…. What if it's like a poison?"

"Then…. We'll keep an eye on Rose. Who, by the way, says she's staying to help."

"Help?"

"Save Elena, protect Elena, all things Elena."

"She's good that way."

Damon nodded. "Yeah? Well, if you think so, then I'll think so." He smirked and flipped her onto her back, pinning her down with his weight. "So…." He kissed at her neck and chest. "I think we were in the middle of something earlier."

Buffy laughed. "And I think we're alone."

Damon was suddenly standing at the door, shutting and locking it. "Just in case." He smiled and was back to kissing Buffy between one heartbeat and the next.


	27. Chapter 27

_**A/N Sorry it's taking me a while to update. I've got a lot to do at my house to get ready for the family coming for the holidays and my dad's having 3 different surgeries and on top of that, it's my birthday next weekend and I've got two parties to put together (it's also my friend's birthday), so my week and weekends are pretty well booked solid. I'm going to try and update one more time this week.**_

* * *

><p>Chapter 27<p>

Buffy made her way downstairs and headed for the kitchen. She heard movement in the library and walked in to find Rose sitting on the couch staring at the empty fireplace. "Hey." Rose didn't move. "Everything ok?" Buffy walked over to Rose and realized that she was a grayish color. "Have you eaten?" Rose shook her head slightly. "What's wrong?"

"The legend is true."

"What?" Rose moved her shirt away from her shoulder to reveal a nasty looking infection on the skin. "Oh my god! Rose…."

Damon walked in. "Good morning…. What's wrong?" He'd stopped in his tracks at the look on Buffy's face.

"It's like a poison." Buffy said softly, glancing at Rose's shoulder. Damon moved closer and looked at the infection. He glanced at Buffy and then walked out of the library. "Where's he going?"

"I was born in 1450." Rose said quietly. "That makes me 560 years old. So I can die. I've lived long enough."

"You know," Damon said, walking back in with a bag of blood. "If you're gonna be mopey, I'm just gonna kill you myself just to put me out of your misery." He poured some blood into a glass. "Come on, it's just a little werewolf bite."

"Just a lethal, fatal-to-a-vampire werewolf bite." Rose retorted.

"Well, according to a legend which is a notoriously unreliable source. Drink up." He handed her the glass of blood. "Blood heals."

Rose took a slow drink. "Yeah, it does feel like it's working."

"Let's have a look." Buffy said. "Let me see." She inspected the wounds on Rose's skin, but the infection looked about the same, if not a little worse than a few minutes before.

"How is it?" Rose asked hopefully.

"Definitely better. Right, Elena?"

Elena was standing in the doorway and seemed shocked by Rose's wounds. Rose looked at her expectantly. "Uh, it's not bad." Elena lied.

"Where's Stefan?" Damon asked.

"He left. I need you guys to talk to him. He's convinced that he has to find Isobel but I think that's gonna upset Elijah."

"No can do. I'm with Stefan on this one." Damon looked at Buffy and Buffy nodded her agreement. "But if you could play nurse for a little while…."

"It's not necessary." Rose protested.

"It is necessary. Elena is a do-gooder. It's in her nature, she just can't resist." He walked out behind Buffy.

Elena looked at Rose and joined them in the hallway. "Is she gonna die?"

Buffy looked at the door sadly and lowered her voice. "Probably. The wolf bite caused some kind of infection and it seems to be getting worse."

"Like poison?"

"I'm not an expert in the field, but it looks like it."

"I'm sorry."

Buffy nodded and walked down the hall. Damon looked at Elena and lowered his voice. "Death happens. We come, we go. The sooner she dies the better. It's gloomy as hell in here." He turned and followed Buffy out.

* * *

><p>Jules was sitting at a table at the Grill eating when Buffy and Damon found her. Buffy looked at Damon. "Would you let me do the talking?"<p>

"Why? She tried to kill me." Damon said.

"Because she's scared of me." Buffy turned to walk over to Jules, but Stefan was suddenly there.

"What are you doing here?" Damon asked.

"I was waiting for you. Didn't expect Buffy to be here." Stefan looked at her pointedly.

"Hey, that bitch…. Pun intended…. Tried to kill my boyfriend and instead has poisoned my friend." Buffy said. "She's going to give me a cure or I'm going to rip her tongue out."

"There's a lot of people here."

"Yeah, duh. I wasn't going to do it here."

"Listen, I know you're upset about Rose…."

"Yes, I am. But right now? Right now I'm gonna have a friendly chat with lady wolf. Excuse me."

"She's pretty pissed." Damon said, watching his girlfriend.

"Don't let her do anything stupid." Stefan said.

Damon rolled his eyes. "She's smarter than the both of us combined. There's no 'stupid' in her." He walked over and sat down at Jules's table with Buffy.

"Well, if it isn't the one I meant to kill." Jules said. "I'll have to get that right next time."

"Yeah. There won't be a next time." Buffy said. She leaned in close. "You won't live to see another full moon unless you tell me how to cure a wolf bite and then I won't kill you."

"Promise?"

"Well, no. But I'll at least give you a head start."

"Bite me." Jules got up, but Buffy caught her arm in a vice grip. "I'm not afraid of you."

"Really? Cause I'm about to snap your arm like a twig with one hand. And I'm not even breaking a sweat or a nail. If you're not afraid, then you're very, very stupid."

"How's your friend? Rose, is that her name? Have the chills started? The unbearable pain?"

Buffy growled. "If there's a cure, you will tell me or you can start watching your body parts come off slowly one by one. Your choice."

"Did I mention the dementia? It'll eat away at her brain. Soon she'll be rabid."

Buffy squeezed a little harder and Jules winced. "You're not very good at that whole Let's Make A Deal thing are you? I'm a Slayer, which means I don't really kill humans. But lucky for me, you're _not_ human. You don't even smell it. Are you catching my drift, Fluffy? Cause you're in for a world of pain if you don't give me a cure."

"You want a cure? I'll tell you the only cure that exists: take a stake and drive it through her heart."

Buffy stared at Jules for a long moment. She finally decided that the wolf was telling the truth and let her go. Jules dashed for the exit and Damon scoffed. "You let her go?"

Buffy shrugged. "She doesn't have a cure."

"How do you know?"

"Well…. That bruise is gonna be there a while since it's on the bone and all." Buffy sighed. "Hey, I'm starving. Let's grab some food and head back to check on Elena."

Damon smiled. "You just threatened to dismember a wolf and now you're worried about food? I knew there was a reason I liked you."

* * *

><p>Buffy, Elena, and Damon headed to the school. Damon and Buffy had returned home to find Elena gripping a stake and Rose missing. Buffy had gotten a call from the sheriff saying that a body had been found and she needed to get to the school right away.<p>

"Hey." Buffy said, walking up to Liz. Elena hung back while Damon stayed close to Buffy.

"Thanks for coming so quickly." Liz said. "Hello Damon."

"We were close by." Damon said.

"Liz, what happened?" Buffy asked.

"A vampire. Luckily one of my deputies discovered the body before anyone else saw him." Liz said.

"You have to secure the area."

"I'll take the east side of the school, you two go west?"

"Sure. Liz, be careful. You're not as strong as me."

"If I see anything, you're the first person I'll call." Liz headed off.

Buffy and Damon went to collect Elena who was leaving a message on Stefan's voicemail. "Hey, Stefan, it's me. I don't know where you are but please call me. It's important." She hung up and looked at Buffy and Damon. "Have you heard from him? Do you know what he's up to?"

"My baby brother is not exactly our priority right now." Damon said.

"Here, take this." Buffy said, handing Elena a stake. "I want you to stick close to Damon, ok? If Rose has completely lost it, then she's got more strength that she's not holding back on. Come on, let's go."

"How are we going to find her?" Elena asked.

"Me. I can track her." Buffy reached out with her senses and "looked" for Rose. She felt the presence of a vampire who wasn't Damon and followed it to another parking lot. Just as they arrived, a girl let out a scream that was cut off. Buffy ran full tilt towards the scream and found Rose feeding on a young blonde woman. "Rose, stop!" Rose turned on Buffy and rushed towards her, but Buffy was stronger and faster. She flung Rose away and slammed her into another car. Rose was back up in an instant and Buffy rolled to the ground with her, pinning the taller woman under her. "Rose! Rose! It's me! It's Buffy! Stop!"

Rose stopped struggling and her face returned to normal. She looked up at Buffy first and then her eyes found the dead girl's body. "Did I do this?" Rose asked pitifully. "I never meant to hurt anyone. I never wanted to hurt anyone."

"I know."

"I'm sorry! I'm so sorry!"

Buffy stood up and tried to help Rose up. "Come on, let's get you home."

"No, I don't have a home. I didn't have a home in so long…." Rose sobbed. "Make it stop! Please make it stop!"

Buffy looked at Damon helplessly. He came over and scooped Rose up into his arms and looked at Buffy to lead the way. She took Elena's arm and they started walking back to the car.

* * *

><p>Rose was in Damon's bed sleeping. During the car ride home, she'd passed out. Damon had wanted to put her in another room, but Buffy wanted her to be comfortable. Her bed was out of the equation seeing as how that's where Rose had been and her sheets were stained with blood until Buffy could put some new ones on.<p>

Damon walked in and sat down next to Buffy on the bed. "Hi there."

Rose opened her eyes. "I'm sorry."

"You went on a murderous rampage. It happens."

Elena entered the room quietly. "I'm sorry, Elena." Rose said. "I don't like taking human life. I never have."

"You shouldn't be here." Buffy said to Elena.

"It's the worst part about it: the hunt, the need to kill, the thirst, the pleasure it brings you afterwards. I wasn't meant to be evil. It hurts."

"Stop talking about it." Damon said. Buffy smacked his thigh.

"Damon's a lot like me. He wants to care but when he does he runs away from it. I'm sorry for what I've done today."

"I know." Elena said.

"And you need to fight. I know you're scared but you have to do it anyway." Rose started to cough and Elena came closer, putting her arm under Rose's neck. Buffy wanted to keep the teen away, but Rose seemed too far gone now. Damon seemed to sense Buffy's sadness at that thought and he took her hand.

"Why are you so nice to me?" Rose asked.

"Us humans." Elena responded.

"You can't ever forget it: what it's like to be human. It haunts me. It's the only thing that keeps me going. It doesn't hurt much anymore." Suddenly Rose curled in on herself and gripped her abdomen with a scream. Buffy and Damon were on either side of her in an instant.

"What do we do?" Elena asked.

"Go." Damon said.

"Damon…."

"Elena, go." Buffy said. "We've got this." Elena nodded and left.

"Oh god! Make it stop, make it stop!" Rose cried. "I can't take it anymore, make it stop!"

Buffy held onto Rose as she struggled against the pain. She looked at Damon for help, but he didn't know what else to do. It seemed like an eternity before Rose finally started to calm down. Buffy stroked her hair as she passed out.

"I'm going to go get some towels for her." Damon said. "Will you be ok?"

"I'll be fine." Buffy said.

Damon walked out and Rose sighed. "Who would've thought he'd be a nice guy?" She said.

"I knew." Buffy whispered.  
>"Of course. You don't like anybody who's not." Rose looked up at Buffy from the Slayer's lap. "You've got so much love and light in you."<p>

"I've heard that before."

"Because it's true. You shouldn't be afraid of that. You shouldn't be afraid to open up to Damon. I know how badly you've been hurt in the past, but he loves you. Whether he admits it or not, he does. And you love him too."

"Rose…."

Damon walked in with a towel. "Here." He handed it to Buffy as he climbed into bed next to her, wrapping an arm around her shoulders and gently touching Rose's hair. Rose fell asleep after a minute. "I wish I could show you what I'm showing her."

"You can compel her?"

"I can compel her dreams now that she's so weak." He handed Buffy a stake. "She can't suffer anymore."

"I know." Buffy took the stake and looked at it sadly. "I'm not a very good Slayer if I feel bad for killing vampires."

Damon smiled slightly. "You're the best and that's one of the reasons why. On the count of three, ok?" Buffy nodded, tears falling from her eyes as she positioned the stake above Rose's heart. "One. Two."

Buffy shoved the stake in before he said three. She stared at Rose's body as it began to wither. "What kind of person am I to be able to kill my friends?"

"It was a kindness, Buffy." He held her chin and made her look at him.

"Kindness. I hate that word right now because there's nothing kind about killing someone. I hate that stupid wolf."

"You should hate me."

"Why?"

"Jules was coming after me because I provoked her. I got Rose killed. And I killed Lexi. And…."

"I know." Buffy sat up. "But I don't hate you."

"Why?"

"Because I don't. What more of a reason do you want, Damon?"

He sighed. "I'm sorry."

"For what?"

"For everything. For killing your friends. For not being the hero you think I am."

"You don't know what I think."

"We've got to get rid of the body and take care of Liz's vampire problem. I'll do it. You just stay here." Damon was up and out of the room with Rose's body before Buffy could blink.

He'd heard Buffy and Rose's conversation about him loving Buffy. And he'd heard the protest in Buffy's voice when Rose had said that Buffy loved Damon. It had hurt him and that had made him angry. His emotions were suddenly at war with each other. He did love Buffy, but she didn't love him. She didn't return the feelings because he wasn't some do-gooder. He was just a fling in her life. Unless he became the hero she wanted. And that wasn't him. He wasn't a hero like her. He was a killer.


	28. Chapter 28

Chapter 28

Buffy sat on Damon's bed while he was in the shower. He hadn't been the same since the night they'd killed Rose. Something had changed in him. He'd been a little colder to her and she wanted to know why. She also wanted to inform him that Stefan had called in John Gilbert to help Elena.

Finally the shower shut off and Damon appeared in the doorway in a towel. "Hey." Buffy said.

"What?" Damon sneered.

"That's what. What is the matter with you?"

"Nothing's the matter with me."

"You haven't had much to do with me in a couple of days and…."

"And what? You're worried? Don't be. I'm fine."

"I'll believe that never. What's going on?"

"What's wrong is that I'm not having any fun."

"Fun?" She shook her head, confused. "I am so lost right now. Are you trying to say that we're over?"

"Is that what you want?"

"I don't think this is about what I want. But I'm really not 100 on that, so _you've_ got to tell _me_."

Damon sighed and stood in front of her. "What do you want from me?"

"O-k…." Buffy said slowly. "Is this that talk where we're supposed to either make world shattering promises of undying love or break up? Cause that's what it feels like…. A little bit. And I'm not saying I want to break up…. But…."

"Are you making a world shattering promise of undying love?"

"No."

"Then this isn't that talk because I'm not doing either of those."

"Ok?"

"So what do you want from me?"

"Nothing right now. Mostly because I'm really off balance with you at the moment. So I'm just going to jump to the next, less confusing topic of: Stefan called in John Gilbert to help us with Elena."

Damon blinked a couple of times, translating what she'd just said, and then took a step back. "He did what?"

"Yeah. Elena called me this morning and told me. I haven't confronted Stefan about it because I thought you might want to go yell at him with me."

"How very thoughtful."

"It's what I do. I think."

Damon sighed. "Let me get dressed and we'll go yell."

Buffy grabbed his hand and stopped him. She stood up and stayed close to him, their bodies nearly pressed together. "Are we ok?"

He stared at her for a long moment. "As long as no one makes those promises, we're ok."

"Ok. No promises." She wasn't sure whether she should kiss him or not, so she just gently touched his chest and sat back down.

* * *

><p>"You brought back John Gilbert?" Damon demanded. "That was your big save Elena move?" They were standing in Stefan's room with Buffy blocking the doorway.<p>

"I went to go look for Isobel and I got John instead." Stefan said. "He said he can help us and we're desperate."

"We're not that desperate, Stefan." Buffy said. "The guy tried to barbecue Damon and I!"

"Bonnie's new witch friend is working with Elijah so we have to assume that the moonstone was never destroyed. Elena is putting all of her faith into some deal that she made with Elijah to keep everyone safe. I mean, do you trust Elijah? I don't trust him. He's an original, he can't be trusted. It's not like we can just go up and kill him because apparently he can't die!"

"I'm still waiting for the part where John Gilbert is the answer."

"He knew about the sacrifice. Isobel told him. He said he knew of a way to keep Elena safe."

"And how do we do that?" Damon asked.

"He's not talking. At least not to me anyway."

"Great work Stefan. Top notch. As if I didn't have enough problems."

"Hey, I'm sorry about Rose."

"Whatever. I knew the woman for 5 minutes."

"And you cared about her after 5 minutes. And Buffy cared about her. I wonder what that means."

Damon glanced at Buffy. "It means I care, Stefan. That means I'm changing…. evolving into a man capable of greatness. Better watch your back because I may just have to go get a hero hairdo of my own and steal your thunder." He walked out.

Buffy shook her head. "I have no idea what is going on with him."

"What do you mean?" Stefan asked.

"The night we killed Rose…. He left to go get a towel and came back different. He's been a little…. Harsh."

"He hasn't hurt you, has he?"

"No. Not like that. Just…. Cold. I confronted him about it this morning and he didn't say much."

"Do you want me to talk to him?"

Buffy sighed. "No. I'll figure it out one way or another. We're just off balance right now, I guess."

"Well, just make sure it doesn't affect anything…."

"Anything with the Elena mess. Right." Buffy stood up. "I guess I should head over and talk to her. She called me earlier."

When Buffy made it to the front door with her purse and jacket, Damon appeared behind her. "Where are you headed?"

"Elena's. Hopefully John will be there and I can beat some answers out of the little twirp."

"Oh, now that sounds like fun. Mind if I join?"

"Be my guest." Buffy held open the door for Damon and then followed him out. The ride to Elena's house was tense because Buffy wasn't sure what was up Damon's butt. Damon was still fighting with the emotions rolling around inside him. He wanted to be near her, but if she didn't return his feelings, then what was the point? It would just be Katherine all over again.

* * *

><p>Buffy knocked on Elena's door and waited. Elena opened the door. "Hey Buffy. You brought Damon?"<p>

The blonde looked up at Damon. "Yeah. He wanted to have some fun. Where's John?"

"He's not here. He left. I don't know where he went. He just blew in, announced to Jenna that he's my dad and then took off."

"It's public knowledge now?"

"Apparently."

"Are you ok?"

"Yeah. Jenna's head is spinning but I'm ok."

"He say what he was doing here?" Damon asked.

"No. You know, Stefan thinks that he's telling the truth about wanting to help me."

"Do you believe him?" Buffy asked.

"No. I don't believe him for a second."

"Me either."

"What are we gonna do?"

"Kill him." Damon said.

"Damon…." Elena started.

"I'm joking. Ok, I'm a little serious."

"Damon!"

"I'm not gonna hurt him, Elena. I'm the good guy now, remember?"

"What does that mean?" Elena asked, glancing at Buffy.

"I'm gonna have a civil conversation with your father." Damon answered, walking back out the door.

Elena and Buffy exchanged worried glances and then followed him out. "Wait, we're coming with you."

* * *

><p>Buffy, Damon, and Elena arrived at the Grill. John was standing at a table with Jenna and Alaric. He turned his head and saw the three of them. Buffy rolled her eyes as Elena said to Damon, "We just need answers. Please don't do anything stupid."<p>

"Yeah but stupid is so much more fun." Damon retorted.

"Damon, I mean it. All I'm asking is that you try to keep it together. Be the better man."

Damon rolled his eyes. "Ok then." He headed over to John with Buffy and Elena trailing behind. "John, buddy, how have you been?"

"I've been all right, Damon. It's good to see you. Hello, Buffy." John said.

She snorted and looked at Jenna. "Hey, Jenna."

"Hey, Buffy! Care to join us?" Jenna asked.

"Sure. I'm hungry."

"You're always hungry." Damon said, sitting down next to her. Elena grabbed a chair and pulled it up.

"I'm not always hungry." Buffy protested.

"You weigh, what, 110 pounds soaking wet?" Alaric joked. "I can't blame you for being hungry all the time."

"I guess there's no more room at the table, then." John said.

"Nope. Sorry." Jenna smiled sarcastically. "Guess you'll have to find somewhere else." John sighed and walked off. "Jerk."

"I second that." Buffy said. "Why is he even back here?"

"Oh, just to make our lives a living hell and to drop bombs on me that my niece should've told me."

"I've apologized!" Elena said.

"Not enough." Jenna shot back.

* * *

><p>After everyone had enjoyed a nice lunch, they'd split up to go play pool or check out the memorial by the fireplace. John was lighting a candle for the victims at the memorial when Damon joined him. "So John, rumor has it that you know a lot and won't say anything." Damon said. Buffy stayed with Elena, but kept her ears on the conversation.<p>

"How do I know you can be trusted, Damon?" John said. "Originals can compel vampires and according to Stefan, that's why Katherine's still in the tomb, because an original has compel her to stay there."

"Only because all of the vervain has left her system. Stefan and I, on the other hand, are chock full."

"You guys are drinking vervain?"

"It's an acquired taste. I don't see that magic little ring on that stitched finger so if you know something about Klaus, you better start talking or I will kill you in your sleep."

"Is that any way to convince me that you and I are on the same side? First, I need to know that I can trust you, Damon. That I can count on you. Then we'll talk." John walked off and Damon shot a look at Buffy. She shrugged and watched John leave.

Damon sighed and went to the bar. He ordered a scotch and stayed at the bar while Buffy and Elena stayed at the table they were occupying.

"So, what's going on with you two?" Elena asked.

"Is it that obvious?" Buffy asked. Elena shrugged. "Honestly, I don't know. He's been grouchy since the night we killed Rose."

"Did something happen?"

"Other than me killing a friend? No. He did apologize for not being the hero I think he should be."

"Do you think he should be a hero?"

"This is Damon we're talking about. I find it a miracle that he's even helping at all."

Elena laughed. "Well, did you tell him that?"

"He doesn't really give me the chance." Buffy's face suddenly turned dark and Elena looked at where she was looking. Andie Star, the news reporter from the television, had made her way over to Damon and was flirting with him.

"Hi, I'm…." She started.

"I know you." Damon said. "The news lady."

"Yeah, Andie Star. Nice to meet you. Can I buy you a drink, Damon?"

Damon glanced at Buffy and then shook his head. "My glass is all full, Andie. Thank you." He left and joined Buffy and Elena.

"You totally blew her off." Buffy said, trying to act nonchalant.

"I'm staying clear of other women."

"You didn't have to be rude."

"Didn't I? That look you were giving her…. I think it's in the best interest of women everywhere if I steer clear of them." He smirked. "Though that jealousy is kind of intriguing. Maybe I should flirt with other women more often."

"Maybe you could be locked up down in the basement and never let out. I'm sure Stefan would go along with it."

Damon smiled. "Jealousy becomes you."

Elena's phone rang just then. "Stefan? What is it?" She looked at Buffy worriedly as Stefan started talking.

* * *

><p>Damon, Buffy, and Elena were in the restrooms arguing about Stefan's phone call. "Why am I just finding out about this now?" Buffy asked.<p>

"Stefan was worried that you…." Elena trailed off.

"That I'll what? That I'd kill Tyler? No. I wouldn't kill Tyler, I'd kill that stupid Jules bitch."

"Killing them both is what needs to happen." Damon interjected.

"No Damon, not Tyler." Elena said. "Do whatever you need to do to get Caroline back but just leave Tyler out of it, ok?"

"Why? He's a werewolf. He needs to die. I'm willing to kill him. It's win-win."

Elena touched his arm. "Damon please, ok? Too many people are dead."

"You need to stop doing that."

"Doing what?"

"Assuming that I'll play the good guy because it's you who's asking."

"Be the better man, Damon."

John entered the room. "Do you mind?" Buffy snapped.

"What's going on?" John asked.

"Nothing." Elena said.

"It doesn't look like nothing."

"Well guess what John? Trust works both ways. Get out." Damon said.

"Look, we don't have time for this." Elena cried. "We need to get Caroline back."

"You don't have to do anything. Buffy and I'll take care of it." Damon turned and looked at John. "First dad duty: ground your daughter. Keep her here." Damon grabbed Buffy's hand and pulled her out the door.

"You do realize that I'm not going to kill Tyler." Buffy said as soon as they were in the car and headed towards the spot in the woods where Stefan was meeting Jules with Tyler.

"I'll do it." Damon shrugged.

"I don't want you to."

"Why?"

"Because he's just a kid."

"He's a werewolf. If I don't kill him, he's just going to kill me."

"He's a kid who's scared and confused and he has that psycho whispering in his ear. We'll take care of her and deal with Tyler afterwards."

"'Take care of her'?"

Buffy smiled slightly. "I wouldn't mind doing to her what we did to Mason. Just gotta make it last longer."

* * *

><p>Jules was alone by the trailer in the woods. She heard something of in the distance and sniffed. "I know you're out there." She called.<p>

Stefan came out of the woods with Tyler. "Where's Caroline?" He asked.

"Locked up tight."

"Let her go and I release Tyler. The situation doesn't have to get any messier than it already has. I'm not your enemy, Jules."

"It's a little late to be waving the white flag, don't you think?"

"You need to leave town. No one else has to get hurt."

"I'm not leaving without Tyler."

"Tyler is free to make his own decisions as soon as you release Caroline."

Buffy and Damon arrived just then. "My brother the peacemaker." Damon said. "Since Stefan got here before us, we're gonna let him try it his way before we resort to our way…. Which is a little bloodier. So give us Caroline."

"Let go of Tyler." Jules said.

"Give us Caroline." Buffy said. "Without a full moon, it's not an even fight and you know it. We will take you."

"I'm not so sure about that." Jules whistled loudly and a group of werewolves surrounded them with stakes, crossbows, and fire. "Let's try this again. Give us Tyler."

Buffy shook her head and was about to laugh, but Damon looked at Tyler and said, "You heard her. Go. Get over there." Tyler joined Jules.

"Which one of you killed Mason?" One of the weres asked.

"Uh, that'd be me." Damon said.

"And I helped." Buffy added.

"Boys, make sure those two suffer." The were said.

Damon looked at Buffy. "We can take them."

"I don't know about that." Stefan said.

"I do." Buffy grinned, ready for the coming fight.

"Well then…." Damon rushed over to Jules but she jumped on the top of the RV.

Tyler ran inside as one of the weres tried to burn Stefan. He took the were out and yanked the flame thrower out of his hands, turning it two other weres. Two weres jumped at Buffy, but she moved out of their way too quick for them to track. She grabbed one by the head and twisted, snapping his neck, as she kicked the other in the chest. He went soaring and slammed against a tree.

One of the weres jumped on Damon but he ripped his heart out. Stefan took out another were as another shot a bolt from a crossbow. Buffy caught it out of midair and tossed it at the were she'd kicked against the tree, killing him. Stefan nodded at her as he took on another were. Buffy dodged a female and threw her against a tree. The female came back at her, trying to claw at Buffy's face, but Buffy just shoved her down and kicked her in the face. She turned just in time to see Stefan's were drive a stake through his torso.

Another were shot a bolt at Stefan, but again, Buffy caught it and launched it back, pinning the were to a tree by his neck. Another went behind Stefan and drove a stake through his back and Stefan fell on the ground. Buffy launched herself at that were and used the heel of her palm to break his nose and slam the cartilage up into his brain, killing him.

Damon was fighting with the were that had threatened him and Buffy. He got the were on his back, but Jules arrived and shot Damon with a wooden bullet. He fell to the ground. Buffy growled and tackled Jules away. The gun went off and Buffy felt a searing pain in her left arm. A wooden bullet had torn its way through Buffy's upper arm. She clamped her right hand over the wound and kicked Jules in the face. Jules kicked Buffy in the back as she got up and Buffy stumbled.

"Not so tough when you're hurt, huh?" Jules taunted.

"You shot my left arm, you idiot." Buffy backhanded Jules hard with her right hand, slamming her against the RV. "I'm right handed."

Caroline suddenly appeared in the doorway of the RV, but Jules grabbed her and pushed her against the RV, aiming the gun at the back of her head. Everything froze as Tyler came out and looked at Caroline but didn't move to help her. The were that had threatened Damon and Buffy had a stake and was about to drive it into Damon's heart. Buffy started to move towards him, but suddenly the were screamed and grabbed his head. All around them, the other weres did the same thing as they fell to the ground.

"What's happening?" Caroline asked. Buffy kicked the were away from Damon and stood over him protectively as she held her bleeding arm.

"What the hell is going on?" Tyler asked.

Jonas, the witch working for Elijah, walked into the clearing casting a spell on the werewolves. Damon and Stefan got up, moving towards Buffy. "Elijah made a promise to Elena." Jonas said. "I'm here to see it's upheld. You need to go. Get out of here. Now." Buffy and Stefan took Caroline and helped her out of the clearing with Damon tying a strip of his shirt around Buffy's left arm.

* * *

><p>Damon sat in his bathtub with Buffy sitting opposite him. She'd followed him in and had refused to leave him alone even as he'd drawn the bath and put the bubbles in. John Gilbert had paid Buffy a visit after she'd bandaged up her arm and he'd given her a weapon to kill an ancient with. She wasn't quite sure what to do with it at the moment, so she was going to ignore it and deal with Damon. She sat across from him and stared until he couldn't take it anymore.<p>

He sighed, "Fine. You're driving me crazy with your creepy little stare."

"So start talking." Buffy said.

Damon hesitated, trying to figure out what to say. "I feel like I'm not in control of myself anymore." He said after a long moment.

"What are you talking about?"

"Buffy, I don't trust myself around you. I'm bad. I do things. I kill people. I like it. It's in my nature. It's who I am. But then I have to stay together to protect Elena and everyone, you included, wants me to be a better man which means I can't be who I am. Do you see the problem I'm having?"

Buffy shook her head. "Not really."

"I don't want to change."

"Damon, do you really believe that I want you to change?"

"Isn't that what you've been doing all along? Changing me…. for the better?"

"Not intentionally, no. I'm just being myself…. Which, for some reason, is easier to be around you. You're not the only one with a darkness in you that demands to be fed. It used to scare the hell out of me, but I've accepted it. Embraced it. Like you have. Damon…." Buffy sighed and slid closer to him. She positioned herself in his lap, facing him, and wrapped her legs and arms around him. She wove her fingers into his wet hair and tugged gently to make him look at her. "I want you to be you. I don't expect anything else from you. I like the Damon I'm holding now."

"Why?"

"Because he's exactly who I want in my life right now. Everything happens for a reason and if you feel like you're changing because of me…. Then maybe it's just meant to be. But I couldn't care less. I like you. I care about you." Buffy leaned closer till her lips were grazing his ear. "And you know what else I really like?"

"Hmm?"

She slid onto him suddenly, making them both gasp. "This." He pulled her to him and kissed her deeply as she started to move on top of him.


	29. Chapter 29

Chapter 29

Damon looked at Buffy inspecting the dagger that John had given her. He was happy that she had feelings for him. It meant something to him. He wouldn't admit that just yet, but he was happy she wasn't going anywhere. Not to mention the jealousy thing had been a welcome surprise. He walked over and wrapped his arms around her waist from behind, kissing her hurt arm.

"Hi." Buffy said.

"How's your arm?"

"A lot better. How's your chest?"

"Healed. Why don't you have healing powers as fast as mine?"

"Don't know. I'll ask Giles about that."

A knock on the door stopped Damon from kissing Buffy's neck. "Who's that?" He asked.

"Probably Alaric. I called him over to show him this dagger and ash stuff."

"Have you talked to Giles about it?"

"This morning before you woke up. He's looking into it. I think I've put him on overload." Buffy opened the door. "Hey, Rick."

"Good morning. Coffee?" Alaric handed her a coffee to-go cup.

"You are a god among men. Come on in." Buffy shut the door behind them and headed into the living room. "So John Gilbert gave me this to kill Elijah." She showed Alaric the dagger and the vial with the ask. "He said you have to dip the dagger in the remains of an old white ash tree that dates back to the originals…. If there's any truth in that. I've got Giles looking into it."

"So you think it's a setup?" Alaric asked.

"It could be. That guy's a weasel. I wouldn't put anything past him." She handed the dagger to Alaric and sipped her coffee. "What are you up to today, Mr. Saltzman?"

"Well, Jenna and I were supposed to go to her family's lake house, but somehow, we both got roped into doing this historical society thing at the Lockwood's."

"Where Elijah's the guest of honor." Damon said.

"What?" Buffy asked.

"It was on the news this morning. He's posing as a writer doing research on the history of this town or something."

"Are we gonna kill him at the tea party?"

"No. That would be stupid."

"Good, cause I was gonna say…."

"I want to know his endgame before we kill him but I do think it's time Elijah and I officially met." Damon turned to Buffy. "You, missy, need to slip into something pretty."

Buffy smiled and rolled her eyes playfully. "Will the torture never end?"

* * *

><p>Buffy held onto Damon's arm as they walked around the Lockwood mansion. The tea party was in full swing and there were a lot of people there. Buffy was glad she'd picked such a low key outfit. Everyone was in business casual and the knee length black pencil skirt and dark pink sleeveless top she'd picked out was perfect for the occasion.<p>

"There's a fancy French restaurant up in Richmond." Damon said suddenly. "I think we should follow Stefan and Elena's lead and get out of here for a while. You can dress up. We can catch a play at the Landmark Theatre…."

"And this will happen when?" Buffy asked. "Between saving Elena and stopping Klaus?"

Damon shrugged. "Hey, if they can get away, then we can too."

"Last I checked, that getaway was more Stefan's way to isolate and protect Elena better."

He smiled. "Well, then think of our getaway plans as my way of isolating you and…. Protecting you."

Buffy laughed and shook her head. "You make it sound so dirty."

"Damon, Buffy, what are you guys doing here?" Jenna asked, walking up and hugging Buffy.

"Hey Jenna." Buffy said. "I'm a history buff and I wanted to come. Damon is a good boyfriend and fulfilled his duties by coming with."

"Look, sweetie." Damon said. "There's the writer."

"Excuse us, Jenna." Buffy waved and Damon escorted her towards Elijah and Carol Lockwood.

"Damon!" Carol said. "Buffy!"

"Carol." Damon said, kissing Carol's cheek.

"What a surprise." Carol said, kissing Buffy's cheek. "Elijah, I want you to meet Damon Salvatore. His family is one of Mystic Falls' founding families. And this is his lovely girlfriend Buffy Summers from California."

"Such a pleasure to meet you." Buffy said sweetly.

"No." Elijah said, taking Buffy's hand and kissing her knuckles. "The pleasure's mine." He shook hands with Damon. "Are you two fans of history?"

"Oh, you have no idea." Damon said. He looked at Carol. "That's really how Buffy and I met. I was travelling through California headed for Italy and was sitting in LAX when this gorgeous woman sits down next to me holding the seat next to mine on the plane. We struck up a conversation and it lasted all the way until we landed back in LA a few weeks later."

"I thought Buffy was a friend of your brother's?" Carol asked.

"I am. For longer than I've been with Damon, here. But he was always travelling, so I never really got the chance to meet him. Stefan talked about him all the time, so imagine my surprise when I finally met him by chance in an airport." Buffy said. "It really is a small world."

Carol laughed. "Oh, that's just delightful. It really is a wonderful pleasure to have you as part of our community, Buffy."

"I love Mystic Falls." Buffy smiled. "In fact, I hear that Elijah here knows more about it than even Stefan or Damon do. I was wondering, may I steal you for a while, Elijah, and pick your brain about the history of this place. I do enjoy the stories of the Civil War era in particular."

Elijah nodded. "It would be my pleasure. Excuse me, Carol." The three of them made their way through the crowd and Damon opened the doors to the deceased Mayor's office. As soon as the doors were closed, Elijah turned to them. "What can I do for you two?"

"We were hoping we could have a word." Damon said.

"Where's Elena?"

"Safe with Stefan." Buffy said. "They're laying low. You know, we have a bit of a werewolf problem."

"Oh, yeah. I heard about that."

"I'm sure you did since it was your witch that saved the day." Damon said.

"You are welcome. Buffy, how's your arm?"

"Healing." Buffy said. "But that whole witch rescue thing just adds to our confusion on exactly why you're here."

"Why don't you two just stay focused on keeping Elena safe and leave the rest to me?" Elijah moved towards the door, but Damon put himself in front of him.

"Not good enough." Damon said.

Elijah threw Damon against the wall and strangled him. Damon tried to strangle Elijah too, but he wasn't strong enough. Buffy grabbed Elijah and pulled him away, but Elijah just flicked his wrist and threw her across the room. "You young vampires, so arrogant. And you, little Slayer…. How dare you come in here and challenge me?"

"You can't kill us." Damon said. "It's not part of the deal."

"Silence." Elijah grabbed a pencil and drove it through Damon's neck. Damon fell over onto the desk. Buffy rushed over to him and pulled the pencil out. Elijah handed her a white handkerchief and she pressed it to Damon's wounded neck. "I'm an original. Show a little respect. The moment you two cease to be of use to me, you're dead. So you should do what I say. Keep Elena safe." Elijah walked out.

Buffy waited until it was safe and she stomped her foot. "That guy needs to go!"

"Are you ok?" Damon asked.

"Am I ok? Let me see your neck."

"It's healing."

"I know, but there are still shards in there."

Alaric walked in. "What's going on?"

"Elijah stabbed Damon."

"What did you do?"

"Nothing. We just tried to get answers but the guy's got issues."

"Let's get this cleaned up and get you guys home. Your first aid kit is way more advanced than the Lockwoods'." Alaric said.

* * *

><p>Damon, Buffy, and Alaric sat around the library. Damon and Alaric both had glasses of scotch while Buffy nursed a Sprite. She sat on the floor between Damon's legs and laid her head on his inner thigh while he played with her hair.<p>

"Well, today was a bust." Damon said.

"Yeah. How's the throat?" Alaric asked.

"Sore."

"That Elijah's one scary dude but with nice hair." Buffy said. Damon scoffed. "What? He does."

"You want another one?" Alaric asked. Damon gave him his glass and Alaric went to the bar.

"He's gonna be hard to kill." Buffy said.

"Yeah. I'd think twice before I'd trust that dagger and some ashes to do the job. You're gonna need more info."

"Giles is still working on it." Buffy sighed. "I feel like I've overloaded him."

"Nah." Damon said. "From the way you and Willow talk…. He likes all this work."

"Yeah. Sitting on his butt for long periods of time without anything to read drives him crazy. But still…. He's getting older."

"He's not _that_ old, Buffy. The man's what? Mid fifties?"

"Yeah. But he's had a lot to deal with. He always says that it's aged him."

Alaric looked at his beeping phone. "Oh, god. I got to go. I got to pick Jenna up. Don't worry. I'll, uh, show myself out."

"Good luck." Damon called. "Hey." Buffy looked up at him and he picked her up and pulled her into his lap. She smiled and leaned down to kiss him, but skipped his mouth and opted for his neck where Elijah had stabbed him.

Before things could get too heated, though, a loud noise that sounded like a struggle made the two jump to their feet. They found Alaric with a large knife in his stomach. Buffy rushed over to him just as a werewolf jumped on Damon's back. Damon fought, but the were put a syringe of vervain in his neck. Since Damon had been taking vervain, the were had to inject the whole syringe to get any kind of effect.

Buffy rushed over to his aid, but another were appeared and shot her with two large tranq darts. She watched Damon fall to the ground just as the effects of the tranquilizer started to set in. "Whew!" The were that attacked Damon said. "Damn, you're strong. It took the whole syringe!" Buffy fought to stay on her feet, but the drug in her system was meant for elephants. And they'd shot two of them into her. She stumbled against the wall and slid down, shaking her head and trying to clear the fog. Two werewolves entered and looked at Alaric. "Grab that one. He's dead."

Jules arrived just then. "Hi, Buffy. Nice to see you again." Buffy growled and tried to get up, but the drug had taken its complete hold over her and she passed out.

* * *

><p>Damon woke up and discovered he was chained to a chair in the library. The chains bound him down all over and an iron collar was around his neck. His neck was bleeding pretty badly. He looked down at the floor and saw the dead Alaric. Damon searched for his ring and breathed an internal sigh of relief before looking around for Buffy.<p>

She was also chained down to a chair and still passed out. He remembered that she'd been shot with tranquilizer darts. He didn't see any injuries, but if Jules was there, then he knew it was only a matter of time before she started taking chunks out of his girlfriend.

The were that had jumped him had a chain attached to the collar around Damon's neck. "Morning, sunshine." He said. "I saw this movie once…. some torture porn flick…. Anyway, they had this collar device that was really cool. So I just modified it some with some wooden nails, and when I pull…." He pulled on the collar with the chain and the nails dug into Damon's throat.

"So I hear you have the moonstone." Jules said.

Damon laughed. "Oh, if you only knew the irony of this moment right now. Let me tell you how this is gonna go. You're gonna torture me, I don't talk, someone loses a heart. Last time, it was your boy Mason."

"This time, it will be you." Jules looked at the were with the chain and he pulled on the collar. "But before that…. I'm going to make you watch as I torture and kill your little Slayer girlfriend." Jules pulled out a knife and shoved it into Buffy's stomach. Since Buffy was still under the effects of the drug, she didn't even flinch. But the blood poured out and Damon struggled to get over to her. "I hear that a Slayer's blood is super powerful and completely irresistible to vampires. Tell me, how would you like to be the one to kill her?"

"I'll be the one to kill you." Damon growled.

"Really? Cause from where I'm standing, that doesn't look possible." The were with the chains pulled on Damon's collar while Jules went and grabbed a shotgun. "You know what the great thing about buckshot is? It scatters through the body…. Maximum damage." She hefted it at Buffy. "Where's the moonstone?"

"Get over it, honey. You're never gonna get it." Damon said.

"You looking for this?" Everyone turned to look at Elijah standing in the doorway. He had the moonstone in his hands. He calmly walked over and set it on the bar. "Go ahead. Take it." One werewolf went towards Elijah, but he ripped the were's heart out. Two others came but he ripped their hearts out as well. Jules panicked and ran. The were with the chains dropped them and tried to hide under his coat as Elijah ripped the chains off of Buffy. She slumped forward and Elijah caught her. He gently lifted her up and placed her on the couch, kicking one of the dead weres away. Elijah turned to the last remaining were. "What about you, sweetheart, hmm? You want to take a shot?" He lifted the were up. "Yes, no, yes? Where's the girl?"

"I don't know." Damon shrugged.

"It doesn't really matter." Elijah punched the were in the face and broke his neck, killing him instantly. He went towards Damon and removed all the chains. "So you realize this is the third time I've saved your life now?" Elijah turned, grabbed the moonstone, and left.

Damon ripped the collar off of him and rushed over to Buffy. She was bleeding pretty badly. "Hey, wake up sweetheart…. Come on, Buffy. Wake up." He gently stroked her hair out of her face. "Come on, Buffy." He decided to try something drastic. He bit into his wrist and placed it over Buffy's mouth. A vampire wasn't supposed to give his blood to the Slayer, but desperate times…. He watched as she swallowed some mouthfuls and her stomach began to heal rapidly. In fact it closed up between one heartbeat and the next. Damon had never seen anyone heal that fast. She gasped and sat up. The drugs were still in her system, so her head swam and she fell back, but Damon was there to catch her. "Hey."

"What happened?" Buffy looked at Damon's neck. "I don't remember that being so bad."

"Jules shot you with two tranquilizer darts. You missed all the fun."

"What fun?" Buffy looked around at all the dead weres. "Elijah?"

"The one and only."

"Why is my stomach all tingly and kinda hurting at the same time?"

"Jules used you as a pin cushion."

"And I'm tasting blood in my mouth because she punctured something bad, right?"

"No. That was me."

"Damon!"

"I know it's against the rules, but you weren't waking up and I didn't know how bad the wound was. So…. Try not to die for the next couple of days."

Buffy's head lolled to the other side and she saw Alaric. "Oh god…."

"He's got his ring on. Don't worry. Can you stand?" He helped her up, but she wobbled and nearly went down again. Damon caught her and carried her upstairs. He drew a bubble bath for her and helped her get in before undressing and getting in with her.

Later, once they were clean and Buffy's head was clearer, she went downstairs to help Damon clean up. He was on his cell phone with Bonnie as he maneuvered a chair. "So he planned to kill her all along?" He was saying.  
>"Yeah." Bonnie said on the other end. "The sacrifice is part of Elijah's plan."<p>

"Got it loud and clear." Damon hung up and turned to Buffy. "Hey. How do you feel?"

"A little too strong." Buffy said. "Did I just hear that Elena's still a sacrifice?"

"You sure did." Alaric woke up with a groan. "Finally. You missed all the fun."

"Fun?" Alaric asked.

"It's a long story." Damon said. "You might want to call Jenna back. She's called a couple of times."

Alaric panicked and grabbed his phone. "There you are." Jenna said when she picked up. "Are you ok?"

"Yeah, sorry. I…. I…. I've just been grading papers. Honestly, uh…. I fell asleep. I'm sorry. Jenna, I'm a jerk."

"No. It's fine. I'm just glad you're ok."

"Sorry. Tomorrow I'm all yours, ok?"

"Sure. Sounds great."

"All right. Good night, Jenna."

"Good night." Alaric hang up and slapped his forehead.

"It doesn't get any easier." Buffy said. "The lying just gets worse. But at least Jenna's not suspicious of anything yet."

"You're not really being comforting."

"I know. I'm sorry. I'm just warning you. Maybe it's almost time to confess the truth. I mean, she's the only one at the Gilbert house that doesn't know. She'll find out sooner or later."

Alaric sighed. "I think I should leave that decision up to Elena."

Buffy snorted. "Well, Elena's not exactly making good choices lately, so…." She shrugged and stood up.


	30. Chapter 30

Chapter 30

Buffy woke up and stretched. She was completely naked in Damon's bed and pleasantly numb from the nighttime activities they'd partaken in. Damon was sitting on the edge of the bed clad only in a pair of unbuttoned jeans. He was on the phone with Stefan. "I did hear one piece of good news though." Damon was saying. "Tyler Lockwood ran away from home last night."

"How do you know?" Stefan asked.

"Well, I heard it from sheriff Forbes, who heard it from a very distraught Carol Lockwood, thus, ending our werewolf chapter, bringing us to…."

"Killing Elijah."

"Exactly."

"Well, it's not going to be easy. He's crafty."

"Well, I've got a crafty little dagger."

"He's an original. We don't know what all that encompasses."

"Oh, trust me, Stefan. I'm gonna dot all my t's. I don't want any surprises. Giles is looking it all up as we speak. Willow sent Buffy a text this morning telling her to check her email. Must be good news."

"Wow, Damon, tell me you're actually gonna be careful for once."

"Yes, Stefan, I've become you. How tragic for both of us. Got to run. I've a murder to plan. Busy day." He hung up and turned to look at Buffy. "Good morning, sleepy head."

Buffy tossed a pillow at him. "Why'd you let me sleep so late?"

"Because you needed the rest." He slid over to her and kissed his way up from her navel to her mouth. "You are delicious with this tousled hair."

"Thanks. I'm glad you like the bedhead look." She flipped them and pinned Damon down. "Did I hear something about a text from Willow?" Buffy reached over to grab her phone and Damon flipped them over, pinning Buffy down and kissing every inch of her he could reach as she checked her texts and then her email. "Oh, it is something good."

Damon paused and looked at her phone. "What's it say?"

"That the legend of the dagger and the ash is probably true. Giles found some references to it in some of his books. Willow's digging deeper with some of her coven friends." Buffy set the phone down and ran her nails up Damon's back. "So, other than planning a murder, what else have we got in store for us today?" She laughed as Damon descended on her with his mouth and tongue.

* * *

><p>Later that afternoon, Alaric, Damon, and Buffy were gathered at a table at the Grill. Alaric had intruded on a tour Jenna was giving Elijah around Mystic Falls. "Other than the lecture on the history of Mystic Falls, did you get anything out of Elijah?" Damon asked.<p>

"No, it was boring." Alaric said. "Of course, Jenna thinks he's charming."

"You sounded jealous. Did he sound a bit jealous?"

"Kinda did." Buffy agreed.

"Maybe we shouldn't talk about this here." Alaric said.

"No one's listening." Damon assured him. He looked at Buffy. "We just need the right opportunity to get to Elijah." Damon looked up and saw Jenna and Elijah walking in. "Ah, there's Jenna with her new boyfriend. Hi."

Elijah and Jenna joined them. "Hey, guys." Jenna said.

"So I hear you two had quite a meeting of historical minds today." Buffy said.

"Yeah, I guess you could say that."

"Well, as much as I'd love to continue this, I've got papers to grade." Alaric said, tossing some money down on the table and getting up.

"You know what?" Buffy said suddenly. "We should continue this. Let's have a dinner party."

"Ooh, my girl. Full of good ideas." Damon said. "We'll be happy to host! Say tonight maybe?"

"It's good for me." Buffy smiled. "Jenna?"

"I don't know if tonight works…." Alaric started.

"I'm free." Jenna interrupted.

"It'd be a pleasure." Elijah smiled.

"Great!" Damon said. He stood up and helped Buffy out of the booth. "We should get going since we have some grocery shopping to do."

"See you guys later." Buffy called.

* * *

><p>Buffy followed Damon down into the church ruins towards the tomb. She was carrying a garment bag with some cast off clothes of hers. "Why are we here again?" She asked.<p>

"I just want to see if Katherine can confirm that the dagger and ash will work." Damon said, tossing a bottle of blood back and forth between his hands.

"Willow and Giles said it would."

"They said it _probably_ would. I'll bet Katherine knows something about it and I want her to tell me. And then we can be sure."

"What makes you think she'll even tell you? She hates us, remember?"

"She's scared of you, though." Damon smiled down at Buffy. "So…. I need you to be intimidating." He took her hand and went the rest of the way into the tomb. They found Katherine in the very back. She was bone dry and her skin was gray and mottled. She kind of stunk too. Damon unscrewed the top off the bottle and put the blood to her lips. "Great. Drink up. Good girl." Katherine took the bottle and started to down it. "We've come bearing gifts. We didn't have time to properly shop, but Buffy was kind enough to donate a couple of things." He took the clothes bag from Buffy and hung it up.

"Wow, that blood did the trick." Buffy said. "You're almost pretty again."

"What is it you two want?" Katherine asked.

"Guess who's back in town?" Damon asked. "Your old friend, John Gilbert."

"Really? Why?"

"Says he loves his daughter. Wants to protect her from Elijah and big, bad Klaus."

"Touching." Katherine got up and took a jacket from the clothes Damon brought.

"He told me this old wives tale about how to kill an original." Buffy said.

"And you two want to know if it's true. If it was, I wouldn't tell you."

"You want Elijah and Klaus dead as much as we do."

"Klaus, yes. Elijah, no. He's compelled me to stay in here. If he dies, I'm stuck forever."

"Sucks for you." Damon said.

"Forget it. Killing Elijah would be a suicide mission. Even you can't pull it off, Miss Super Slayer."

"Even with a dagger and a little white oak ash?" Buffy asked.

Katherine seemed surprised. "No. If you kill Elijah, then I'm stuck in here forever."

"You're really scared." Damon said.

"Just get me out of here first and then I'll help you. I'll…. I'll help you kill Elijah or…. Or protect Elena. Whatever you want."

"We get you out of here and your ass is sipping Klaus-free margaritas on some unknown island somewhere. No way."

"That's not true. I'll stay. Please just don't do it."

"Well, thank you, you've told us everything we need to know."

"I've told you nothing."

"You have. You have indeed confirmed that it is possible to kill an original."

"Which I'll do tonight." Buffy said.

"Guess who's coming to dinner?" Damon smirked and he and Buffy walked out of the tomb.

* * *

><p>Damon and Alaric were in the library later that evening while Jenna set the table and Buffy put the finishing touches on dinner. "This is a bad idea." Alaric said.<p>

"There's no such thing as a bad idea." Damon said. "Just poorly executed awesome ones. Here." He gave Alaric a glass of scotch.

"No. I don't like the idea of Elijah being in the same house with Jenna."

"Jenna's perfectly safe. Besides, it's just a fact-finding mission. It's totally harmless."

"Just a fact-finding mission?"

"Yeah."

"Listen, no sneak attacks. No surprise plans. Nothing that's gonna put Jenna in harm's way. Ok?"

"Scout's honor."

Buffy walked in wearing an apron over her dark pink sheath dress. "Hey, Jenna needs help with the wine." Alaric nodded and went to help Jenna. Damon waited for him to be gone and then opened a wooden box and pulled out the dagger and the white oak ash. "Oh, look. Dessert." Buffy smiled and took off her apron.

Damon put some of the ash on the dagger tip. "Elijah's stronger than you. Faster than you. So, it's all about the element of surprise."

"I know."

Damon sighed. "Buffy, I just want you to be careful. You should be letting me do this."

"Well, no. You gave me your blood last night and it's still in my system. So, I'm stronger and faster than ever before. It'll be enough. I promise." She kissed him gently. "Besides, if anything happens, you'll be there to protect me."

He wrapped his arms around her waist. "Yes, because I'm so much stronger and faster than you on a normal day."

"And that's the reason I'm doing this, not you." Buffy put the dagger behind the many decanters on the bar and moved them around so it was hidden. "We'll all come in here for after dinner drinks and coffee. I'll forget dessert and Jenna will go get it. While she's gone, Elijah will suddenly have to leave. Permanently."

The doorbell rang. "There's our guest of honor." Damon said, taking Buffy's hand as he made his way to the hallway. Jenna made it to the door first and opened it. It was John Gilbert.

"Who invited him?" Jenna sneered.

"John! What a surprise!" Damon said. "Leave."

"When Jenna told me she was coming to a dinner party for Elijah, I decided I couldn't miss out on all the fun and games." John said, walking in without an invitation.

"There are not going to be any games tonight, John." Alaric said. "It's just a friendly dinner party."

"What he said." Damon said, glancing at Buffy and trying to hide the smirk.

"Then I'll just stick around and enjoy dinner. I hear Buffy made it."

"And if I'd have known you were coming, I would've put some laxatives in your dish, John." Buffy said.

John just laughed and made his way further into the house. Jenna rolled her eyes and walked away with Alaric. Buffy and Damon stood in the foyer shaking their heads when the doorbell rang again. Damon opened the door and this time it was Elijah.

"Good evening." He said.

"Thank you for coming." Damon said. "Please, come in."

"Just one moment. Can I just say that if either of you have anything less than honorable intentions about how this evening is going to proceed, I suggest you reconsider."

"No, nothing dishonorable. Just getting to know you."

"Hmm. Well, that's good. Because, you know, although Elena and I have this deal, if you so much as make a move to cross me, I'll kill you both and I'll kill everyone in this house. Are we clear?"

"Crystal."

Elijah smiled at Buffy as he let himself into the house. "Then it's wonderful to see you again. How are you? You look incredible."

"Thank you." Buffy said, following him and exchanging glances with Damon.

"So who was the master chef this evening?"

"That would be me."

"I didn't know you cooked."

"Not really. It's just some things I picked up from my mother."

"I'm sure it will be wonderful. Jenna!" Elijah smiled as Jenna walked into the hallway. "You look beautiful."

"Thank you. And Buffy, I snuck a taste while you were gone and you have nothing to worry about. Dinner's going to be killer."

Buffy smiled and glanced knowingly at Damon.

* * *

><p>Later that evening, everyone was sitting around the dinner table finishing off their plates. Damon sat at the head of the table with Buffy to his right. Alaric sat at the other end of the table with Jenna on his left next to Buffy. Elijah and John sat opposite Buffy and Jenna.<p>

"I hate to break it to you, Damon, but according to Elijah, your family is so not a founder of this town." Jenna said.

"Hmm, do tell." Damon said.

"Well, as I mentioned to Jenna earlier, a faction of settlers migrated from Salem after the witch trials in the 1690s." Elijah said. "Over the next hundred years they developed this community where they could feel safe from persecution."

"Because they were witches." Jenna added.

"The lore says that there was this wave of anti-witch hysteria. It broke out in the neighboring settlement, so these witches were rounded up. They were tied to stakes in a field together and, uh, burned. Some say you could hear the screams from miles around as they were consumed by the fire."

"I wouldn't repeat this to the Historical Society."

"It's starting to sound a little like a ghost story to me." John said.

"So why do you want to know the location of these alleged massacres?" Damon asked.

"You know…. A healthy historian's curiosity, of course." Elijah said.

"Of course."

"Have you ever heard of Sunnydale, California?" Jenna asked Elijah. "It's where Buffy's from and she says there was a lot of weird history there too. Before the earthquake that took out the whole town."

"I have heard of Sunnydale." Elijah said. "I never visited but I heard a lot about it on my travels. Tragic about how it was destroyed. Did you lose much, Buffy?"

"I lost a lot." Buffy said. "It's the reason I started travelling around the world. But I'm choosing to look at it as a good thing. If it hadn't have happened, I never would have made my way here and made such wonderful, new friends."

"Here, here!" Damon said, toasting his wine glass to Buffy.

"To new friends." Jenna said, raising her glass. Everyone followed suit.

"Does anyone care for some cognac?" Damon asked. "I have a bottle I've been saving for ages."

"None for me thanks." Alaric said. "Nine bottles of wine is my limit."

"I wouldn't mind some." Elijah said.

"I'll stick with wine." Buffy said.

"I'll go make some coffee." Jenna offered as she started to clear the table.

"I have to say the food was almost as wonderful as the company." Elijah said.

Jenna gave some plates to John. "Here you are. Make yourself useful."

"Here. Put me to work." Alaric offered.

"Um, I got it."

Buffy glanced at them as she followed Damon and Elijah to the library. She found that she was slightly nervous at the thought of killing Elijah. He was a lot stronger and faster than she was. But then again, she'd defeated a hell god. So Elijah shouldn't be so tough to her.

"So, let me guess." Damon said as they entered the library. "In addition to the moonstone, the doppelganger, the lion, the witch, and the wardrobe, you need to find this witch burial ground."

"Because I feel as though we've grown so close, Damon, I'll tell you. Yes. Do you know where it is?" Elijah asked calmly.

"Maybe. Tell me why it's so important." Damon gave a glass of cognac to Elijah.

"We're not that close." Elijah looked at the books. "It's quite a collection you have here. It's a funny thing about books. Before they existed, people actually had memories."

Buffy quietly took the dagger from Damon, but Alaric and Jenna interrupted them. She stashed the dagger back behind the decanters. "Gentlemen and Buffy, we forgot about dessert." Alaric said.

"Elijah." Jenna held out her hand.

"Jenna." Elijah took her hand and led the way back to the dining room. Buffy and Damon turned their glares on Alaric. He shushed them and grabbed a pen and paper. He wrote _All supernatural beings who use that dagger will die too_.

Buffy rolled her eyes and grabbed the dagger. She handed it to Alaric. He shook his head, but she shoved it towards him and made him take it. Damon looked at her, confused. She pointed at him and mimed stabbing someone. Damon glanced at Alaric and shrugged. He took Buffy's hand and they walked into the dining room.

"Sorry, guys." Buffy announced. "Dessert is taking longer than I thought. I usually just unwrap food."

"That's quite all right." Elijah said. "Jenna was just telling me that you make a wonderful cobbler."

"Thank you Jenna. Tonight's dessert is actually a strawberry pie, but I think I waited too long to put it in." Buffy glanced at Alaric. He was positioned behind Elijah's chair at the dinner table. "Rick, would you do me a favor and grab the serving mats out of that drawer behind you?"

"I'll go check on it for you." Jenna offered.

"Oh thank you!" Buffy said.

"Elijah, did John tell you he's Elena's uncle/father?" Damon asked, keeping Elijah's focus in front of him.

"Yes, I'm well aware of that." Elijah said.

"Of course, she hates him, so there's absolutely no need to keep him on the endangered species list."

"What I'd like to know, Elijah, is how do you intend on killing Klaus?" John asked now that Jenna was out of the room.

"There's a few things we should probably get clear right now. I allow you to live solely to keep an eye on Elena. I allow Elena to remain in her house living her life with her friends as she does as a courtesy. If you become a liability, I'll take her away from you and you'll never see her again." Alaric snuck up behind Elijah and drove the dagger through the back of the chair and through Elijah's heart. They all watched as Elijah withered and died.

"Now, get rid of him before Jenna comes back with dessert." Alaric said.

"All right." Damon shrugged.

* * *

><p>Buffy was cleaning up the dining room when her cell phone went off. It was Stefan. "Hey!"<p>

"Buffy, you need to check on Elijah." Stefan said.  
>"The really dead Original?"<br>"He's not dead. You have to leave the dagger in him or he won't stay dead."

"I'll call you back." Buffy rushed down to the cellar. Damon and Alaric were standing in the doorway just coming up.

"What's wrong?" Damon asked. Buffy kept moving and ran down to the room in the cellar where they'd left Elijah. He was gone. "How…."

"Apparently you have to leave the dagger in to keep him dead. How far away is this lakehouse?"

"Jenna said it's about an hour or so away." Alaric said. "I've got the address."

"I'll go." Damon said.

Buffy nodded. "Ok. I'll wait here. Call me if you need me."

* * *

><p>Buffy stood with Stefan and Elena down in the cellar while Damon dumped Elijah's body. It still had the dagger through the heart. They'd come back only a few minutes ago and Elijah's body had been in the trunk. Now Damon was searching Elijah's pockets and he lucked out, finding the moonstone in the left breast pocket.<p>

"What do we have here?" Damon said. "A little moonstone bar of soap. I'll hold on to this."

"So, that's it?" Elena asked. "I mean, as long as we keep the dagger in there, then he stays dead?"

"Pretty much."

"Ok, then…. Good night." Elena started to make her way out of the cellar, but turned and blocked the doorway. "You know, you guys want me to fight, fine, I'll fight. But if we're gonna do this, you can't keep anything from me anymore. From this moment on, we're doing it my way."

There was a long silence before Damon said, "That seems fair."

Buffy sighed. "So no more martyr crap?"

"No more." Elena agreed.

"Then…. Ok. We'll do it your way."

Elena looked at Stefan expectantly. "Ok."

"Ok." Elena nodded and walked out.

"Seems like she's had a change of attitude." Damon said. "How did you get through to her?"

"I told her a little story about when I was making the wrong decisions and somebody showed me there was a better way." Stefan said.

"Lexi?" Buffy asked.

"Yeah." Stefan smiled slightly at the memory of their friend and then followed Elena.

Damon sighed. "Just keep reminding me."

Buffy shook her head and placed her hands on Damon's chest, looking up at him. "I've forgiven you."

"Really?"

"Well…. There's still a part of me that feels wrong for having a relationship with the guy that killed my friend, but Lexi believed in life taking some crazy turns and following them through wherever they lead you."

Damon's hands snaked down her arms and settled on her hips, pulling her closer. "I've got some crazy turns I can think of leading you through."

Buffy smiled. "Well, then you'll have to show me before your blood leaves my system. Cause afterwards…. I won't be so powerful and…. Bendy."

"Oh…. I bet you'll be bendy no matter what." Damon lifted her up and he rushed out of the cellar and up to his room in a matter of seconds. Once they were in his room, though, the running shower stopped them both in their tracks.

"Who…." Damon started. They looked into the bathroom to see Katherine peering back at them.

"Hello, Damon. Buffy…. Hey, do you have a robe?" Katherine asked.

"How did you get out?" Damon asked.

"I knew that if I begged you two not to kill Elijah, that's exactly what you'd do. Little known fact…. Originals can compel vampires, but…. "

"But as soon as they die, the compulsion wears off." Buffy finished.

"Wait, you knew that?" Damon looked at Buffy startled.

"There's a lot I know, Damon. Especially about vampires."

"And your girlfriend is one smart cookie." Katherine added. "She came to me and offered me a deal."

"When?" Damon asked.

"I had to go out for some more butter and I remembered Giles saying something about an Original's compulsion powers. I wanted to find out if it was true, so I made a pit stop."

"Why didn't you say anything?"

"Because I knew you wouldn't go for it."

"You're damn right."

"Damon, she's a huge source of information and I knew that if I helped her get out of that tomb, then she might actually stick to her word and help us."

"What if she hadn't?"

"Then I would've hunted her down and killed her."

"But lucky for me, I'm still here." Katherine said. "I didn't run. I meant what I said to Buffy. I'm going to help you. So…. How about that robe?"

Buffy realized that her boyfriend's ex was standing in front of him naked. She grabbed Damon's jacket she'd tossed and threw it to Katherine. "Come on, psycho, let's get you some clothes."


	31. Chapter 31

Chapter 31

"What is she doing here?" Elena demanded. Katherine had pretended to be Elena down in the hallway only a few minutes ago with Damon. Stefan had attacked Elena upstairs in his room and Katherine had walked up to laugh at them. Buffy had walked up in the middle of everything.

"When we killed Elijah, it broke the compulsion and freed the bitch from the tomb." Damon said.

"How's that possible?" Stefan asked.

Katherine looked at Buffy. "Well, little miss know-it-all Slayer?"

Buffy rolled her eyes and said with a shrug, "He's an Original."

"I don't want you here." Elena said to Katherine. "Get her out of here."

"You need me, Elena. You all do." Katherine said.

"Like hell." Stefan said.

"Is the only smart one here Buffy?"

"Why would you say that?" Elena asked.

"Because Buffy freed me."

Stefan and Elena looked at Buffy. "I made a deal with her." Buffy said, shrugging. "I told her that if she stuck around and helped, then I wouldn't kill her once she was free."

"Why would you do that?" Stefan asked.

"Because she knows more than us. She knows more than Giles!"

"And we all want the same thing." Katherine said. "Klaus dead. Yet here you all are, running around like chickens with their heads cut off."

"I don't need your help and I don't want it." Elena snapped.

"And that's incredibly stupid of you. You know where Klaus is? When he's coming? What he looks like?"

"If you know something, say it or get out." Damon warned.

"Fine. Then I'll just go to the Grill and have some lunch. Maybe Aunt Jenna's free for a bite."

"Katherine…." Buffy warned.

"Oh, grow a sense of humor. I was kidding." Katherine walked out and all eyes turned on Buffy.

"What?" She asked defensively. "I know when I need help. I know you hate to admit this, but she has information that we need. I'll keep her in line."

"Nobody keeps that bitch in line." Damon said. "She does what she likes."

"Well, you've never had anyone around that she's scared of. And since she's scared of Klaus as well, she's stuck between me and him. I'm the better option." Buffy sighed. "We need her help whether you want to admit that or not."

* * *

><p>Buffy found Damon down in the cellar putting together her flamethrower. She knew he heard her coming, but he didn't turn around. "Are you still mad at me?" Buffy asked, leaning against the doorframe.<p>

"Yes." Damon said.  
>"I'm sorry."<p>

"You should be."

"We need her help."

"You could've told me your plan."

"I could've. Yes. But would you have gone along with it?"

"Of course not."

"And that's why I didn't tell you."

"You're starting to sound like Elena."

"Or maybe I've rubbed off on Elena." Damon snorted. "How long are you going to stay mad at me?"

"I don't know. I've got a while."

Buffy rolled her eyes. "So do I." She turned and started to leave, but Damon was suddenly standing in front of her.

"Ok. I'm over it." He said.

"That was quick."

"Well…. You can stay mad longer than anyone I've met. So I'm not pushing my luck." He smiled charmingly and Buffy laughed. She wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him closer to kiss him deeply. After a long breathless moment, Damon pulled away and went back to the flamethrower.

"So what exactly are you doing with my flamethrower?"

"I wouldn't mind having that dagger back to kill Klaus with. Since we don't have another one and all." Damon flicked the switch and turned the flamethrower on. "Here goes." He set the flames on Elijah's body, but it wasn't working.

Katherine joined them. "Mmm, burning flesh." She said. "If you're trying to get the dagger back, you're wasting your time. He's indestructible."

"No kidding." Damon said. "How do you know so much about Original vampires?"

"Spend 500 years running from one."

"So when I told you our plan to kill Elijah, why didn't you warn us that we'd die if either of us used the dagger on him?"

"Oh, there's so many rules. It's all very confusing."

"Did you know we would die?"

"Did Elijah tell you his plan? Did he have a dagger to kill Klaus with?"

"Why are you still here?"

"Because you haven't forcibly removed me." Damon threatened to burn her and Katherine looked at Buffy for help. Buffy just rolled her eyes. "You wouldn't."

"Oh, I would."

"Damon, be smart. I want Klaus dead just as much as you do. More. If I wasn't being honest about helping, I'd be long gone by now, ok? You can hate me. But we want the same thing. And you know…. I always get what I want." Damon rolled his eyes and lowered the flamethrower. "Didn't matter who paid the price. Of course I knew that you'd die." She waltzed out.

Damon gestured to her back. "And that's the psycho you chose to help us."

Buffy shrugged. "When Giles comes up with something more useful than her, I'll kill her."

He smiled. "Sounds like a plan." Damon paused. "Maybe we don't have to wait for Giles."

"What do you mean?"

"Well, Elena found the rest of Jonathan Gilbert's journals. They're in boxes upstairs."

"Why do I feel like I'm about to have a high school flashback?"

He grinned. "Because we're about to go through old musty journals to do some research?"

Buffy sighed. "Well, Watcher Jr., let's do some research."

* * *

><p>Later that afternoon, Buffy and Damon were in the living room organizing Jonathan Gilbert's journals. They'd had to gather the boxes from the garage where Stefan had left them. They were almost finished organizing by dates when Katherine joined them.<p>

"What you two up to?" She asked.

"None of your business." Damon said.

"We're pouting now? Are those the Gilbert journals?" Nobody answered her. "How am I supposed to help you if you won't tell me what you're up to?"

Buffy sighed and turned to the obnoxious vampire. "Can you tell us where a bunch of witches were massacred in this town a couple centuries ago?"

"No."

"Then you can't help us." Katherine tried to grab a journal but Buffy slapped her hand away. She hit Buffy's arm, but Buffy flicked out a hand and Katherine went flying across the library without even a glance from the Slayer. It made Damon smile brightly.

As Katherine picked herself up, Buffy said, "Just remember, Katherine, the moment you're not useful your life becomes forfeit." Damon smiled brighter and held back the laugh threatening to spill out of him.

Katherine sighed. "Emily Bennett told me about the massacre. It was a big deal in witch folklore. When a witch dies violently, they release a mystical energy marking the place of their death with power."

"Elijah wanted to know the site of the massacre." Damon said to Buffy.

"The question we need answered is: What was he going to do when he found it?" Buffy said, grabbing one of the earlier journals of 1864.

"What did papa witch and baby witch have to say?" Damon asked Stefan who was standing in the doorway.

"Why isn't she gone or dead yet?" Stefan asked.

"For the last time, I'm here to help." Katherine insisted. "Can we skip the secrets, hmm?"

Buffy ignored Katherine and looked at Stefan. "So? What did the witches say?"

"Elijah had no weapon to kill Klaus but he believed that if a witch could channel enough power…. They wouldn't need one." Stefan said.

Buffy nodded. "Like the power you get from a spot marked with a hundred dead witches."

"We just need to find it."

"I'll make a call to Willow and ask her to see if she can locate it using magic."

"Won't she need to be here for that?" Damon asked.

Buffy shook her head. "No. Locations of that much power are like little beacons to powerful witches. That's probably why papa witch and baby witch haven't been able to find it. They're not as powerful as Willow."

* * *

><p>Damon lounged on the couch reading one of the journals. Buffy was lounging on the couch across from him, their legs intertwined in the middle. He was absentmindedly massaging one of her feet and stroking up her leg while he read. Katherine was sitting in a chair behind Damon a little ways across the room.<p>

Buffy felt a presence suddenly in the house. She looked over towards the front hallway, but there was nothing there. Katherine thought she was looking at her and made a face at Buffy. Buffy ignored her and kept looking. The presence suddenly seemed to just walk away or disappear.

"What's wrong?" Damon asked, gently squeezing her ankle to bring her back to him.

"I don't know. I just…." Buffy looked at the hallway.

"Stefan's moving around, isn't he?"

"No. I know when you guys are here and moving around. It's not him. It's not a vampire. It's kind of like…. A ghost?"

"A ghost?" Katherine asked, looking around. "Well, this place is old."

"There are no ghosts here." Damon said.

"He's right." Buffy agreed. "This place isn't haunted. I would've felt a ghost here when I first walked onto the property."

"What is it?"

Buffy shook her head. "I don't know. It's gone now. I think."

"I'm bored." Katherine said. She got up to read over Damon's shoulder. "'Emily Bennett was taken by the Council today. They kidnapped her from her home and took her to the same location her ancestors were burned a hundred years ago.' So Emily died on the site of the massacre, too. Does it say where?" She tried to take the journal but he pulled it out of her grasp.  
>"Nope. You know this whole friendly, cooperative thing?"<p>

"Mm-hmm."

"I don't buy it."

"I have no reason to lie to you, Damon."

"Lie."

"I'm hungry."

"You're the unwanted houseguest. Go feed yourself." Katherine grumbled and walked out. Buffy shot a sneer at her back. Damon laughed. "Starting to get on your nerves, too, huh?"

"She's been on them." Buffy shut her journal, but kept her finger in a certain place. "Time for the next one." She got up and Damon followed.

"Well, nothing in any of those." Stefan said, walking in. "Find anything?"

"Nope." Buffy said, opening her journal and pointing to the page she'd held.

Damon and Stefan both read it. "That's too bad." Stefan played along.

"Yeah, bummer." Damon added.

Stefan mouthed 'thank you' and walked out with the journal.

Buffy's smile faded when she heard a crash down in the basement. She and Damon took off just as Katherine called Buffy's name. When they arrived, Katherine was removing a stake from her chest. It had missed the heart. "What happened?" Buffy asked. Katherine looked over at Elijah's body and Buffy followed her gaze.

"Damon!" Buffy said, tossing him the flamethrower. The dagger was being removed by the ghostly presence Buffy had felt earlier. Damon turned on the flamethrower and burned around Elijah's body.

Stefan ran in. "What are you doing?"

"Shutting down a crazy ass psychic witch attack!" Damon snapped. "Get over there and do something about it. Go!" Stefan ran out.

After a long moment of Damon burning the rest of the room, Buffy flicked the switch off. "I think we're good." She said. "I don't feel the ghost thing anymore. But I'm fairly certain we just killed one of them."

"You are kinda creepy." Damon said.

"Quit flirting and help me." Katherine demanded.

* * *

><p>Buffy and Damon rushed towards the front door. "Where are you going?" Katherine called.<p>

"Luka Martin's dead." Buffy said. "His father's going after Elena."

"I'm coming with you."

"No, you're not." Buffy turned to open the front door, but Katherine was suddenly there.

"Wait."

"We don't need your help." Damon said.

"I know what we can do. You have to let me do it."

Buffy sighed. "What?"

"I'll switch with Elena and stop Jonas. If he's after her, we need to leave now."

Buffy held up her hand and grabbed her cell phone. She dialed Stefan's number. "Hey."

"I'm on my way to the Grill. Elena's there." Stefan said.

"Good. Katherine's got a plan."

"Oh that's what I wanted to hear."

"It's actually a decent plan. Can you get Elena away from the Grill safely and meet us somewhere safe to switch Elena and Katherine?"

"Yeah. Where?"

"Elena's dad's old building. The one that John Gilbert tried to kill Damon and I in. It's close enough to the Grill that we can make a quick switch and get Katherine to Elena's house. We can draw Jonas there so Katherine can take care of him."

Stefan sighed. "I don't like this plan."

"It's the only one we've got." Buffy countered.

* * *

><p>Buffy, Damon, and Elena waited downstairs while Stefan and Katherine took care of Jonas's body upstairs. He'd come to the house as expected after Stefan had gotten Elena safely away from the Grill. They'd switched Katherine for Elena, exchanging their clothes and Damon and Buffy had guarded her until Stefan had called Buffy and confirmed Jonas was dead.<p>

"How did you guys convince her to do this?" Elena asked.

"We didn't." Buffy said. "It was actually her idea."

"Wow. That's…. Not good."

"No." Damon agreed. "No, that's not good at all."

Stefan and Katherine came down the stairs. "Everything's taken care of." Stefan said.

Katherine took off Elena's necklace. "I'm guessing you're going to want this back. But your pretty little outfit is going to need a good dry clean."

Elena took her necklace. "You're going to have to get her out of here before Jenna gets home."

"Is that all you have to say to me?"

"This doesn't change the way I feel about you."

"I don't much like you, either, if we're going to be open." Katherine said. "And frankly, I'd be happy to see you dead but if we're going to try to take on Klaus, we kinda need you to be alive. So I'm not a threat to you, Elena. If any of you are going to believe anything, believe that."

* * *

><p>Later that night, Damon was on his bed reading Jonathan Gilbert's journal. Buffy was on the phone with Willow and Giles in her room. He was waiting for her to come join him. The door opened and he looked up, a smile ready for the petite blonde, but it was Katherine who walked in. Her hair was curly again and she was in lingerie.<p>

Damon sighed as she crawled onto the bed. "You know what I can't figure out?" He asked.

"What's that?" Katherine asked.

"How the town knew Emily Bennett was a witch. I mean, because according to Jonathan Gilbert, he was the only one who knew. I know he didn't turn her in." Katherine didn't answer. "I should have figured as much."

"Oh, she was a loose end. I like mine tied up. You know what I can't figure out?"

"Do I care?"

"Why you won't tell me where to find the site of the witch massacre."

"Because I have no clue."

"You knew that Emily Bennett was the key to getting me out of that tomb and something tells me that you did everything in your power to make sure that she was safe, yet you have no idea where she was killed. Who's the liar now? You hurt me today." She was referring to Damon shoving a stake in her stomach and threatening to kill her for not telling him or Buffy about the dagger.

"Tit for tat." Damon retorted.

"You were mean and very rough and monstrous."

"You deserved it."

She got closer to him. "I like this Damon."

"Katherine." Damon looked over and stared at her. She was close enough to kiss. "Katherine, there are six other bedrooms in this house." He shoved her away. "Go find one."

Katherine scoffed and stormed out. She didn't see Buffy standing next to Damon's doorway as she left. Buffy smiled and walked into Damon's bedroom, closing the door behind her. She liked the smile that lit up his face. It seemed to be reserved only for her and that made her stomach do flip flops.

"How are Giles and Willow holding up?" Damon asked.

Buffy hopped up onto the bed and curled her legs under her. "Well, Giles loves this kind of thing. He hasn't been this busy with his books in a long time. He's in hog heaven. Willow's threatening a vacation." Buffy glanced at the door. "What was that all about?"

"Katherine?" Buffy nodded. "She wanted me to tell her where the witch massacre happened."

"In lingerie?"

"She's also missing someone to play with and it's driving her crazy. I turned her down."

"I know. I heard."

"To tell you the truth, the outfit you've got on is much sexier." Buffy laughed at him. She was in a white spaghetti strapped tank top and black yoga pants. "What? It's the truth. It's sexier because it's less done up. I like simplicity."

Buffy laughed again. "No you don't."

"Ok, right now I like simplicity." He ran his hand up her leg, moving up towards her. "Right now, you're the one that's turning me on."

"I can believe that." She giggled as his mouth found her neck.


	32. Chapter 32

_**A/N I'm going to go ahead and post this because the ending is doubly explosive. This is one of my favorite chapters because it shocked me even as I was writing it. I didn't plan on writing it this way, but my brain apparently did. Enjoy!**_

Chapter 32

Stefan and Buffy walked downstairs the next morning. Damon was in the shower. He was going to go over to Jonas and Luka's apartment with Bonnie to gather some grimoires and get rid of Luka's body. Buffy and Stefan were headed over to Elena's house.

"Isobel just showed up at their front doorstep." Stefan was saying.

"What's she doing here?" Buffy asked.

"I don't know. That's what we're gonna go find out."

Katherine appeared in the hallway. "I don't think that you should tell her that I'm here."

"What? Why?" Stefan asked.

"It's better if she and John not know that I stayed in town after I got out of the tomb."

"Why?"

"What do you know, Katherine?" Buffy asked, exasperated.

"I know that I want Klaus dead, which puts me squarely on team you. Besides, if you two ever need me to swap places with Elena again, the less people know that I'm here, the better. Think about it. Come on. Be smart."

"Tell you what." Stefan said, turning to Buffy. "Can you call Alaric while we're on the way and let him know that his wife's just showed up on his girlfriend's doorstep?"  
>"Sure." Buffy made sure she had her cell phone as they walked out, leaving Katherine standing in the hallway.<p>

* * *

><p>Buffy, Elena, and Stefan were in Elena's bedroom talking. "This is bad." Elena said. "Between Isobel and Jenna and now Matt, this is disaster bad." Caroline had called Stefan on her way to the luncheon at the Lockwood estate to let him know that Matt has disappeared. Jenna had stormed out and was going to stay on campus.<p>

"Yeah." Stefan said.

John walked in. "Elena, can you come downstairs, please? I need to talk to you."

"I have nothing to say to you." Elena snapped.

"Please. It's important. You, too, Stefan and Buffy."

Elena looked at them and they shrugged. The three of them followed John down the stairs. Isobel came out of the kitchen. "I asked John for a do-over." She said.

Elena looked at John incredulously. "You invited her in?"

"She has information about Klaus." John said. "Please, just listen to her, ok?"

Elena looked at Stefan and he sighed. "All right. What do you know?"

"Since I was last here, I've been doing everything possible to find Klaus." Isobel said, moving into the kitchen to sit down at the table. "We knew our best chance was to find him before he could find you."

"Best chance at what?" Buffy asked.

"Keeping Elena alive." John said.  
>"You don't get to talk, ok. Not after everything you've done." Elena snapped.<p>

"Were you able to find Klaus?" Buffy asked Isobel.

"No. Nobody knows where he is but there are these rumors that are flying around. That a doppelganger exists."

"Which means any vampire that wants to get in favor with Klaus will be lining up to capture you." John said.

"I'm not buying any of this." Elena said. She looked at Isobel. "The last time that you were here, you made it clear that you didn't give a damn about me. Now all of a sudden I'm supposed to believe that you want to help?"

"Klaus has been obsessed with finding Katherine for centuries." John said. "All it would take was any one of those 1864 tomb vampires to spread the word around that Katherine was still alive and it would bring him straight here to Mystic Falls, where you were bound to be discovered. So we killed them."

"And almost killed Stefan, Buffy, and Damon in the process."  
>"By the way, I owe you for that." Buffy said, glaring at John. "Sleep with your windows shut cause what Katherine did to you was nice compared to what I'm thinking about."<p>

Isobel stood up and moved closer to Elena. "I have a safe house that I can take you to. The deed is in your name. No vampires can get in without your permission, not even me. Let me help you."

"You wanna help?" Elena asked. "Then get the hell out of my house."

* * *

><p>Later that afternoon, Buffy, Elena, and Stefan met up with Damon to discuss everything. They were in the library spread around the room. Damon was lounging in one of the chairs and Buffy had gone to sit on the chair's arm. Damon was resting his head in her lap with his legs dangling over the other chair's arm. Elena was sitting on the couch and Stefan was across from her in another chair.<p>

"Do you really think that Isobel's telling the truth that word's gotten out about the doppelganger?" Elena asked.

"I don't trust a word that she says," Buffy said. "But I think we'd be stupid to ignore the warning."

"You know, you should just stay here." Damon said. "It's better for us to keep an eye on you."

"What, in the house that any vampire can enter?" Stefan asked. "No. Her house is safer."

"Well, then we'll stay there."

"So is that the plan?" Elena asked. "None of you will let me out of your sight again?"

"Let me know when you come up with a better one." Damon countered.

"Fine. Then one of you three bodyguards is gonna have to come with me to the Lockwood luncheon."

"That'd be me." Stefan said.

"Not me. I have witch stuff to attend to with Bonnie." Damon said. He looked up at Buffy. "Care to join?"

"Sure." Buffy said. "Does that mean that we're taking her….?" Buffy trailed off and rolled her eyes.

"Don't get quiet on my account." Katherine said, strolling in. "If you have a plan to combat the impending vampire doom, please do tell." No one answered her. "Seriously, what is the plan to get us out of this mess, hmm? I delivered you a moonstone, a werewolf, and the dagger to lure and kill Klaus, and right now all you have is a moonstone. Or so you tell me."

"No, we have it." Damon assured her.

"Where is it?"

"It's in a very safe place."

"I've been honest with you. Time to return the favor."

"Let me be honest with you." Buffy said. "Don't mistake the fact that I haven't staked you or set you on fire in your sleep for trust. It just means I still think you've got some useful information."

"Fine. Be that way." Katherine huffed and walked out.

* * *

><p>Damon, Buffy, Bonnie, and Jeremy walked through the woods towards the site where the witches were burned. "Is this the spot Emily Bennett was killed, too?" Jeremy asked.<p>

"Founders thought it was poetic burning her where the other witches burned." Damon said, grasping Buffy's hand.

"How do you know where the witches were burned?" Bonnie asked.

"Cause I tried to save her. Emily was my key to getting Katherine back before I knew what a nasty little bitch Katherine was." Jeremy laughed. They all stopped and looked at the rotting old manor house standing before them. "Hmm…."

"You sure it's the right place?" Jeremy asked.

Buffy took a few steps closer and her blood ran cold. She shuddered violently and fell back the few steps she'd taken. "Are you ok?" Bonnie asked as Damon caught Buffy.

"Can you guys feel that?" Buffy asked, her voice barely above a whisper. The fear and despair and pain she was getting off the place was so palpable, she could taste it on her tongue. She knew that taste intimately.

Bonnie shook her head. "I can feel something…. But I'm not sure what it is."

Buffy looked up at Damon, "Death. It's death. God…. These women died horribly."

"I guess this is the right place." Jeremy said.

"Can you feel their deaths?" Bonnie asked.

"Yes. And it does NOT feel very good." Buffy said.

Damon kept his arm tightly around Buffy as they moved closer to the house and walked inside. They made it through the once grand foyer and Jeremy stepped on a board that cracked loudly, causing himself and Buffy to jump. Damon pulled her closer to him and shot a glare at Jeremy. The teen just shrugged sheepishly. Damon walked over to look through a boarded up window and then turned around, standing in the sunlight from another window. He suddenly couldn't move. Buffy tried to wriggle out of his grasp, but his arm was frozen in its place around her waist.

"Whatever witchy prank you're playing, don't. It's not funny." Damon said.

"I'm not doing anything." Bonnie said.

"I can't move."

"Damon…." Buffy said. His skin was starting to burn.

"Oh, my ring's not working."

"Do something!" Buffy demanded of Bonnie as she tried to move Damon out of the sunlight. Bonnie lowered her head and concentrated, closing her eyes. Buffy and Damon stumbled forward suddenly.

"I don't think the witches like you being here, Damon." Bonnie said.

"I'm gonna go wait outside." Damon looked down at Buffy and she nodded emphatically. They made a beeline for the front door and stopped once they were on the porch. Damon looked down at Buffy. "Are you ok?"

"Me?" Buffy gently touched where Damon had nearly been burned alive. "Are you ok?"

"I'm healed."

"I really don't like this place."

"Well, damn. I was thinking of buying it and fixing it up for us."

Buffy shook her head. "No thank you. I like our non-haunted house." Damon smiled. "How long is this going to take?" Buffy glanced through the open door. "I really don't like this place."

Damon turned and called through the door, "Wanna hurry it up in there?" He went to walk in, but the door slammed shut in his face. "Screw you, too, Emily. You know, you're on your own in there!" He turned and wrapped his arm around Buffy's shoulders. "We're leaving."

"But…."

"They'll be fine. They came in Bonnie's car, so we're good to go. I just needed to show them where to go."

Buffy's phone rang as they made their way through the woods. It was Elena. "Hey!"

"We have a problem." Elena said.

"What's wrong?"

"John's been killed at the luncheon. Stefan and I are leaving now. It was Isobel, Buffy. It's gotta be."

"Tell her she and Damon need to get over here and deal with John's body." Stefan said in the background.

"You've got some serious explaining to do to the Council about John being not so dead."

"Yeah." Buffy hung up and looked at Damon. "We've got to get to the Lockwood estate."

"Why?" Damon asked.

"Isobel killed John."

* * *

><p>"I'm sorry for the scare." Carol said as people made their way out her front door. "It was just a bad fall. Paramedics are on their way."<p>

Buffy and Damon pushed through the people and into the foyer. "How is he?" Buffy asked Liz.

"He's dead." The sheriff answered.

Damon looked at the body and saw the ring on John's finger. "He'll be fine in a couple hours." He said.

"What are you talking about?" Carol asked. "Damon, he's dead."

"Well…. Here's the thing. John's ring? It's an old Gilbert family heirloom that protects its owner from death by a supernatural entity."

"But he's not breathing. He has no pulse."

"He will be." Buffy said. "Trust us. We're gonna need a cover story though. Epileptic fit, alcohol binge…."

"Banana peel!" Damon said has he hauled John's body off.

"Whatever works." Buffy finished. "But right now we just have to get him out of here."

"We'll take him out the back way and put him in my trunk. When he wakes up, he'll be at our house."

"Are you certain he'll wake up?" Liz asked Buffy as Damon left the room.

"Yes. I've seen it happen before." Buffy followed Damon. "No worries."

* * *

><p>Buffy opened the door for Damon as he carried in John's body fireman style. Damon dumped John on the ground in the living room. "Oh, ew." Buffy said. "You've got weasel blood on you."<p>

Damon laughed. "Guess I better go wash up and change shirts."

As they made their way up to Damon's bedroom and bathroom, Buffy looked around. "Hey…. Where are Stefan and Elena?"

"I don't know."

"That's weird." Buffy was distracted by Damon pulling his shirt off.

He smiled when he noticed her expression. "Hey, we've got time to take a shower."

Buffy was about to start stripping down, but her phone rang. She rolled her eyes and looked at her phone. "Oh." She answered it and Damon washed his hands. "Stefan! How'd we beat you and Elena home?"

"That wasn't Elena." Stefan said.

"What?"

"It was Katherine. She's kidnapped Elena. I think she and Isobel are working together."

"Ah crap!"

"I'm on my way home."

Buffy hung up and looked into the soap bowl where Damon had stashed the moonstone. It was gone. "That's it!" Buffy stormed out and headed to her unfinished weapons room. "I'm staking that bitch!"

Damon followed her. "Finally!"

"She's working with Isobel and they've kidnapped Elena. She wants to stab people in the back, then she's going to find out what it feels like."

* * *

><p>Stefan, Buffy, and Damon walked up to the house that Damon had searched for. "Think this is the house?" Stefan asked.<p>

"Better be." Damon said. "It's the nicest foreclosure in town."

"I swear to God if she's not here…."

"Don't be such a pessimist."

They entered the house through the unlocked front door. "I got upstairs." Stefan said, heading up the stairs.

Damon took one side of the house while Buffy took the other. Everyone met back up in the foyer a few minutes later. Nobody was there. There was luggage sitting by the stairs, though. "This is Isobel's stuff." Damon said. "It's definitely the right place."

"Where are they?" Buffy asked.

"I don't know."

* * *

><p>Elena held Isobel's necklace in her hands as she sat in the living room with Buffy. Damon and Stefan joined them. Elena had called Stefan from a graveyard in another town. Isobel had kidnapped her and had handed Katherine over to Klaus before taking off her necklace and incinerating herself in the sunlight.<p>

"Is that Isobel's?" Stefan asked.

"I never thought I would feel bad about her being dead, and yet…." Elena said.

"She was your mother." Buffy said. "Bad parent or good parent…. They're still your parents."

"Why did they let me go?"

"Well, anything John told Isobel, we have to assume that Klaus knows, right?" Stefan asked. Buffy nodded. "So he knows that you're not gonna turn yourself into a vampire. He knows that you have us keeping you safe."

"He knows I'm not gonna run."

"Which is why we need to take some precautions." Damon said. "Cause we got played. All of us." He put papers on Buffy's legs.

"What's this?" Buffy asked.  
>"It's the deed to our house." Stefan said. "It's in Zach's name. As soon as you sign it, it'll be in your name."<p>

"Wait…. you're giving me your house?"

"Isobel had the right idea with the safe house. Since you already live here, Buffy, it makes sense to give it to you. Plus, you have better instincts on who's a human and who's…. not. Elena can just stay here till it's all over. That way, the Slayer can control who gets invited and who doesn't."

"I'll be super pissed if you lock me out." Damon said playfully to Buffy. She smiled slightly, still stunned that they were giving her the house.

John woke up suddenly and Damon rushed over him, hauling him up. "I swear I had no idea what she was gonna do." John cried. "I'm sorry. I'm so, so sorry."

"Damon, let him go." Elena said. "He and I need to talk."

* * *

><p>Damon and Buffy were standing in the library. Buffy had just gotten off the phone with Bonnie when Stefan walked in. "Hey, Bonnie said the spell worked." Buffy said. "She's locked and loaded."<p>

"At least something went right today." Stefan said. "Katherine has no idea that Bonnie got her powers back and Isobel had no idea what you two and Jeremy took Bonnie to do today. We're the only ones who know."

"That literally makes Bonnie our secret weapon." Damon said. He sighed and turned to look at Buffy. "I don't know about you, but I need to get out of here and get some fresh air. Walk with me?"

"Sure." Buffy said. She smiled slightly and followed him out, taking his offered hand. They headed out to stroll in the gardens.

"Hell of a day, huh?"

"Yeah. I just hope it doesn't get any worse too soon."

"Don't jinx us." Damon laughed. He raised his arm up, still holding Buffy's hand, and twirled her into him before leaning down to kiss her.

"Hello, lover." A familiar voice purred behind them. Buffy stiffened and Damon felt the blood drain from her face. Her lips and her hands were suddenly ice cold. He turned to see who the voice belonged to, but Damon was thrown across the yard where he smacked hard against a tree at the edge of the woods.

Buffy's muscles bunched up for a fight, but Angelus just laughed. She didn't release her defensive posture as she said, "How?" Her voice was barely above a whisper.

"Your friend Klaus had one of his witches free me." Angelus took a moment to admire the Slayer. "You're looking good."

"Buffy…." Damon was getting to his feet.

"I always said that you needed a demon in your man to make you happy." Angelus glanced at Damon. "Guess I was right. But is he _enough_ demon for you, lover?"

"You're a pig." Buffy growled, slapping his hand away from her hair.

Damon was suddenly at her side. "Are you ok?"

"Don't worry about her, boy. This one's mine." Angelus said.

"Yeah, I don't think so." Damon started to pounce, but Buffy stopped him. "What…."

"He'll kill you." Buffy said, softly.

"That's right, Buff." Angelus gloated. "He's touched what's mine. I have every right to kill him."

"You can try." Damon taunted, his voice verging on a growl..

"I'm not yours." Buffy said. "I never was."

"Yeah?" Angelus taunted. "That one night tells me differently."

"That night was with Angel, not you."

"You and I both know I'm not talking about the night you gave your virginity to Soul Boy." Angelus laughed at the blush that took over her face. "God, I have missed you."

"The feeling's not mutual."

He changed the subject suddenly. "Hey, have you talked to Giles lately?"

Buffy's heart stopped and the world seemed to stop with it. "What have you done?"

Angelus smiled. "The games are just beginning, lover." He blew her a kiss and disappeared into the woods.

"Buffy…." Damon started, but she tore past him and back into the house, taking the back door off its hinges.

A startled Stefan was nearly knocked over as she ran past him, up to her room. "What's…."

"Not now." Damon rushed after Buffy up the stairs and Stefan followed.

Elena came out from shutting the door and saw the two vampires chase after Buffy up the stairs. She ran after them and heard Buffy's frantic voice talking on the phone.

"Giles is he…." Buffy was standing in the middle of her room with Damon at one shoulder and Stefan at the other. "I…. I understand…." She was completely pale and looked like she was about to faint. "He…." The phone slipped from her fingers and she stood frozen as the back of the phone broke off and the battery skittered across the floor.

"Buffy?" Stefan asked gently, reaching out to touch her shoulder.

"Giles…." Buffy couldn't say anymore as the tears started to spill down her cheeks and her breaths came in shallow gasps. Her knees gave out and Damon and Stefan caught her before she hit the ground.

"Oh god…." Damon said, pulling Buffy tightly to him as she started to sob.

"What's going on?" Stefan asked.

Damon looked at Stefan over Buffy's head. "Angelus is back and he killed Giles."


	33. Chapter 33

Chapter 33

Damon walked into his room where Buffy was laying in bed. He'd brought her in here the night before and had held her through most of the night, kissing her hair and whispering soothing words to her. None of it had helped. The Slayer was inconsolable. Her ex had been reverted to his homicidal half and he had killed her Watcher.

Damon sighed and crawled up next to her. He brushed her hair away from her tear stained face. "Hey." She didn't say anything. "Buffy, the lawyer's here. You've got to come down and sign for the house."

"I don't want to move." Buffy said, her voice hoarse. "Ever."

"I can't imagine how you're feeling, but just remember that this isn't just for your safety. It's for Elena's too."

Just then, Elena walked in. She saw Damon trying to console Buffy and walked over to the other side. She crawled into bed with them and hugged Buffy tightly. She and Damon just held Buffy for what seemed like hours. It was unnerving to see the Slayer so sad. She'd been so upbeat and strong for as long as she'd been in Mystic Falls.

Eventually Stefan found them all piled in Damon's bed. "There you guys are." He walked over to Elena's side and saw Buffy laying against Elena's shoulder. "Hey, you." Stefan leaned over and kissed Buffy's forehead. It started fresh tears and Buffy's face buried under Elena's arm. "There's someone here who wants to see you."

Damon and Elena looked over at the newcomer. It was Dawn. Damon stood up and let Dawn take his place. Elena wrapped her free arm over Buffy and included Dawn in the hug. The teen was even crying with the two sisters. Giles had been like a father to the Summers sisters.

"Dawnie, you shouldn't be here." Buffy said, turning so she could hold her sister. "It's too dangerous."

"_Not_ being here is too dangerous." Dawn said. "He can't get me here with you and Stefan and Damon protecting me."

"Dawn…."

"No arguing. Giles would expect better than this from his Slayer. You've got to go downstairs and sign those papers so you can have a safe house for everyone. Then we've got to plan how to get Angel back. And then we'll deal with Klaus. All of us. Together."

* * *

><p>Buffy sighed and signed the papers the lawyer set in front of her. Elena and Dawn were right behind her. "Please sign here and here." The lawyer said.<p>

"So this place is all yours?" Dawn asked. "They just gave it to you?"

"For now." Buffy said. "As sole owner, I'm the only one who can invite a certain type of person in here." She finished signing.

"Congratulations, Miss Summers." The lawyer said. He started packing everything up and Buffy showed him the door. Damon and Stefan were waiting outside.

"Thank you, Mr. Henry." Buffy said.

"You feel better, ok?" The lawyer said before leaving.

Stefan and Damon tried to enter, but the barrier stopped them. "I'm sorry. I completely forgot. Come in, guys." Buffy turned and headed back towards the stairs.

"No, no, no." Damon stopped her. "Your sister's right. I know you're upset, but we've got to face this. Head on. Go in with your usual style."

Buffy sighed. "All I want to do is sleep and hope this misery goes away."

"I know. But that's just not a valid plan right now."

Buffy stared at Damon for a long moment. He wrapped her in his arms and kissed her hair as she breathed in against his chest. After another long moment, Buffy turned to her sister. "Dawn, have you talked to Willow?"

"No." Dawn said. "I've tried calling her, but I think her phone's dead."

"God, what if Angelus went after her too?"

"Don't worry, Buffy. He can't touch her now. She's too powerful."

"What about Xander?"

"I talked to him on the way here. He's going to England to help plan the funeral."

"I should be helping."

"They understand that your hands are full here. Buffy, we've got this. It's time for you to take over and fix this. Now…. How do we find Willow?"

"Bonnie." Elena said. "She's a witch. She can find Willow. I'll ask her at school."

"Can Bonnie do the restoration spell?" Buffy asked.

"We can ask her." Dawn said.

"Wait, school?" Stefan said.

"No, no, no." Damon said. "We didn't create a safe house for you to leave it."

"Yeah, guys, Klaus is out there. We know that."

"Right. But where?" Elena said. "No one knows. Look, I really appreciate what you guys are doing. And I'll be able to sleep at night knowing that I'll be safe here, but I'm not going to be a prisoner."

Damon sighed. "Your way, Elena."

"The way I see it: next to Bonnie is the safest place that I can be. Come on." Stefan looked at Buffy and Damon before following Elena out of the house.

"Come on." Damon said to Buffy. "You need a shower. You're hair's kind of doing its own thing and it's not a good thing." He led her upstairs and helped her into the shower. She stared at the wall in front of her, tears spilling down her face. Damon pulled her to him and held her tightly as the water cascaded over them.

"Klaus was bad enough." Buffy sobbed. "I don't know how I'm going to deal with Klaus and Angelus and…."

"And that's why Klaus brought out Angelus." Damon took Buffy's face gently between his hands and made her look at him. "He knows you're the best Slayer there ever was or ever will be and I think he's scared of you."

"He's an Original. He's _the_ Original according to Elijah. How could he even be scared of me?"

"Because you're not insignificant. You're powerful. And for the ones you care about…. you fight harder for them. We're going to win this one, Buffy."

"What about Angelus? I can't kill him. This isn't Angel's fault."

"We'll trap him down in the cellar."

"That would require inviting him in and I don't want to do that."

"Buffy, we'll figure it out." She started to protest, but he cut her off. "We'll figure it out." He gently kissed the tears off her cheeks and then kissed her.

* * *

><p>Stefan, Damon, Buffy, Dawn, Bonnie, and Elena all sat in the living room later that afternoon. Klaus was in Mystic Falls. He'd compelled a girl to let Elena know that he was there.<p>

"So we go to the dance and we find him." Damon said.

"Really? How are we going to do that?" Stefan asked. "We don't even know what he looks like."

"Something tells me he's not going to be 16 and pimply."

"He could be anywhere at any time. He compelled somebody at school." Stefan looked at Elena and Bonnie. "I guess it's not as safe as you guys thought, huh?"

There was a knock on the door and Alaric opened it and walked in. "There you are." Damon said.

"Sorry I'm late." Alaric said. "Who's this?"

"This is Dawn. Dawn, that's Rick." Dawn gave a little wave at Damon's introduction. "She's Buffy's little sister."

"Why is she here?"

"Angelus is back and he killed Giles."

"He killed the Watcher?"

"Yeah."

"Great."

"Hey, I need you to put me and Buffy down as chaperones at the dance tonight. Klaus made his first move."

"Ok, so we find him and then what?" Dawn asked. "What's our plan of attack?"

"Me." Bonnie said. "I'm the plan. He has no idea how much power I can channel. If you can find him, I can kill him."

"It's not going to be that easy." Alaric said. "I mean, he is the biggest, baddest vampire around."

"Alaric has a point." Damon said. "I mean, what if he…." He suddenly rushed at Bonnie but she threw him to the other side of the room with her powers.

"Well, I was impressed." Stefan said.

"It doesn't matter if he's an Original." Bonnie said. "I can take down anyone who comes at me. I can kill him, Elena. I know I can."

"What about the curse?" Buffy asked. Her voice was so quiet and distant that it was almost unrecognizable.

Bonnie sighed. "Without Willow's help…. I…. I can't do the curse. I don't have this Orb thing that Dawn was talking about…."

"The Orb of Thesulah." Buffy whispered. "I don't have one…. But I know where I can get one."

"And the spell…. Buffy…. It's gypsy magic. I've never…. It's powerful."

"Then we'll get a hold of Willow and she can walk you through it." Dawn said. "You can channel those dead witches for the spell to kill Klaus, then you can channel them for the spell to restore Angel. Trust me, ok? Angelus is not someone you want to be running loose out there. You'll want to do everything in your power to stop him."

"What about killing him?" Alaric asked.

"I can't." Buffy said. "Angel doesn't deserve that for what Klaus did."

"So…. You're just going to let him roam free until you're ready to take him on? Like last time? Great plan."

"Hey!" Damon stood up and blocked Buffy. "You need to back off."

"He's right." Buffy said, standing up. "I can't let that happen. So I need to come up with a plan." She sighed. "Angelus will come to the dance because Klaus and I will both be there. I'll bet you anything Klaus has compelled Angelus."

"So what's your plan then?" Alaric asked.

"I…. I don't know yet. But I'll have one by tonight." Buffy walked out of the room.

"What is your deal?" Damon snapped at Alaric as he followed his girlfriend out.

* * *

><p>Dawn finished curling Buffy's hair and set the curling iron down. "There." She grabbed a bobby pin and pinned back Buffy's bangs, poufing it up a little to get the 60s pouf. She'd pulled out a black, sequined mini dress that had a raised square of sequins at the chest and from each top point of the square, a pretty beaded strap went back to create the illusion of spaghetti straps in the back. Dawn had made her put on black fishnets and had managed to find a pair of Buffy's old, black go-go boots. "You look good."<p>

"I feel stupid." Buffy said.

"But you look good. You look like Kate Hudson in _Nine_." Dawn grabbed the eyeliner and touched up a section of Buffy's kohl rimmed eyes. "In fact…. That's who I modeled you after. I should go into makeup and hair. Here," She handed her sister a tube of shiny lipgloss. "You were always better at putting this on than me."

Buffy sighed and put the lipgloss on in her mirror. Damon walked in wearing a black button up shirt that was unbuttoned all the way to his navel and black leather pants. He was drool worthy. "Wow. Buffy, you…."

"Look and feel stupid." Buffy finished.

"I was going to go with utterly sexy, but we can work with that." He gently cupped her face and looked into her eyes. "Everything's going to be ok."

Buffy sighed. "I keep hearing that."

"Because it's true." He kissed her forehead. "Come on. We've got a dance to go to."

"Dawn…."

"Don't worry, Buffy." Dawn said. "I'm staying in here away from windows and doors. I'll be trying to get a hold of Willow."

"Ok. Please call me if you need anything." Buffy turned and grab her purse, revealing the slits that were on both sides of her skirt.

"Wow." Damon whistled.

Buffy rolled her eyes. "Can we just go?"

* * *

><p>Buffy and Damon walked ahead of Elena and Stefan. Buffy was keeping her senses open for Angelus and Klaus. They saw Bonnie and Jeremy waiting outside and talking. "Well, I have to do something." Jeremy said. "I can't just…. I can't just let you get yourself killed."<p>

"Just because a bunch of dead witches gave me a warning doesn't mean I'm going to die." Bonnie insisted. Buffy and Damon exchanged glances.

"So you're saying there's a 50-50 shot you won't? Look, I'm sorry, but…. you know I don't have the best luck in the girlfriend department."

"Hey. Listen, I…. I can't explain it. But I can feel them. I'm empowered, Jeremy. I can do this. I know I can. I'm strong enough." She embraced Jeremy and noticed Buffy and Damon walking close by. "Buffy…." Bonnie said. She walked over and hugged the petite Slayer tightly. "You look amazing."

"Thanks." Buffy said. "Keep your eyes peeled and please…. Get inside. Both of you. Angelus can come out to play now that it's nighttime."

As they all entered the school, a girl got up onstage and took the microphone. "Thanks for being here, everybody. We have a special shout-out tonight. This is for Elena. From Klaus." A song started playing and Elena seemed to be as stunned as everyone else.

"That was a lame, cheap shot." Damon said. "He's just trying to bait us."

"I know everyone here." Elena said.

"Maybe he's not here." Stefan said. "Just wants us to believe that he is."

"It's a party, people. Blend. Let him come to us.  
>"Good idea." Bonnie said, taking Jeremy's arm.<p>

"No, no, I really don't feel like dancing." Jeremy protested.

"Too bad." Bonnie drug him onto the dance floor.

Damon spotted Alaric. "There's Rick. Let's go join him."

Buffy looked at Alaric and shook her head. "Something's different about him."

"What do you mean?" Damon asked.

"I mean…. He doesn't feel like Alaric."

"Well…. His girlfriend skipped town after finding out he was hiding his not-so-dead wife from her."

"Special dedication, huh?" Alaric said as Damon and Buffy joined him. "This guy's a little twisted."

"I'm not impressed." Buffy said.

"No?"

"I've seen better. Let me know if you see anything out of whack." Buffy took Damon's hand and walked off, noting the annoyed look on Alaric's face. "He's not very good at acting."

"You think he's working for Klaus?"

"Or something. I know magic's involved. I can smell it."

Damon noticed Stefan trying to get their attention. "Come on." They walked over to Elena and Stefan and Stefan handed Elena's hand over to Damon.

"How are you doing?" Elena asked Buffy as the three of them started to dance. Buffy wasn't paying much attention, though. She was too busy looking for Angelus. "Buffy?"

"Sorry." Buffy said. "I'm distracted. I'm on overload at the moment. Are you ok?"

"Um, I'm freaking out a bit."

"Don't worry." Damon said. "Come on! You guys remember the last decade dance? The vampires were all, ahh and you were all ahh!"

"Right. And we won." Elena said.

"Yes! We did." Damon glanced at Bonnie and Jeremy. They seemed to be discussing something important. "I'll be right back." He looked at Buffy for assurance and she nodded.

"Let's go get some punch." Elena suggested.

"Sure." Buffy was still looking around her as they made their way to the punch bowl.

"Has Dawn called?"

"Not yet."

Jeremy walked over to the girls. "What are they up to?" Elena asked, glancing at Bonnie and Damon dancing.

"Who knows?" Jeremy said.

"Is there something going on, Jer? You ok?"

"Fine. I'm fine." Jeremy walked away.

Stefan joined them a minute later. "Everything all right?" He asked.

"I'm not sure." Elena said.

"I'll ask." Stefan went after Jeremy and caught up with him in the hallway.

Elena looked at Buffy. "What is going on?"

Buffy sighed. "Since we're doing it your way, I'll tell you. I only just found out, so don't get all pissy with me, ok?"

"Ok…."

"Bonnie might not survive the spell to kill Klaus."

"What?"

"It's too much power for her."

Stefan joined them and looked from Buffy to Elena. "You told her?" He asked Buffy.

"I'm not lying to her. I think if Bonnie can't do it, then we need to find another way."

Elena stormed over to Bonnie and Damon. "I need to talk to you." She demanded of her best friend. They headed outside and Buffy went after them. She couldn't let them be outside in the dark by themselves.

"How could you not tell me?" Elena demanded.

"Cause I knew how'd you react." Bonnie said.

"No. No way. It's not an option."

"It's our only option."

"Then we'll find another way, ok? We'll get Willow here." Elena looked at Buffy walking up to them. "Bonnie, you're not dying to save my life."

"I have the power to save you! If I don't use it and something happens, that would kill me more."

"I can't let you."

"Just answer one question. If the situation was reversed, would you do it for me?" Elena didn't answer. "So you know I have to."

"No. No!"

"Girls…." Buffy warned.

"Well, well, well…." Angelus said, dislodging himself from the shadows. "The sixties look good on you, Buff."

Buffy moved Elena and Bonnie behind her. "Run. Find Damon and Stefan."

"No. Stay. I love the little spicy sizzle you get from a witch's blood."

"Go!" Buffy pushed the girls away and faced Angelus.

"Alone at last. Where's your boyfriend?"

"Taking care of Klaus."

"I doubt that. He's not that powerful."

"Neither are you."

"You think I can't take you? I taught you those moves, Buff."

"I've gotten some new tricks."

Angelus laughed. "I didn't come here to fight you. I came here to dance."

"Then let's dance." Buffy threw herself at him, but dodged out of the way before he could touch her. She threw her leg out at the last second and caught him in the knee. He grabbed his knee and Buffy elbowed him in the back, knocking him to the ground.

"Buffy!" Stefan called from the doorway.

The distraction was what Angelus needed. He reached out and swept Buffy's legs out from under her. She landed on her back and Angelus rolled on top of her. She blocked his attacks and threw him off of her. He landed a good distance away and Stefan helped her to her feet.

"Where are Elena and Bonnie?" He asked.  
>"They went to find you and Damon."<p>

"Damon and I were attacked."

"What?"

"We're not finished." Angelus growled, coming at her.

"Go find them!" Buffy said to Stefan, dodging blows from Angelus with lightening speed. "I've got this."

* * *

><p>Bonnie closed the doors with her powers as she and Elena ran away from Klaus in Alaric's body. Damon ran up just then. "What happened? Where's Buffy?"<p>

"Angelus attacked." Elena said. Damon started to go after Buffy, but Elena stopped him. "She made us run and then Alaric found us. He said Klaus had Jeremy, but Alaric _is_ Klaus!"

"What?"

"He's possessing him or something." Bonnie said.

"Go find Stefan." Damon ordered Elena. "Now."

"Ok." Elena ran off.

"Is Buffy ok?"

"She can hold her own against him." Bonnie said.

"Can you kill Klaus?"

"He's got some kind of protection spell."

"You have the power of a hundred witches. Break it."

"I'm trying! If I kill Alaric, he'll just possess someone else. He knows I have my powers, Damon. He's trying to kill me."  
>"No. Klaus does not get to win tonight, no way. You still willing to do whatever it takes to kill him?"<p>

* * *

><p>Buffy fended off Angelus with ease. She got the feeling he wasn't even trying. "What is this, Angelus?"<p>

He stopped and stood up straight. "I told you. I came to dance."

"You came to distract."

"And you always fall for it."

Buffy turned and ran into the school. She heard the sounds of lights exploding and followed it towards the cafeteria. Damon caught her. "Buffy!"

"He was a distraction." Buffy heard Elena screaming. "What's going on?" She tried to go to Elena, but Damon stopped her. "Damon…."

"Bonnie's fighting Klaus." He said.

"What? No! He'll kill her!"

"That's the plan."

"What? Plan! Damon!" She broke away from his grasp and ran down the hallway. She was confused when he didn't follow her, but she didn't stop. Stefan and Elena were pounding on the locked doors to the cafeteria. Inside, the lights were flashing like strobes and sparks flew everywhere. Bonnie stood in the middle of it all staring at Klaus. "Move!" Elena and Stefan jumped out of the way and Buffy summoned all of her strength. She kicked the doors and the wood around the locks broke, but the doors didn't open. "No!" Buffy kicked again with the same result. Bonnie looked back at Elena with a smile and then she fell on the floor. Everything stopped and Buffy kicked open the doors. Elena and Stefan rushed over to Bonnie.

"No! Oh!" Elena sobbed. "Bonnie! Bonnie, Bonnie!" She took Bonnie in her arms and Stefan looked around them as Buffy moved through the destroyed cafeteria. Klaus was gone. "Stefan, she's not breathing! Stefan! Stefan, I can't find her pulse! Stefan! Do something, please! Stefan, please! Just give her blood, do something, please!"

"It's too late. I'm sorry." Stefan said.

"No! No. No, no, no, no, no! Bonnie! Bonnie, please, no! No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no!"

Damon walked in just then. "Stefan, get Elena out of here." He said. "Buffy and I will deal with this."

"What do you mean 'deal with this'?" Elena asked.

"The sheriff can't know about this. Last thing we need's another mysterious death."

"This is Bonnie!"

"Get her home. Now." Damon demanded of Stefan.

Stefan caught Elena and helped her to get up. "Hey, hey, hey."

"No. Jeremy. Oh, my God, Jeremy. What about Jeremy?" Elena sobbed.

"We'll find him." Damon assured her. Elena got up as she looked at Bonnie's body. Stefan took her in his arms and they left.

Damon closed Bonnie's eyes. "Bonnie had to die." He said quietly to Buffy.

"No she didn't!" Buffy argued, hauling Damon to his feet and shoving him back a few feet. "You knew this would happen and you didn't stop it."

"Bonnie had to die because Klaus had to see it."

"What?"

"She cast a spell, Buffy."

"She's dead. I can't hear her heart beating."

"That's the spell. Klaus wouldn't stop until she was dead. Willow will be next, but she's a hell of a lot more powerful. He won't be able to touch her. Not without help anyway."

"Willow…." Buffy started to grab her phone.

"Don't worry. Dawn's gotten a hold of her and your best friend's on her way to the rescue."

"How do you know all of this?"

Damon held up her cell phone. "You left your purse by the punch. Dawn called."

Buffy closed her eyes. "Thank you."

"Don't thank me. Thank Bonnie when she wakes up. Now we've got to move and get her into hiding."

"Where?"

"Where else? The place where all her power resides." Damon bent down and picked Bonnie's body up.

* * *

><p>Elena was sitting next to the fireplace in a chair with a blanket wrapped around her. Dawn stood beside her and watched the door. Stefan joined them with a glass. "Hey. Here, drink this." He said.<p>

"I can't." Elena protested.

"Yeah. Yeah, you can."

She took the glass but didn't drink it. "This is my fault."

"No, Elena." Dawn said. "No. This was Klaus. Klaus did this."

Damon and Buffy walked in. "What did you do with her?" Elena demanded.

"Will you please calm her down?" Damon asked his brother.

"Don't talk like I'm not standing right in front of you."

"Please calm down."

"You knew! Didn't you? You knew that if she harnessed all that power, that she would die, didn't you?"

"Yes. Yes, I knew." Elena slapped him. "You need to listen to me, and prepare for what I'm about to say. Bonnie had to die. Klaus using Alaric's body was a total surprise. She wasn't prepared for that. And he wasn't going to stop, and we weren't going to be able to stop him until he knew she was dead. He had to believe it."

"Elena…." Buffy said, drawing the teenager's attention to her. "She cast a spell. She's alive. Bonnie's ok." She glanced at Damon as he turned and walked out. Stefan followed him.

"Are you ok?" Dawn asked. "Elena said Angelus showed up."

"Yeah."

"Willow's on her way."

"She is?" Elena asked.

"I finally got a hold of her. She didn't want to leave…. Not after…. But what's happening here is more important."

"Does she have the spell for Angel?"

"She doesn't need it. She's got it memorized." Dawn smiled slightly. "We're gonna win this."

* * *

><p>Damon found Buffy in his bedroom a little while later staring out the window. "Is he out there?" Damon asked.<p>

Buffy shrugged. "Probably. He likes to watch."

"Willow will fix this." Damon said, wrapping his arms around Buffy. "You'll get Angel back."

"And then what? Klaus's witch will just take his soul out again."

"Are you talking about making it permanent?"

"Willow talked about it for a long time."

"What would that mean for you?" Elena walked in just then. Damon groaned. "Look. Klaus had to think she was dead. Your reaction had to be real."

"I understand why you did what you did." Elena said. "Klaus was fooled, and Bonnie's alive."

"Here's to duplicity."

"But let's get one thing straight, Damon. Bonnie will not die for me. I will not let that happen."

"We need to kill Klaus, Elena. Real Klaus. Who will probably be coming to pay you a visit soon now that he knows that Bonnie is dead."

"Look, I shouldn't have hit you."

"Apology accepted. Let me be clear about something. If it comes down to you and the witch again, I will gladly let Bonnie die. I will always choose you."

Elena didn't say anything for a moment. "Good night, Buffy. Damon."

"Good night." Buffy said as Elena walked out and shut the door.

Damon glanced out the window. "When will he attack again?"

"As soon as he realizes Willow's coming into the game." Buffy said, grasping Damon's hand tightly.


	34. Chapter 34

Chapter 34

Buffy walked outside in the pre-dawn darkness and stood in the gardens. Damon was asleep up in his room. She hadn't been able to sleep, so she'd slipped out of bed and had wandered through the house. She'd seen a shadow moving outside and figured it was Angelus lurking.

"I know you're out here." She called.

Angelus dislodged from the shadows. "Coming out to play, lover?"

"Not hardly. Did you turn him?"

"Your Watcher? Why would I do that?"

"To torment me."

"Trust me, Buff, I would never turn your Watcher. I couldn't even stand the taste of his blood. It was musty."

"Why him?"

"I never got to finish what I started. I really wanted to use that chainsaw…."

"He knew something, didn't he?"

"He knew a lot."

"What did he know about Klaus?"

"Can't tell you."  
>"Have you been compelled?"<p>

"Couldn't tell you if I was. Wouldn't tell you if I wasn't." Angelus suddenly stood behind Buffy. He ran a hand down her bare arm. "Is he enough for you, Buff? Does he make you tremble like I did?" Buffy closed her eyes and shuddered. She felt Angelus' fangs sink into her neck and she shot up in bed and looked around the dark room in panic.

Damon stirred next to her. "What's wrong?"

"Bad dream." Buffy got out of bed and looked out the window. It was daylight out. Angelus wasn't free to move about the town. The sewer system wasn't specially designed for vampires, so he was stuck wherever he was.

"Come back to bed."

"I don't think I could sleep." Buffy turned to look at Damon. "Giles knew something about Klaus. Something important."

"How do you know that?"

"Angelus said as much in my dream."

"It was just a dream."

"My dreams aren't just dreams." Damon shot her a pointed look. "Ok, sometimes they are."

"Like that one the other night where you were selling corndogs in Canada for bags of blood flavored tortilla chips?"

"Shut up. This one was a Slayer dream."

Damon sighed and sat up. "How can you tell the difference?"

"I can see my hands in Slayer dreams." She shook her head at his expression. "Don't ask."

"So…. Did your dream tell you what Giles knew?"

"No. Just that he knew something and Klaus had him killed. Angelus doing it was just…. poetic."

"And distracting."

"Majorly." Buffy sighed. "I need coffee." She grabbed her black yoga pants hanging off the edge of the bed, slipped them on, and headed downstairs as she threw her hair up in a messy ponytail. As she started the coffee pot, her hand snaked up to the scar on her neck and the memory of her dream came back.

"Hey." Buffy jumped at the sound of Stefan's voice. "Sorry. I didn't mean to scare you."

"I'm jumpy this morning." Buffy shrugged.

"Are you ok?"

"Not really." Stefan nodded and squeezed her shoulders lovingly. "Thanks."

"Have you seen Elena?"

"Uh, no. But I did just wake up."

Damon joined them. "Morning, Stefan." He said, walking over to Buffy and kissing the side of her hair.

"Hey, where's Elena?" Stefan asked Damon.

"I don't know, Stefan. She's your girlfriend. Mine's right here." He wrapped an arm around her waist and kissed her neck. Buffy tensed up and Damon gave her a weird look. She just smiled apologetically and said she'd explain it later.

Stefan sighed and pulled out his phone, "Hey, it's me. Where are you? Call me."

"What's wrong?" Buffy asked Stefan as he hung up.

"Elena wasn't here when I woke up."

"You should put a bell on that girl." Damon suggested as they walked towards the living room.

Buffy noticed the basement door was ajar. "That's weird. I thought that was closed." Stefan rushed over to it and down the stairs. Buffy and Damon followed. Elijah's body was gone.

"No!" Damon said. "She didn't!"

"I'm thinking, yeah. She did." Buffy said. "Let me grab my cell and I'll call her. She might be willing to pick up for me."

A little while later, the three of them sat in the living room with Damon and Stefan staring at Buffy. She dialed Elena's number and waited. "Hey Buffy." Elena said.

"So…. There's a body missing from our basement and a teenager missing from her bed. Are you ok?" Buffy asked.

"Yes, I'm fine."

"Is Elijah with you?"

"Yes. He's right here."

"Where's here?"

Elena sighed. "Buffy, Elijah and I need some time alone."

"You know he can't be trusted, right? He'll use you to get to Klaus."

"Elijah is a noble man, Buffy. He lives by a code of honor. I can trust him. He knows that I'd be incredibly stupid to betray him again. By removing the dagger, I have proven myself."

"Are you sure you want to do this alone? I can be there with you."

"I'm ok, Buffy. I promise. If I need you, I'll call. And please ask Stefan to respect my decision and also make sure that Damon doesn't do anything stupid. I'll be in touch." Elena hung up and Buffy looked at the phone.

"Did she just hang up on you?" Damon asked.

"Uh…. Yeah. She did." Buffy shrugged and set her phone down.

"She's lost it!"

"If anyone can get him to help us kill Klaus, it's her." Stefan said.

"Willow and Bonnie are the way to kill Klaus, Stefan." Damon argued. "He thinks Bonnie's dead. We have a chance with her."

"She'll kill herself in the process." Buffy said. "Elena's looking for another way."

"Her way's going to get her killed. So we need to find her and stop her."

"No, Damon. Just back off."

"What?"

"Look, I don't like this any more than you do. But we need to trust her. We've just got to let her do her thing."

"That might be your plan. Mine's better." Damon tried to leave but Buffy was suddenly in front of him.

"I said no, Damon. Ok? We'll let her do her thing for now. If she needs me, she will call. I trust her. Right now we just need to wait for Willow to get here. Hopefully before the sun goes down."

Dawn stopped in the doorway. "Wow, what did I miss?"

Buffy's phone started ringing and she grabbed it. It was Jenna. "Hey, Jenna!"

"Hey Buffy." Jenna said. "Where's Elena? And Jeremy? No one's answering their phones."

"Elena's not here right now. Is everything ok?"

"She left me all these weird messages telling me to stay away from Rick. What's going on?"

"Oh, uh…. It's kinda hard to explain over the phone, but she was hoping that you could stay on campus for a little while longer."

"Oh, that's kinda hard to do from my kitchen."

"Wait, you're home?"

"Yeah. What's going on? Where's Elena? I'm supposed to meet Rick at the Grill for lunch, to talk."

"Jenna, listen to me very carefully. Whatever you do, do not meet Alaric at the Grill. I'm going to come over right now and I'll explain everything." She hung up.

"Wow, I'd love to lend you a hand, but you wouldn't want me doing anything stupid." Damon said.

"Seriously? You're going to be like that?"

"You and Elena are calling the shots. I'm just backing off."

Buffy rolled her eyes. "I'm going to Jenna's. I'll be back."

"Wait up." Stefan said. "I'll come with."

"Dawn…."

"I'll stay here." Dawn said. "Willow said she'd call when she got in and I'll go get her at the airport."

"Thanks."

"Damon," Buffy walked over and looked at him expectantly.

He sighed. "Fine. Have fun." He kissed her lightly and waved her off as she and Stefan left. As soon as they were gone, Damon turned to Dawn. "Let's go."

"Where are we going?" Dawn asked.

"Splitting from the team. Going rogue. Come on."

"Buffy's going to kill you."

Damon shrugged. "She won't. I think she likes me too much."

* * *

><p>Damon and Dawn walked up to Alaric's apartment and Dawn knocked on the door. "Alaric, are you home?" She called. She looked at Damon and shrugged. Damon reached down and twisted the knob till it broke and the door swung open.<p>

Katherine stood there with her hands on her hips. "Thank God."

"Wow! You were right, Damon." Dawn said. "She looks exactly like Elena."

"Yup." Damon tried to follow Dawn into the apartment, but he couldn't enter. He shrugged and leaned on the barrier. "Thought you might be dead." He said to Katherine.

"Unfortunately not. What are you doing here?"

"We're here to rescue you." Dawn said. "Though my sister will probably just kill you once you're out."

"The Slayer's little sister?" Katherine grabbed Dawn and pushed her out the door just as Angelus appeared where she'd been standing.

Damon caught Dawn and kept her on the other side of the barrier. "So this is where you've been hiding."

"No other place like the winner's circle." Angelus said. "Hello, Dawnie."

"Go to hell." Dawn shot back.

"Still got that Summers fire? It's too bad I didn't turn you the last time I got my hands on you." Angelus wandered back off to wherever he'd been hiding.

"Is that…." Katherine had spotted the vial in Damon's hand.

"Vervain?" Damon whispered, holding up the vial. "Your salvation."

Katherine moved closer and whispered, "It's not going to undo anything."

"There's always a loophole. Did he tell you to stay in this apartment until he said it was ok to leave?" She tried to answer, but she couldn't. "You can't say. Did he tell you to do absolutely everything he says until the end of time?"

"No."

"There's your loophole. Drink this and prevent any further compulsion." Damon held it out, but pulled it back when she tried to grab it. "Two conditions. One: you keep this away from psycho boy over there. And two…." Damon reverted to a normal tone. "You answer one question first. You double-crossed us with Isobel, why?"

"I didn't think you could stand a chance against Klaus, so I was looking out for myself."

"And where did that get you?" Damon started whispering again. "Here," He tossed her the vial. "Be careful with that. If he finds out you have that, you're never getting out of here." Katherine glanced at Angelus and drank it, coughing quietly for a few seconds. Damon nodded and said, "You owe me. And I will collect."

"Send my love to Buffy." Angelus called from inside the apartment. "I'll come see her soon."

"Good luck." Dawn called back. "Before you know it, you'll have a soul shoved up your ass so far you'll never see the light of day again."

"You don't have a witch."

"Don't need one. I know the curse." Dawn smiled and waved as she and Damon walked away.

* * *

><p>Buffy and Stefan sat with Jenna at the table while Klaus was chopping some food with a big knife at the island counter. When Buffy and Stefan had arrived, Klaus had already been there.<p>

"You know, I find chopping…. Calming." Klaus said. "The feel of the blade in the hand, maybe?"

"I'm still waiting for someone to tell me what the hell's going on." Jenna said.

"Well, would either of you like to tell her? Or should I?"

"Tell me what?"

"Do you believe in vampires, Jenna? No?" He laughed. "Well, who does, right? But believe it or not, they do have a place in our history. And as a history teacher, I find them fascinating."

"Why are we talking about this?"

"Well, you've been angry with me for keeping secrets, and this is one of my secrets. I'm obsessed with vampires. There. I said it."

"Are you joking?"

"Not at all. How about you, Stefan? Are you a fan of vampires?"

"In literature." Stefan answered. "Bram Stoker. It's dense, but I appreciate it."

"Buffy?"

"Only when there's a stake through the bad vampire's heart." Buffy snarled.

"Hmm. Did you know that vampires are the oldest creatures of the night? Except for werewolves, of course."

"Werewolves." Jenna said. "Werewolves. Now I know you're joking."

"You know, I've read that there's an Aztec curse on both species that keeps werewolves slaves to the Moon and vampires bound by the Sun. Isn't that right, Buffy? You know, they say these creatures would do anything to have this curse broken and that they wouldn't care who they had to kill to do it. Oh, I know this all sounds so crazy, but…. vampires are real. Would you care for some more wine?"

"Get out." Jenna said.

"Excuse me?"

"I don't know what it is you're trying to do or why you're saying these things, but…."

"Jenna…."

"I said get out!"

Buffy stood up. "You heard her."  
>"I'm afraid I don't want to."<p>

"Fine! I'll go." Jenna got up to leave.

Klaus grabbed the knife and held it menacingly at Jenna. "You're not going anywhere."

Buffy was suddenly standing in front of Klaus. She hauled him off his feet by his neck and threw him over the island to crash against the far wall. Stefan moved with super speed and took the knife from Klaus and shoved it against his throat.

"Buffy! Stefan!" Jenna cried.  
>"Jenna, get out of here now!" Buffy said, moving to block Jenna.<p>

"You can't kill me, Stefan." Klaus taunted.

"Watch me!" Stefan growled.

"Stefan!" Jenna cried.

"I may not have a witch protecting me today, but if you kill this body, what's to stop me from choosing Jenna as my next one?" Klaus asked.

Buffy moved into a defensive crouch in front of Jenna. "Jenna, let's go."

"But you're…."

Stefan turned and looked at Jenna. His face had changed. "Go!" Jenna moved closer to Buffy, but didn't leave.

"Kill me." Klaus said. "Just remind Elena how easy it will be for me to get my revenge if she tries to stop me from breaking this curse."

Stefan tossed Klaus to Buffy, who caught him out of the air and punched him hard in the face. He landed on the floor and Buffy violently kicked him in the stomach. "That's for Angel." Stefan grabbed Jenna and pulled her towards the door.

"You won't get him back." Klaus coughed.

Buffy stopped. "Watch me."

"I have powerful witches on my side."

"Yeah? I don't need the plural cause I've got the one. Be afraid, Klaus. The big bad witch is teaming up with the big bad Slayer again." Buffy turned and walked out with Jenna and Stefan.

* * *

><p>Buffy stood with Stefan and Damon in the hallway outside of one of the guest bedrooms as Elena went in to talk to Jenna. Jenna was terrified of Buffy and Stefan. Damon had stayed out of the way. Dawn had driven to Richmond to pick up Willow. Stefan stayed near the door to the bedroom while Buffy and Damon sat at the far end of the hallway.<p>

"Oh, Jenna, thank God." Elena said.

"No." Jenna recoiled from her niece.

"I never meant for any of this to happen."

"When I was little, your mom used to tell me bedtime stories. Stories about vampires. I never thought that what she said could be true."

"It is true, Jenna. I should have told you. I thought that if you didn't know, you'd be safe. But then things got so out of control and everything I had done to keep you out of it, it just blew up in my face."

"Who else knows? Jeremy?" Elena nodded. "John?"

"We were just trying to protect you."

"Protect me?"

"I'm so sorry. I will tell you everything."

"No, Elena…. I am the one who's supposed to be protecting you and Jeremy."

"I know, but there's nothing that you could have done. There's so much more to it…."

"No, this is…. This is so…. I don't know how…. it's…."

"I know, hey…."

"Why didn't you tell me? I'm scared."

Elena sat down next to her and held her tightly. "I know. I know. I know, hey. Hey. I'm sorry. Jenna, I am so, so sorry."

Buffy looked at Damon and sighed. "At least she didn't get kicked out."

"What do you mean?" Damon asked.

"When I told my mom, she flipped and kicked me out of the house."

Elena came out of the room and closed the door. "Is she gonna be ok?" Stefan asked.

"She's in shock." Elena said. "I tried to tell her as much as I could, but I barely scratched the surface."

"I'm so sorry, Elena. I hate this."

"It's not your fault, Stefan. It's mine. Anyway…. I have to go back to Elijah."

"Wait, what? No, no!"

"Stefan, I promised him that I would return. I can't break that promise."

"Oh."

"I'll be ok." She headed for the stairs, but Damon stood up and blocked her path.

"Where do you think you're going?" He asked.

"Back to Elijah."

"No."

"Get out of my way, Dam…."

Damon grabbed her arm. "If you so much as try and take a step out of this house…."

"Easy Damon." Buffy warned.

"Stay out of this, Buffy."

Buffy was suddenly in front of Damon, forcing him to let go of Elena's arm. "Let her go."

"Are you kidding me? We just got her back."

"I know. But I trust her."

"I don't."

"I do. This isn't an option, ok? Let her go."

"I'll be back, Damon." Elena said. Damon looked from Buffy and Elena and then over at Stefan. It was clear he was outnumbered. He huffed and stormed away, slamming his bedroom door. "I'm sorry." Elena said to Buffy.

"I know." Buffy shook her head. "It's ok. I'll go talk to him." She walked over to the door and tried the knob, but it was locked. "Wow. Really?"

"Buffy…."

"Just go Elena. The longer you make him wait, the more likely it is he'll just come kill us all."

Elena sighed and walked away. Stefan came over to Damon's door and knocked. "This is stupid Damon!" There was no answer. "You know if she really wanted to come in, the door wouldn't stop her." Still no answer.

"I hate pouty vampires." Buffy said.

"He hates being told what to do."

"I know he does, but in this case…. We've just got to play it by ear."

"What did Klaus mean today? When he said that you 'won't get him back'?"

Buffy sighed. "I'm thinking it means his witch did something to block Angel's soul from entering his body. I'm banking on Willow being able to fix that."

"You think she can?"

"I think that Bonnie's hundred witches _wish_ they had as much power as Willow does. You know…. I've been thinking…. Would a hundred Slayers take down Klaus?"

"Yes, but you'd lose too many of them in the process."

"Yeah…."

"I think we've got to hear what Elena and Elijah have got up their sleeves before we start planning our battle strategies." Stefan looked at Damon's door. "Do you need help with him?"

"No. I think I can handle him." Buffy grabbed the knob and broke the lock. The other half of the knob could be heard clattering to the floor. She smiled slightly and walked into the room, closing the door behind her. Calmly, she placed a heavy chair in front of the door and walked over to the bathroom where Damon was getting ready to get in the shower. "Are you done pouting yet?"

"Go away." Damon demanded.

"How about no?"

"How about I force you out?"

Buffy laughed. "Really Damon? You want to take me on?"

"Sounds like a good idea right now."

"Sounds like an idea that would only piss you off more because I'd beat you."

"I've killed an Original."

"Who's walking around and talking right now."

"I still killed him once."

"And I killed a hell god. Big whoop." Buffy grabbed her boyfriend's shoulders and stopped him. "Damon, I understand where you're coming from. I do. But we've got to let Elena handle this. It's her life in the balance. I'm not above having a plan B in case her plan goes to hell…."

"Plan B should be our plan A."

"Well, it's not. And you know as well as I do that Elena's plan will go through one way or another." Buffy glanced outside and realized it was dark out and Dawn wasn't back yet. "Oh god…." She grabbed her phone and dialed Dawn's number. It went straight to voicemail. She dialed Willow's number, but it went straight to voicemail too. "Oh god…."

"What?"

"Their phones are turned off."

"Klaus has no idea that Willow's coming." Buffy looked at Damon worriedly. "What?"

"You've rubbed off on me."

"You told him?"

"He pissed me off!"

"And Angelus knows that Dawn is here."

"What? How?"

"She came with me when I went to see if Katherine was still alive. They're both locked up at Alaric's apartment until Klaus says they can leave."

"Damon! Why would you do that?"

"Why would you tell the bad guy you're bringing in the big witchy guns!"

"I wasn't thinking! He pissed me off."

"We'll find them." Damon grabbed a phone book. "I'll call the airport and see if they can track them down."

* * *

><p>Buffy paced the living room as Damon and Stefan were both on their phones talking to the police in two other counties on the way from Richmond to Mystic Falls. Willow's flight had landed two hours ago and security cameras had placed them in the parking garage about an hour ago at the airport. Since then, no one had seen them. Dawn's rental car hadn't been spotted at any gas stations, but it wasn't at the airport either.<p>

"Dawn, please turn your phone on and call me." Buffy said, leaving the thirtieth message in an hour. She hung up and dialed Jeremy's cell phone. "Anything?" She asked when he picked up.

"Not yet." Jeremy said.

"She's got the power of one hundred witches. Why can't she locate them?"

"Because she doesn't have something of theirs. She's only got Willow's power signal to go by, but she's never done this spell before so it's not really working."

"Jeremy, I've got some of Dawn's things here." Stefan started pointing at himself. "Stefan's going to bring them to you."

Jeremy relayed the message to Bonnie. "She says that she'll have better luck with that spell."

"Good." Buffy hung up and ran up to Dawn's room. Stefan followed her and Buffy handed him a shirt and a necklace. He promised to be right back before rushing out with his vampire speed.

Damon walked upstairs and found Buffy sitting on the bed staring out the window. "We'll find them, Buffy."

"What if he's already gotten to them?" Buffy asked quietly.

Damon couldn't answer her. He didn't want to think of the possibility of what would happen to Buffy if she lost her Watcher, her sister, and her best friend in a matter of days to her ex. So instead he said, "What if they just forgot to turn their phones on and hit up a Denny's on the way back? The only time we seem to eat around here is when we're plotting a murder. Food's on the scarce side in our house." Buffy shook her head and didn't say anything. Damon sat down next to her and put his arms around her. "We'll find them."

Buffy's phone rang and they both jumped. It was Stefan. "What did the spell say?" There was a silence on the other end. "Stefan?"

"I'm on my way back. Be ready to go when I get there." Stefan sighed and hung up. She could hear the wind that had been flowing around him.

"What did he say?" Damon asked.  
>"Be ready." Buffy stood up and walked downstairs. Stefan appeared a few minutes later and they all piled into Damon's car. Damon followed Stefan's directions from a burned map to a place off the main road. They had to get out and walk a little ways.<p>

Buffy heard sobbing coming from somewhere up ahead and she broke off into a run. Stefan and Damon followed closely behind. In the clearing was Dawn's rental car. It had been wrecked. Willow sat holding Dawn in her arms and Angelus was off to the side with his face in his hands. The sobbing was coming from him.

Buffy dropped to her knees next to Willow and Dawn. "Dawnie…."

"She's frozen Buffy." Willow said.

"Frozen?"

"I froze her magically to keep her from dying. If I unfreeze her…."

"What happened?"

"Angelus…. He was in the middle of the road and Dawn swerved to miss hitting him. She didn't know it was him. We ended up in this clearing. Angelus attacked and went after Dawn before I could even get out of the car." Buffy saw the dark spot on Dawn's neck and looked away. Angelus had ripped into her. "I tried doing the spell on Angelus to restore his soul, but there's something blocking it."

"Why is he crying?"

"It's a spell of infinite agonies. Every second feels like a lifetime. He's been that way for a while, so I imagine he's pretty agonized."

"Dawnie…." Buffy reached out and stroked her sister's hair.

"She doesn't have much time once I let down the spell."

"Damon…." Buffy grabbed her boyfriend's hand. "Feed her your blood. It'll heal her."

"If something happens to her…." Damon started.

"I don't care! She'll be alive."

Damon nodded and looked at Willow. The witch closed her eyes and concentrated. Dawn gasped suddenly and then began to cry in pain. Damon bit into his wrist and held it to Dawn's mouth. She gulped it down, but nothing happened to the wound on her throat.

From behind Buffy, they heard Angelus begin to laugh. Buffy wheeled around and hauled him to his feet, throwing him across the clearing. "What did you do!" Buffy screamed, going after him and brutally began beating Angelus to a bloody pulp. "What did you do!"

"Klaus's little witch put a spell on Dawn. She can't be healed." Angelus laughed. "Poor little Slayer's going to lose her little sister."

Buffy backhanded Angelus one last, vicious time and knocked him out cold before running back over to Dawn. "Buffy…." Dawn said, her voice barely above a whisper.

"I'm here, Dawnie. Just hang on, ok?" Buffy said. "We're gonna fix this."

"How?"

"I…. I don't know. But we will."

"I can't break the spell, Buffy." Willow said quietly. "I don't know what kind of spell it is."

"Oh…." Buffy felt Damon's hands on her shoulders as she wiped the blood away from Dawn's mouth. "Dawnie…."

"It's ok, Buffy." Dawn said. "At least I know you're ok."

"No…. I'm not ok. I am not ok with this."

"There's no way to fix this."

"Freeze her again." Damon said.

"What?" Buffy and Willow asked.

"Freeze her again and we'll figure out a way to break the spell later. I can't watch her die and watch Buffy go through that."

Buffy nodded emphatically. "Willow, do it!"

Willow looked at Dawn and then began to chant. After a moment, Dawn stiffened and stopped. "What do we do with her?" Willow asked.

"We'll take her back to the house and keep her safe until we can get to the witch that cast the spell on her." Buffy said.

"What about him?" Stefan asked, nodding towards Angelus.

"We're locking him up. Damon, do we still have Mason's chains in the trunk?"

"Yup." Damon disappeared back towards the car.

* * *

><p>When they got back to the house, Damon put Dawn in her room and Willow sealed the room up as well. Stefan dragged the chained up Angelus down to the cellar and locked him up. Everyone met up again in the living room. Just then, there was a knock on the door.<p>

Stefan opened it to find Elena and Elijah standing on the other side. "I'm so glad you're safe." Stefan pulled Elena to him.

After a moment, Elena looked at Buffy. "Did you find Willow and Dawn?" Buffy looked away and Elena spotted Willow in the living room. "Where's Dawn?"

"We'll explain later." Damon said, his arm wrapped tightly around Buffy's waist. "What is he doing here?"

"Elijah and I have renewed the terms of our deal."

"Really?"

"None of you will come to harm at my hands." Elijah said. "I only ask for one thing in return."

"What?"

"An apology."

"A what?"

Stefan moved closer to Elijah and in front of Elena. "I'm sorry for the part that I played in your death. I was protecting Elena. I will always protect Elena."

Elijah nodded. "I understand."

Elena looked at Damon and Buffy. "Sacrifice is going to happen. Willow and Bonnie will be able to kill Klaus without hurting themselves and Elijah knows how to save my life. I told you I'd find another way. And I did."

"Is that true?" Buffy asked Elijah.

"It is."

"And you're trusting him?" Buffy asked Elena.

"I am." Elena said.

"Add something to the deal and I'll apologize."

"There's no more negotiating." Elijah said.

"Oh, but there is because your brother just had my sister killed." Elena gasped, but Buffy kept going. "There's a spell on her to prevent her from being healed, so Willow has frozen her right before she…." Buffy swallowed back the lump that threatened to stop her from speaking. "I need you to find a way to break Klaus's spell on her so Damon can heal her."

Elijah looked at Buffy's set face and sighed. "Very well. I agree to your terms and no longer require your apology after this disturbing turn of events. May I come in?" Buffy looked at him warily. "If I am to work with your witch, then I need to be invited in. Seeing as how you are the new owner of the house…."

Buffy sighed. "I invite you in."

Elijah nodded and walked over the threshold. "Let's get started then."


	35. Chapter 35

_**A/N I like the cliffhanger on this one. I think I'll upload it too. :)**_

Chapter 35

Damon walked downstairs to the cellar and found Buffy sitting outside the door to the room where Angelus was locked up. He'd expected her to be watching over Dawn. "Hey." Damon handed her a hot cup of coffee and sat down next to her. "He awake yet?"

"No." Buffy said, leaning against him.

"You did beat him pretty badly."

"I was angry."

"Don't apologize. It was interesting to see you let go completely and just fight."

"I don't like being that angry…. That out of control."

Damon moved her hair away from the side of her face and she turned her head to look at him. "It's ok, Buffy. He hurt your sister."

"Willow's working on a way to get around or break the spell blocking Angel's soul and the spell on Dawn. I was hoping to get some information out of Angelus…. See if maybe he could lead me to something that would help."

"He's not exactly cooperative."

"I know. But I can't just sit around and stare at Dawn hoping something goes right. It'll drive me crazy."

Damon grasped her hand and she leaned her head on his shoulder. "Where are Stefan and Elena?"

"With Willow and Elijah in the library, I think." There was a groan that came from inside the cellar room and Buffy and Damon shot to their feet.

Angelus was rolling painfully to his side and coughing up some old blood. "Damn, Buff…." He said, his voice cracking. "Didn't know you had it in you."

Buffy stayed a good distance from the door as she asked, "How do we break the spell on Dawn?"

Angelus stood up completely and glared at his surroundings. "But it's so much more fun to watch the pain on your face at the thought of your precious little sister dying right alongside your Watcher."

"What's the purpose of her dying?"

"Use your head, kitten."

"She's a distraction?" Angelus just grinned at her. "Giles? Was he a distraction?"

"You know the answer to that one." He smiled. "Had any good dreams lately? I mean, it's not the first time you've shared dreams with me."

"The First is back?"

"Don't worry about the First. You made sure to put that thing down for a long time if not for good."

"Can you tell me how to break the spell on Dawn?"

"Actually, I can. Klaus hasn't compelled me not to. In fact, he really wants me to."

Buffy and Damon exchanged worried looks. "That doesn't make any sense." Damon said.

"Sure it does." Angelus laughed. "You just have to know what I know."

"Then share." Buffy said.

"Remember way back when…. Your little sister was known as the Key and you had to protect her."

"What does that have to do with now?"

"Those monks made her out of you. You've been connected ever since. Klaus's little pet witch used that against you. You want to save your sister? Well, only one of you can be alive now. Just like that time you threw yourself off a tower…. For Dawn to live, you need to die."

"Buffy…." Damon started.

"Don't try to be her little knight in shining armor." Angelus taunted. "She likes the role of martyr. Don't you, Buff?"

"Why her?" Damon growled.

"Because she's the best. Klaus is actually worried about her stopping this sacrifice."

"He told you to say that." Buffy said.

"No. That part I figured out all on my own. It's really not hard to see. Just look around, cupcake. It's why I'm here. It's why Giles is dead. It's why Dawn is on her way out the door. And it's why you have to choose between your life and hers. Don't you get it, Buff? You're the wild card. Always have been. That's why I like you so much. You're dynamic! I don't want to kill you. Never have, really. I want to change you. You're a lot of fun and if you were on my team…."

Buffy stopped listening and turned and walked away. Damon glanced at Angelus before following her. "Buffy…." He stopped her at the top of the stairs and shut the door. "You can't seriously be thinking about offing yourself."

Buffy sighed. "Actually…. I'm not."

Damon looked surprised. "You're not?" He shook his head. "Are you sure? I mean, the martyr bug has been going around lately."

"Willow will figure out how to fix this and both Dawn and I will still be alive in the end."

"And what if she can't?"

Buffy shook her head. "I'll deal with that later. Right now…. I want to see what Elijah and Willow have come up with." Buffy turned and they headed for the library.

"Tonight is the full moon." They heard Elijah say. "We should assume that Klaus is prepared to break the curse."

"Elena said that the Sun and the Moon curse is fake?" Stefan asked. "That it's actually just a curse placed on Klaus."

"Klaus is a vampire born of a werewolf bloodline. The curse has kept his werewolf aspect from manifesting. But if he breaks it…. He'll be a true hybrid."

"Then why are we letting him break the curse?" Damon asked as he and Buffy walked in. "We can kill him today. With Bonnie and Willow."

"Damon…." Stefan started.

"No. Bonnie can't use that much power without dying." Willow said.

"I'll write her a great eulogy." Damon snapped.

"It's not an option, Damon." Elena said.

"Then Willow steps in. She's got that much power and won't die."

Willow looked away. "Will?" Buffy asked, knowing that guilty look.

Willow sighed. "Buffy…. I'm not sure right now. These spells on Dawn and Angelus…. They're pretty powerful themselves. It's going to take a lot to break them. I'm not sure if I have enough to break them _and_ take down Klaus."

"All right, then…. Plan B needs to be placed in the planning category. How do we break this curse?" Buffy asked.

"Well, the ritual itself is relatively straightforward." Elijah said. "The ingredients, so to speak, you already know."

"The moonstone." Stefan said.

"A witch will channel the power of the full moon to release the spell that's bound within the stone. After that, Klaus, being both werewolf and vampire, will sacrifice one of each."

"And where do I fit into it?" Elena asked.

"The final part of the ritual." Elijah took a wooden box from the shelf. "Klaus must drink the blood of the doppelganger…. To the point of your death." Buffy and Damon looked at Elena as Stefan took her hand. Elijah opened the box and pulled a jar from it.

"And that's where you come in." Willow said, looking at the jar.

"This is an elixir that I acquired some 500 years ago for Katerina." Elijah said, holding the jar up. "It possesses mystical properties of resuscitation."

"So I'll be dead?" Elena asked.

"And then you won't."

"That's your plan?" Damon scoffed. "A magical witch potion with no expiration date?" He looked at Elena. "You want to come back to life, what about John's ring?"

"Those rings only work on humans." Elijah explained. "The doppelgänger's a supernatural occurrence. Odds are, the ring won't work."

"I'll take those odds over your elixir. What if it doesn't work, Elena?"

"Then I guess I'll just be dead."

Damon looked at Stefan, but his brother just shrugged. He looked at Elijah and stormed out. Buffy looked at Stefan apologetically. "Information overload." She explained. "He's not in a good mood."

"May I see this elixir?" Willow asked, holding out her hand. Elijah handed her the jar.

"Do we know if Klaus has everything he needs to do this?" Buffy asked. "Does he have a werewolf?"

"Klaus has been waiting to break this curse for over a thousand years." Elijah said. "If he doesn't already have a werewolf, my guess is by tonight, he will."

Buffy nodded. "Ok. Well, I managed to get some information on the spell that's on Dawn."

"You did?" Willow asked.

"From who?" Stefan asked.

"Angelus." Elijah guessed.

"Klaus is worried about me." Buffy said with a nod from Elijah. "I'm a wild card, apparently. His witch put a spell on both Dawn and I. For Dawn to live…."

"You have to die." Elijah finished.

"Yes."

"Buffy…." Elena started.  
>"Don't worry. The only martyr in this room is you, Elena."<p>

"This does narrow down the kind of spell I need to find to break the spell on Dawn." Willow said. "And you, apparently." She added.

"Exactly."

"What about Angelus?" Elijah asked. "Klaus will use him to distract you, Buffy. It's the whole reason he's here. It's imperative that we restore his soul as quickly as possible. Otherwise, he could wreak havoc on all of our plans."

"Do you have any idea what kind of spell he used?"

"Actually, I may have an idea. The book I believe it came from is hard to find, though. There are only three in existence."

"What is it?" Willow asked.

"_The Anima Compendium_."

"Got one." Elijah looked at her with surprise. "Well, my best friend's ex is a vampire with a soul. _The Anima Compendium_ is all about souls, so…." She stood up with a shrug. "Let me get some things together and I'll summon it to me." Willow smiled at Buffy and walked out.

"She is quite remarkable." Elijah said, looking after Willow.

"She's also quite gay." Buffy said, eliciting quiet laughs from Elena and Stefan. "So, your chances with her are already at an all-time low. Add to that you're a vampire? No chance."

Before Elijah could respond, a noise out in the hallway followed by Jenna yelling pulled their attention away. Everyone ran out into the hallway where Jenna was holding a crossbow toward Alaric. Damon was walking in from the other side of the hallway.

"Jenna, put the crossbow down, ok?" Alaric said. "It's me."

"Stay away from me!" Jenna said.

"What's going on?" Elena asked.

"It's me, Elena, I swear, ok?" Alaric said. "He let me go. Klaus let me go."

"Prove it." Damon said.

Alaric looked at Jenna. "Ok, uh, first night you and I spent together, Jeremy walked in right when I was about to…."

"It's him." Jenna cut him off and put the crossbow down.

"Why did he let you go?" Stefan asked.

"He wanted me to deliver a message. The sacrifice happens tonight." Alaric said.

* * *

><p>Buffy walked upstairs to Damon's room and found him staring out the window. "Are you ok?"<p>

Damon turned to look at her. "Willow's not going to have time to break the spell on you and Dawn before the ritual."

"Probably not."

"If something goes wrong…."

"You sound so sure of that happening."

"Buffy, I'm not joking. If something goes wrong…. I know you. You'll allow yourself to die to save Dawn."

Buffy shrugged. "She's my sister. Wouldn't you do the same for Stefan?"

"Oh, please. I promised him…."

"Blah, blah, an eternity of torture, blah." Buffy laughed. "I haven't seen it, though. Damon, you love your brother just like I love my sister."

"I will not watch you die."

"Then don't."

"What does that mean?" Buffy sighed and sat down on the bed. She looked out the window at the sunlight for a long moment. "Buffy?"

"If it comes down to it…. You can turn me."

Damon shook his head. "Wait…. What?"

"You can turn me. Look, I'm going to live forever anyway…."

"It's forbidden to even give a Slayer vampire blood. To turn you would be…."

"Like making an Original."

"How long have you been thinking about this?"

"Since you gave me your blood to heal me. The power boost alone was incredible, but just imagine what I could do…. Who I could help…. If I could have that power all the time."

"I think that power boost part is why it's forbidden to change a Slayer."

"And since when have the rules ever stopped you?"

Damon sat down on the bed next to her. "Are you sure about this?"

"Yes. Like I said, it would be the last resort, but…. Damon, I don't want to die. I won't admit this to anyone but you…. But the idea of living forever…. It appeals to me. It used to scare the hell out of me, but now…. I don't know what changed."

"You found out you were going to live forever."

Buffy nodded. "Lexi really sold me on the idea, so I guess I came to terms with it."

"Well, I for one like the idea of you living forever…. As a vampire or as a Slayer. You're way too interesting to die. And as a Slayer/vampire, you'd be impossible to kill."

"There you guys are." Elena said, appearing in the doorway. "You disappeared."

"I didn't want to hear anymore." Damon said.

"I needed to talk to Damon." Buffy said.

"I just wanted to make sure you guys understand why I'm doing this." Elena said.

"Why? It clearly doesn't matter what we think." Damon snapped.

"I'll be fine, Damon. I'll drink the elixir, Willow and Bonnie will kill Klaus, they'll fix Dawn and Angel, and then all of this will finally be over."

"If it works."

"It will work."

"You think it will work. You want it to work. Why am I the only one who's convinced it won't? There has to be another way."

"There isn't."

"And you're going to die, Elena."

"And then I'll come back to life."

"That is not a risk I'm willing to take."

"But I am." Elena took Damon's hands. "It's my life, Damon. My choice."

"Do you know how much loss Buffy has endured? Her sister is laying in there dying. She can't lose you, too."

"She won't. Buffy, I'll be fine."

"Damon…." Buffy warned as Elena went toward the door but Damon intercepted her.

"There is another way." He said.

"Damon…." Buffy tried again, but he ignored her.

"What are you…." Before anyone could even blink, Damon bit into his wrist with his fangs and put the bleeding wound to her mouth so she could drink his blood. It was obvious she didn't want to. Stefan arrived at the same time Buffy did and they both grabbed Damon and hauled him away from Elena. Elena fell on the floor with blood in her mouth.

"What did you do? Huh? What did you do?" Stefan screamed.

"I saved her life." Damon said.

"That's my way out, Damon. Not hers." Buffy said, moving between him and Stefan.

"She's so bent on dying, at least this way you know she'll come back."

"As a vampire!" Stefan yelled. "She'll come back a vampire."

"It's better than nothing else."

"How could you, of all people, take that choice away from her?"

Damon looked at Elena. "Go ahead. Wish me an eternity of misery. Believe me, you'll get over it."

Stefan rushed at Damon and pushed him across the room. "Stefan!" Elena and Buffy yelled.

Damon broke his coat rack and used it to shove Stefan against a wall with it. "Admit it. You just wish you had the balls to do it yourself."

Stefan punched Damon in the face several times in a row. Damon fell to the floor with blood on his face. Buffy moved to intercept Stefan, but Damon was somehow quicker. When Stefan attacked Damon, Damon used the broken rack as a large stake and drove it through Stefan's abdomen. Elena rushed over to Stefan and pushed Damon as Buffy went to Damon's side to hold him back.

"Get out of here!" Elena yelled at Damon.

Alaric and Jenna arrived just then. "What the hell's going on?" Alaric demanded.

"Just get him out of here!" Elena screamed.

Buffy helped Damon up and walked out of the room with him. "What is the matter with you!" Buffy said, blocking his exit on the stairs.

"You gave me the idea." Damon countered.

"For me, Damon! It's my way out. Elena's seventeen years old! She doesn't want to be a vampire."

"She doesn't have a choice now."

"That was the stupidest thing I think you've ever done, Damon Salvatore." Buffy allowed him to pass and he went to the library to pour himself a drink.

Elijah was there, closing the wooden box with the elixir. "Well, it sounds like you won't be needing this anymore." He said. "Feeding her vampire blood rendered it useless. Tell Elena I'll be back before nightfall. We'll proceed as planned."

"We both know that elixir wouldn't have worked anyway." Damon said.

"The problem, Damon, you talk a good game but you don't actually know anything. She'll never forgive you. And never for a vampire…. It's a very long time." Elijah nodded at Buffy as she entered the library and he exited.

Damon rolled his eyes when his girlfriend appeared next to him. "Come to yell at me some more?"

"No. I came to ask if you wanted to join me for some food at the Grill." Buffy said.

He looked at her with mild surprise. "Why?"

"Because I'm hungry and we don't exactly have a lot of food around the house at the moment. And I really don't feel like cooking even if we did." Buffy stepped closer to him and rested her chin on his shoulder, putting her mouth close to his ear. "Just because I might be pissed at you for what you did to Elena, doesn't mean that I want to end everything right now." He turned to look at her. "I'm not that type of person, Damon. You screwed up. Everyone does."

Damon wrapped his fingers in her hair and pulled her closer to him. "Why are you so good to me?"

Buffy shrugged. "I don't know." She kissed him gently. "But you should consider yourself lucky cause otherwise, you'd be dead."

"Is anyone else joining us?"

"No. Willow's busy on the spells, Stefan and Elena are planning to go out somewhere, Alaric is doing the nasty with Jenna, and Angelus just doesn't make good company."

Damon nodded. "Let's go." He downed the rest of his drink and followed Buffy out.

* * *

><p>Buffy watched Damon pick at his food, but not eat it. She knew he was feeling guilty about what he'd done to Elena. With a sigh, Buffy got up and moved over to Damon's side of the booth, sliding in next to him. She set her chin on his shoulder and looked at him.<p>

"Don't start with that creepy little stare of yours." Damon said.

"Then stop pouting." Buffy said.

"I'm not pouting."

"You're so pouting."

"Go eat your food."

"I'm finished." She grabbed a French fry off his plate and popped it in her mouth.

When she went for another one, Damon grabbed her hand and pulled it to his lips to kiss her fingertips. "Stop eating my food."

"Someone's gotta do it." She grabbed another fry with her free hand and ate it. Damon smiled slightly and shook his head.

"Well, aren't you two just adorable?" Buffy and Damon's attention was suddenly on the newcomer sitting across from them in Buffy's vacated seat.

"Ugh." Damon groaned. "Klaus, I presume."

"In the flesh." Klaus said.

Buffy grunted in surprise. "Wow, didn't expect you to look so…. Handsome."

Damon shot a glare at her and Klaus smiled. "Careful, Buffy. Your boyfriend's got enough jealousy to deal with. How is Angelus, by the way? He hasn't come back to me yet."

"He's locked up nice and tight." Buffy shot back, taking Damon's hand under the table. "So, other than the jealousy ploy, is there any other reason you stopped by to say hi?"

"Just thought I'd remind you all to not do anything you'll regret with my doppelganger."

"Ha!" Damon laughed. "Thanks for the advice. I don't suppose I could talk you into a postponement, by any chance, huh?"

"You are kidding." Klaus looked at Buffy. "He is kidding, right?"

"No, not really." Buffy said.

"I mean, come on, what's one month in the whole grand scheme of things?" Damon asked.

"Let me be clear…. I have my vampire. I have my werewolf. I have everything I need. The ritual will happen tonight. So if you want to live to see tomorrow, don't screw it up." Klaus smiled at Buffy, taking her free hand and kissing her knuckles as he stood up from the booth. The gesture caused Damon to glare at him and almost growl, but Klaus left the Grill before Damon could do anything stupid.

"That was fun." Damon said.

"You're going to screw it up, aren't you?" Buffy asked.

"You think if we took his werewolf out of the equation, she might…. Get over the fact that I tried to turn her into a vampire?"

"I think it won't matter, because we'll be dead."

"But without the werewolf, he can't perform the ritual tonight, which means we would have bought her one month before the next full moon."

"But we'll still be dead."

"Are you gonna help me or what?"

Buffy sighed. "What do you want me to do?"

"Besides not flirt with the bad guy?"

"I was not flirting with him. But you have to admit the guy looks pretty good." Damon shot her another glare. "Trust me, I think you're way hotter. In fact, if we weren't going on whatever suicide mission you've got planned and my sister wasn't lying on her death bed and my ex wasn't a homicidal maniac…."

"Point?"

"I would totally drag you in the bathroom." She smiled sweetly and Damon had no choice but to smile back. "So…. What are we doing?"

* * *

><p>Alaric opened the door to his apartment and found Katherine looking through the fridge. "Look who's dumb enough to come back." She said to him.<p>

"Well, somebody had to invite him in." Alaric said. "Damon. Would you like to, uh, come in?"

Damon walked into the apartment with Buffy right behind him. Katherine rushed over to him and shoved him back saying, "Are you trying to get me killed?"

Buffy grabbed Katherine's throat and shoved her against the far wall. Damon followed at a leisurely pace. "I gave you vervain." He said. "Now I'm here to collect. We got it from here, Rick."

"You sure?" Alaric asked.

"Yeah, only one of us needs to get blamed for this. Get back to the house. Keep Elena from handing herself over."

"Ok." Alaric left with a glance at Buffy still pinning Katherine to the wall by her throat.

"Get blamed for what?" Katherine asked.

"We need to know where Klaus is keeping his werewolf." Buffy said.

"Why? What are you two going to do?"

"Dead werewolf equals no ritual." Damon said.

"No. You can't interfere. Klaus will kill you and everyone you've ever met."

"We just need to delay this thing."

"No. No way."

"You should like this, Kat." Buffy said. "It's going to buy another month of your pathetic life."

"Right. Except that I'm not the vampire he's planning on sacrificing."

"What?" Buffy let Katherine go and the brunette vampire walked away from her.

"Yeah. He's got Caroline Forbes and Tyler Lockwood. Therefore, I'm in the clear."

"And where'd he get that idea from?" Buffy moved towards Katherine threateningly.

"Hey! Hey, hey, hey, I'm just trying to stay alive long enough to get myself out of here."

"What if I told you Elena had vampire blood in her system?" Damon asked.

"What?"

"Imagine how much fun that will be competing with Elena for Stefan's love for, I don't know, forever."

"The tomb. He's got them in the tomb."

"Thank you." Damon took Buffy's hand and they walked out.

* * *

><p>Damon and Buffy arrived at the tomb and were just about to go down when a muscular man stepped out of the trees. "Which one are you trying to save? The blonde or the wolf?" He asked. "Did you really think Klaus would leave them unprotected?"<p>

"Wishful thinking." Damon said before rushing over to the man. He pinned him on the ground by his neck, but the man was a witch. He used his powers and threw Damon across the clearing. As he stood up, the witch used his powers to provoke the mind numbing headache on Damon. Damon screamed and Buffy attacked the witch. She wouldn't allow him to get his hands up to use his powers on her, but he managed to get in a headbutt and Buffy stumbled back. Suddenly there was a gunshot and the witch fell to the ground. Damon raised his head and saw Matt with a gun. After helping Buffy up, Damon went over and snapped the witch's neck.

"Matt, what are you doing here?" Buffy asked.

"Where's Caroline?" Matt asked.

"Not a good time to play the hero." Damon said.

"Where is she? And what did he do to her?"

"We're just here to rescue her." Damon rushed over him and took Matt's gun, hitting him upside the head with it. Matt fell to the ground, unconscious. "You're lucky I already screwed up once today or you'd be dead."

"Damon." Buffy said in an exasperated tone.

"What?" Damon held up the wooden bullets he'd extracted from the gun. "He's got wooden bullets."

"Wait…. He knows?"

"Caroline's got some explaining to do." Damon headed down into the tomb with Buffy right behind him. Together they moved the heavy stone door out of the way and walked into the tomb.

"Buffy!" Caroline said. She and Tyler were chained to opposite walls.

"Your boyfriend's outside with a rifle loaded with wooden bullets." Damon said, going to Caroline and breaking her chains. "You have some explaining to do."

"What, Matt?"

"Matt knows about you?" Tyler asked.

"No, I…."

"Stop." Buffy said. "This is tomorrow's problem. We've got bigger fish to fry." She turned to Tyler. "It's the full moon tonight and it's getting dark soon. How fast can you get the hell away from here?"

"I need to get to my family's cellar." Tyler said. "I can lock myself up."

"I'll help." Caroline said.

Buffy broke the chains holding Tyler. "Don't make me regret this."

"I'll try not to." Tyler said, standing up.

They walked out of the tomb and found Matt was starting to wake up. Caroline rushed over to him. "Hey, Matt! Hey. Did you hit him?"

"Did you already forget the part about the gun with the wooden bullets?" Damon snapped.

Tyler growled and held his chest. "Tyler?" Buffy asked.

"It's starting." Tyler said, obviously in pain.

"Great! Caroline, grab Matt and let's go."

"Come on." Caroline said.

"Wait, we're not going with them." Damon said.

"We're not leaving Caroline alone with a werewolf whose bite is not kosher to her health, Damon." Buffy said. "We'll make sure Tyler gets to his cellar and then we'll go help Elena."

"If he…."

"He won't." Buffy turned to Tyler. "Lead the way."

They ran through the woods and about ten minutes into the trip, Tyler yelled and dropped to his knees. "What's happening?" Matt asked. "Is he ok?"

"He better not wolf out on us." Damon said.

Buffy's phone rang and she yanked it out of her coat pocket. It was Stefan. "Bad time, Stefan."

"What are you doing?" Stefan asked.

"Trying to save the day. Just tell Elena to stay put."

"She's already gone, Buffy."

"What?"

"Klaus came. He took her."

"We'll take care of it."

"There's more." Stefan called before she could hang up.

"You know I hate those words, Stefan."

"Angelus is missing."

"What! Missing how?"

"I think Klaus let him out."

"Klaus can't get in the house. He's not invited."

"I don't know, Buffy. He probably compelled a human. But Angelus is not here."

Buffy sighed. "I'll take care of it. Is Willow working on a way to get his soul back?"

"She's close."

"Good. I'll be in touch." Buffy hung up and turned to Damon, but before she could say anything, Tyler screamed and fell on the ground.

"Tyler!" Matt cried.

"I don't know if I can hold it off." Tyler said. "Get out of here."

"Tyler, it'll be ok." Caroline said.

"Go!"

"You've got time. We're almost there, just…."

"It's happening faster."

"Tyler, it's ok."

Tyler's eyes were yellow and he rushed at Caroline but Damon intercepted him. Tyler managed to land on top and Damon fought to keep Tyler's mouth away from him. Buffy grabbed Tyler's waist and hauled him off, throwing the transitioning werewolf a few feet away. She turned and helped Damon up.

"Damon…." Buffy started.

"I'm fine." Damon said, waving her protests off.

"Get out of here!" Tyler cried.

"Get to the Lockwood cellar." Buffy said. "If it held him in, it'll keep him out. If it doesn't…. Use these." She produced the wooden bullets from Damon's coat pocket and handed them to Matt. "It'll buy you a couple of seconds. Go. Go!" They left and Buffy and Damon ran in the opposite direction. When she thought it was safe, Buffy stopped them. "Damon, Angelus escaped."

"What? How?" Damon asked.

"I don't know, but he's out there. I've got to track him."

"What about Elena?"

"Klaus has her. We've got to split up. Go to Klaus and let him know we got his vampire and werewolf. Buy time. I've got to find Angelus."

Damon grabbed her arm before she could run off. "Buffy…. Be careful."

She smiled slightly. "Nothing but."

"I mean it." He leaned down and kissed her gently, holding her face for a long moment and moving her hair behind her ears as he looked into her eyes. He smiled slightly before turning and disappearing into the woods. Buffy sighed and turned to head back to the house to track Angelus.


	36. Chapter 36

Chapter 36

Buffy made it to the house, but there was no one there. She couldn't decide whether to go meet up with Stefan, Alaric, and Elijah, or meet up with Bonnie and Willow, or to go hunt Angelus. In the end, she finally decided to hunt Angelus. He was dangerous. The others knew what needed to be done and she trusted them to do it. So, she set about following Angelus' trail.

Of course it led into the woods. She was super glad for her night vision as the trail led deeper and deeper into the woods. She had a pretty good feeling of where she'd end up, but the sight that appeared before her when she broke through the tree line was not expected. Elena was surrounded by a ring of fire and Jenna was sitting on the ground next to Elena surrounded by her own ring of fire.

Elena spotted Buffy run into the clearing. "Buffy!"

The flames flared and Buffy was thrown back when she tried to get to Elena. Buffy landed painfully on her back. "Ow!"

"What are you doing here?" Elena asked.

"Following Angelus' trail." Buffy said, getting to her feet.

"He's locked up."

"Klaus somehow set him free. What's Jenna doing here?" Buffy's eyes widened as she realized that Jenna was no longer human. "Oh god…."

"She's the vampire sacrifice." Elena said sadly.

"Oh, Jenna…." Buffy looked around and spotted a woman standing by a group of rocks. "Who's that?"

"That's Greta."

"The Martins' long lost family member?" Elena nodded. "She wasn't ever really lost, was she?"

"No. She's with Klaus." Elena's eyes widened suddenly and Buffy didn't have to turn around to know who was behind her. The chilling tingle that sent ice water through her veins told her everything she needed to know.

"Hello, lover." Angelus purred behind her. "You should really get those locks reinforced. They're not very strong."

"I'll have to remember that." Buffy said, turning around. She was prepared for an attack, but Angelus just stood his ground. "So what's on the menu tonight?"

"You."

Suddenly a ring of fire formed around Buffy and Angelus. Buffy turned to find Greta smiling at her. "Klaus doesn't want any interference from you, Slayer." Greta said. "Angelus will keep you busy while the ritual happens."

"What about after?" Buffy asked.

"That's for Klaus to decide." Greta turned and Buffy was suddenly attacked from behind.

"Buffy!" Elena and Jenna cried.

Buffy managed to dodge the mystical flames and roll away from Angelus at the same time. She came up minus her leather jacket and Angelus laughed. He tossed the jacket to the side and charged at her again, but Buffy was faster. "I've got eternity to play this out, Buff." Angelus taunted.

"So do I." Buffy said.

"Not if I kill you first."

Angelus charged her again and she kicked him in the stomach. He doubled over and Buffy slammed her elbow onto his neck, knocking him to the ground. She launched a vicious kick at his stomach, but he grabbed her ankle and twisted. Buffy flipped in mid air and landed on her back. The hard impact made the air whoosh out of her lungs and Buffy felt rocks bite into her back through her shirt and her bare arms were riddled with cuts from the rocks.

Angelus moved to kick her, but she shot out one leg and caught him in the kneecap. He went down and Buffy rolled to cough painfully on her hands and knees. She spotted Angelus coming at her again from her peripheral and dropped down to flatten herself on the ground. She felt Angelus graze her as he sailed over head. She rolled the opposite direction and jumped to her feet. Her lungs burned painfully as she tried to suck enough air back in to regulate her breathing. She was _not_ going to lose this fight.

The whole thing was a deadly cat and mouse dance. Buffy didn't want to use the stake that was hidden in her inside coat pocket, but if it came down to it…. She shook that thought away and shoved Angelus back again. They danced around each other, taking the other's measure. The circle was a bit bigger than Elena's and Jenna's circles, so Buffy had more room to maneuver, but eventually she was going to tire out. It just had to be after Angelus tired out first.

Angelus came at her again and she allowed him to tackle her. Elena screamed her name, but Buffy rolled onto her back, planting her knee between her body and Angelus', and kicked up. Angelus went flying into the mystical flames and slammed into the barrier there. He landed on his head and was unconscious.

"Are you ok?" Jenna called.

"Peachy. But I need to get out of this circle." Buffy said through clenched teeth as she swiped at the rocks in her arms. "How are you feeling?"

"I feel like myself…. Only not." Jenna shook her head. "Everything is brighter. The fire's hotter. Part of me is terrified, but there's another part of me that doesn't want to feel anything."

"Your type of vampire can turn off the part that's human. That's the part that hurts."

"I'm gonna die, aren't I?"

"No!" Elena cried. "Jenna, I'm not going to let that happen. I don't care what I have to do."

They heard someone screaming. "Who's that?" Jenna asked.

"That must be the werewolf." Elena said.

Greta arrived with Jules in tow and threw her on the ground. "What's happening to me?" Jules cried.

"I cast a spell to slow down your transformation." Greta said. "Your insides are trying to tear themselves free." She created a fourth circle of fire around Jules.

"Witches are supposed to maintain the balance in nature." Elena said. "It's your duty to them to keep this curse sealed."

"My duty is to Klaus! The new order."

Klaus arrived just then saying, "Glad to know I still have a dance partner." He looked at Elena, Jenna, and Jules. "Hello, my lovelies. Are we ready?" He spotted Buffy and the unconscious Angelus. "Ah, Buffy. He said you were a sucker for traps. How do you like mine?"

"Not very original for an Original." Buffy said.

Klaus nodded with a chuckle. "Well, most traps aren't, my dear." He strolled over to her, walking through the magical barrier with no problem. "I like you, Buffy." He moved behind her and played with her hair. She kept still, knowing that he was stronger and faster than she was. "I think I might keep you after this is all over." He glanced at Angelus. "If he doesn't kill you first."

Buffy turned and looked him dead in the eye. "You may be handsome and powerful…. And don't get me wrong, I'm flattered…. Really…. But I'm a one vampire kinda gal and that spot's already filled."

Klaus chuckled and leaned in close, whispering in her ear, "We'll see." He turned to Greta, walking over to her through the barrier and handed her the moonstone. "I spent 500 years looking for this. I hate to part with it."

"The moon has passed its apex." Greta said. "Remember everything you need to do?"

"I remember."

Greta threw the moonstone in a stone bowl and it exploded. Buffy turned to check on Angelus, but he was still unconscious. The barrier had really hurt him. She hoped Willow and Bonnie showed up soon. Jules groaned her name and Buffy turned to look at the werewolf.

"Everything I did…. I was just trying to help Tyler." Jules said

"Save it." Buffy snapped. "You I don't really care if Klaus sacrifices."

"I didn't want him to be alone!"

"So torturing Damon and killing Rose was all helping Tyler? Stabbing me in the gut while I was knocked out on tranquilizers that _you_ shot me with was helping Tyler? Go to hell, Jules."

Klaus walked over to Jules. "The Slayer has spoken. Shall we?" The circle of fire disappeared around Jules. Her transformation had begun and she tried to run but Klaus caught her and ripped her heart out. Jenna and Elena were obviously shocked, but Buffy had no sympathy for the werewolf.

Angelus groaned behind her and Buffy turned so she could watch Klaus and keep an eye on Angelus. Klaus took the heart and walked over to Greta and her stone bowl. He held Jules' heart above the bowl so the blood poured into the bowl over the ashes of the moonstone.

"Tell me it's working." Klaus said.

"It's working." Greta said.

"The day that the lawyers called to tell me that I was going to become your guardian, you know what my first thought was?" Jenna asked Elena. "Isn't there someone else who can do this?"

"Jenna, there was no one else who could have gotten me and Jeremy through all of that." Elena said.

"It's just the thought that I almost passed up taking care of you."

"But you didn't. You put your entire life on hold to help us."

"Look around, Elena. I failed you."

"You didn't. I failed you. I'm so sorry."

"Jenna, being a vampire intensifies your guilt." Buffy said. "But it also makes you stronger and faster. You can fight back."

"I'm gonna get through this." Elena promised. "I'll be ok. I need you to believe that. Promise me, when you get the chance…. Run." Jenna looked between Buffy and Elena and then finally nodded.

"Thanks for the rest, Buff." Angelus said behind her. "Shall we continue?" Buffy sighed as he jumped at her again.

While Buffy fended Angelus off, Klaus walked over to Jenna's circle. "Hello, Jenna."

"Let her go. I understand that I have to die, but she doesn't!" Elena begged. She got too close to the fire and it flared up, keeping her back.

"Careful." Klaus chided.

"Elena, don't!" Jenna cried.

"No, Jenna! We can't leave Jeremy without a family." Elena looked at Klaus. "I followed your rules! I did everything that you asked. I didn't run. Please."

"Well, well…." Klaus raised his head. "I don't recall you being on the guest list." Elena and Jenna raised their heads to see Stefan was at the top of the cliff. Buffy glanced up, but she had already known he was there. Angelus took the distraction to his advantage and tried to sweep Buffy's feet out from under her, but she moved too quickly and was out of his reach in the blink of an eye.

"I'm here to talk." Stefan said.

"Very well, then." Klaus joined Stefan at the top of the cliff, using his vampire speed to get there between one heartbeat and the next. "What can I do for you, Mr. Salvatore?"

"What's going on?" Jenna asked.

"I-I don't know." Elena said.

"Jenna!" Buffy called, dodging Angelus again. "You can hear them. Your senses are heightened. You can hear anything. Just focus on them." She would've told Elena what was happening, but she couldn't focus on the fight with Angelus, Klaus and Stefan's conversation, and tell Elena and Jenna what was being said on the cliff all at the same time.

"You don't need to kill Jenna." Stefan said. "I'll take her place."

"Oh, I don't know. I rather appreciate the symmetry of three women… Three goddesses…. Sacrificed at nature's altar." Klaus said.

"What are they saying?" Elena asked.

"I can't…. I can't make it out." Jenna said.

"You can do this. Just relax. Focus."

"Don't play games with me." Stefan said. "You'll get what you want."

"You're quite the hero, aren't you?" Klaus said. "I've heard that about you."

"Just make the trade. Me for Jenna."

"Oh, my god." Jenna said.

"What is it?" Elena asked.

"He wants to take my place."

"Geez, Buff!" Angelus said. "How did you manage to find a whole town full of martyrs just like yourself?"

"Oh, shut up!" Buffy snapped, knocking him down again.

"Elena…." Jenna started.

"I have to do something." Elena said. "This can't happen. None of it."

Klaus and Stefan arrived in front of the fire circles. "Quite the predicament." Klaus said. "You know, it's funny…. All this talk about preserving family and here's Stefan…. Granting your wish."  
>"Stefan…." Elena started.<p>

"It's ok." Stefan said. "Buffy, are you all right?"

"Oh yeah. This fending off a psycho killer is fun." Buffy kicked Angelus is the head. "You should try it some time." Stefan smiled as Buffy sent Angelus into an airborne flip across their circle.

"Well," Klaus said. "Who's it going to be, Elena?"

"No." Elena cried.

"Oh, don't worry. There's actually no choice." Klaus staked Stefan in the back.

"No! Stefan! No!" Elena screamed.

Buffy turned to see if Stefan was ok and Angelus grabbed her from behind in an awkward choke hold.

"I have other plans for your boyfriend." Klaus said. "I want him alive. But for now…." He punched Stefan and knocked him to the ground. "Whenever you're ready, Greta." The circle of fire around Jenna disappeared and Klaus turned his attention to her. "Your turn."

"No, Jenna, no!"

Buffy struggled to get out of Angelus' grip, but he had her arms pinned in such a weird way that her windpipe was being crushed by her own arms. With nothing for her legs to get leverage with to push against, Buffy was starting to struggle to breathe.

Jenna looked at Elena. "It's alright, Elena. I know what I have to do." Jenna suddenly rushed over to Greta and bit her but Klaus stopped her and shoved the stake into her side. Jenna fell on the ground.

"Just turn it off." Elena sobbed. "Jenna. Turn it off. You won't be scared anymore."

Jenna looked at Buffy. "Take care of Elena and Jeremy. For me."

Klaus staked Jenna through the heart.

"No! Jenna! No! Jenna! No!" Elena screamed as Jenna let go of her last breath and then began to decay.

Buffy struggled against Angelus, tears running down her face at the loss of her friend. "Poor, Buff…. People should really think twice before they become friends with you. They all seem to wind up dead." Buffy kicked backwards and up and nailed Angelus in the crotch. He doubled over in pain, still holding onto Buffy, but his grip loosened enough that she could drop down and away and kick Angelus backwards.

As Buffy coughed and sputtered, Stefan woke up. He still had a piece of stake in his back. He spotted Jenna's dead body and looked at Elena. "I'm so sorry." He whispered.

"Are they going to kill him?" Elena whispered back. Stefan nodded.

"It's time." Klaus said to Elena. The circle of fire disappeared around Elena and he held his hand toward Elena. She didn't take it and marched on her own to the altar. Angelus kicked Buffy in the small of her back and knocked her forward. She just barely missed slamming into the fire barricade. While Buffy went on the defensive against Angelus, Klaus moved up to Elena and gently turned her face towards him. "Thank you, Elena." He said.

"Go to hell." Elena said.

Klaus moved behind her and bit into her neck, drinking deeply. Stefan and Buffy looked at her, powerless to stop Klaus. Elena looked at Stefan, a tear running down her cheek. "Elena!" Buffy screamed, punching at the barrier in front of her. Her fists singed and burned with every punch, but she had to find a way out. Klaus released Elena as her eyes rolled up into her head and she fell to the ground, dead. "Elena!"

Angelus grabbed Buffy by the hair and slammed her onto the ground. "Buffy!" Stefan yelled.

"I can feel it." Klaus said. "It's happening. Yes, yes!" His transformation began, but the wind suddenly picked up and lightening began to strike. One bolt hit Klaus in the chest and threw him back. Buffy looked up to see that Bonnie and Willow had arrived. Damon appeared suddenly behind Greta and brutally snapped her neck. With Greta's death, the fire circle around Buffy and Angelus died away. Damon rushed over to her, but she was back on her feet and had Angelus on the run.

"You were dead!" Klaus screamed at Bonnie.

Bonnie used her powers to make Klaus suffer while Willow held out an Orb of Thesulah. "Get Elena." Buffy said to Damon as she viciously backhanded Angelus, causing her burned knuckles to send fresh chutes of pain up her arm. Damon was torn between helping Buffy, who was bruised, burned, and bleeding, and getting Elena. In the end, he figured Buffy could hold her own until she needed him and went to carry Elena's body over to Stefan.

"Elena." Stefan whispered. He screamed when Damon pulled the broken stake from Stefan's back. After a long, painful moment, Stefan looked up at Damon. "I need you to get her out of here!"

"What about you?" Damon asked.

"I'm not leaving until he's dead. Go!" Damon glanced at Buffy. "I'll tell her where you went."

Damon sighed and left with Elena.

Bonnie was still hurting Klaus with her spell. All around them the fires raged and the lightning struck and the wind swirled. Klaus was screaming from the pain Bonnie was inflicting on him while Willow yelled the Restoration spell over everything.

Elijah calmly walked up and knelt down by Klaus. "Elijah?" Klaus asked in disbelief.

"Hello, brother." Elijah shoved his fist through Klaus's chest and held onto his heart. "In the name of our family, Nicklaus…."

"I didn't bury them at sea! Their bodies are safe. If you kill me, you'll never find them."

"Elijah! Don't listen to him!" Stefan cried.

"I can take you to them. I give you my word…. Brother." Klaus said.

"Do it or I'll take you both out." Bonnie warned.

"You'll die." Elijah said.

"I don't care."

"I'm sorry." Before anyone could do anything, Elijah left with Klaus.

Willow finished the Restoration spell and Angelus gasped. Buffy kept him in a headlock until she knew for sure the spell had worked. "Buffy?" Angel asked, confused. "I don't…. Where am I?"

Buffy let Angel go and went over to Stefan and Bonnie. "You should go check on Elena."

"What about you?" Stefan asked, hugging her gently as he tried to avoid the bruises he knew were there. He was relieved she was ok after having to fight Angelus for as long as she had.

"I'm staying with Angel. Call me when she wakes up."

"I will."

"Good job, Bonnie." Buffy hugged the young witch.

"I'm glad you're ok." Bonnie said.

"Buffy…." Willow started.

"Hey, Wills. Thank you." Buffy hugged her best friend. "Is Dawn…."

"I've got Greta's grimoire now," Willow held up the book Greta had dropped. "So I should be able to break the spell and unfreeze Dawn."

Buffy breathed a sigh of relief. "Good."

"Do you want me to stay?"

"No." Buffy glanced at Angel looking around in confusion. "I've got this. Tell Damon I'll see him later."

"Buffy…." Bonnie held out a man's ring to her. "This is for Angel. I figured he might like to have something to help him walk in the daytime."

"Thank you. I'll make sure he gets it." Buffy watched them walk away before turning to Angel. It was just the two of them in the clearing now surrounded by the bodies of Jenna, Greta, and Jules. Everything was eerily quiet except the waterfall in the distance.  
>"I don't understand…." Angel said. "How did I get here?"<p>

"Your memories haven't come back to you yet?" Buffy asked, kneeling down in front of her ex.

"Memories?" Realization dawned on him. "I was Angelus?" Buffy nodded sadly. "How long?"

"I'm not sure. I guess about two weeks. You showed up here about a week or so ago."

"Where's here?"

"Mystic Falls, Virginia."

"The last thing I remember was sitting at a bar in Germany." Angel shook his head in confusion. "Why are there bodies? Did I…."

"No." Buffy glanced at Jenna's body sadly, a tear slipping past her eyelashes. "You didn't."

"Did you know her?"

"Yes. She was a friend."

"I'm sorry."

Buffy stood up and helped Angel to his feet. "Come on. Let's get you back to my house and I'll explain everything."

"You live here?"

"Yes."

"I'd heard that you had settled somewhere. The last time I talked to Giles…." He noticed Buffy's flinch at her Watcher's name. "What's wrong?"

"Let's get back to my house, ok?" Buffy kept walking. She wanted to get back and see if Willow had broken the spell on Dawn.

* * *

><p>Buffy was sitting in the living room holding Angel tightly. He'd regained his memories on the walk home through the woods and had become almost catatonic. If she tried saying it was ok, he kept saying that she should hate him. She had to remind him that she knew it hadn't been him to kill Giles and almost kill Dawn. The front door opened and Buffy heard Damon call her name. Buffy wouldn't stand up and leave Angel, so she called Damon into the living room.<p>

"Are you ok?" Damon asked, warily looking at Angel.

"I'll heal." Buffy said. "Is Elena….?"

"She's human."

"How?"

"John sacrificed himself using one of Bonnie's spells."

"Wow. I didn't see that coming." Buffy shook her head and laid her forehead down on Angel's broad shoulder.

"I'm sorry." Angel said quietly. "I'm so sorry."

"It wasn't you, Angel."

"I'm sorry."

Buffy looked at Damon helplessly. "Angel, sit up." She gently forced him to sit up. "I don't blame you."

"I'm sorry."

She gripped his face and made him look into her eyes. "I don't blame you, Angel."

"I'm sorry."

"I know. But it wasn't you." She stopped him from looking away. "It was Angelus. Don't forget that I know the difference between you and him better than anybody. I don't blame you." Angel shook his head and looked away.

"How's Dawn?" Damon asked.

"Willow's upstairs breaking the spell on us." Buffy said. "I'm glad you're here. She's going to need vampire blood to heal."

Damon was grateful that she missed his hesitation since the front door opened and Stefan ran in. "Buffy!"

"In here." Damon called.

Stefan walked in and stopped. "Elena's ok!"

"Damon told me." Buffy said.

"Are you ok?"

"Yeah."

"Stefan, can you go check on Dawn?" Damon asked. "Willow's breaking the spell and Dawn needs vampire blood. I'm going to stay here with Buffy."

"Yeah. Ok." Stefan nodded. "Buffy, I know now's not the best time, but Elena's asking for you."

Buffy nodded. "Ok."

Stefan headed upstairs as Damon sat down next to Buffy. He gently stroked her hair and lightly touched the large bruise surrounding a nasty looking gash on her forehead. Angel stood up suddenly. "I should go." He said.

"Angel, no…." Buffy grabbed his arm and stopped him.

"I can't be around you."

"Why?"

"Buffy, I killed Giles. I nearly killed Dawn. That's unforgivable."

"Yes. It is. And I will never forgive _Angelus_ for that."

"Angel, I think you should stay." Damon said. "We could really use you around here since we now have a vampire/werewolf hybrid on the loose. And since your counterpart spent so much time with him, maybe you could help us out." Buffy smiled slightly at Damon and took his hand.

Angel shook his head. "How can Dawn even look at me after…."

"Angel!" Dawn came bounding into the living room and hugged Angel tightly.

"Dawnie!" Buffy cried. Her little sister turned and hugged Buffy tightly. "You're ok. God, you're ok."

Dawn wiped the tears off of Buffy's face. "Hey, I'm a Summers woman. It takes more than a psycho soulless vampire to kill me." Dawn turned to Angel and hugged him again. "I'm so glad _you're_ ok."

Angel was obviously very confused. "Dawn…."

"I can look at you because you're Angel. Please, I've spent enough time with my sister after everything she went through back in Sunnydale to know the difference between Angelus and you. You're not him."

Buffy smiled at her sister. "She's all grown up, isn't she?" Angel just nodded his quiet agreement. Stefan walked back in. "Thank you, Stefan."

"Anytime." Stefan said.

"I've got to call Elena." Buffy looked up at Angel. "Please, make yourself at home. We've got plenty of bedrooms. And if you go anywhere, I will track you down." She gently touched his arm and then walked out.

* * *

><p>Buffy brushed Elena's hair and set it back in a loose ponytail. They were both in black dresses for the funeral that Stefan and Damon had arranged for Jenna. Elena stared at the pictures of her parents and Jenna on her mirror while Buffy played with her hair.<p>

Jeremy joined them, quietly knocking on the door. He looked handsome in his suit. "We're almost ready." Buffy said.

"Take your time." Jeremy said. He gave Elena a letter. "John wanted me to give you this. And this." He also gave her John's ring.

"Jeremy…. I'm so sorry." Elena said. "I'm so sorry that you've lost so many people."

"I still have you." They embraced each other tightly before Jeremy walked out.

"I'm going to head downstairs to check on the food." Buffy said. "If you need me…."

"Thank you." Elena hugged her tightly, burying her face in Buffy's shoulder.

Buffy kissed Elena's hair and released her. She walked downstairs to where Damon and Stefan were waiting. "Are we all set?" She asked.

"Yeah. There's plenty of room at the Gilbert family plot and I compelled two of the gravediggers to do the dirty work." Damon said. "How's she doing?"

Buffy glanced up the stairs. "She lost the only parents she had. She's in shock."

"How are you holding up?" Stefan asked.

Buffy shrugged. "I've got a lot on my plate, but I think I'll be ok." She glanced into the living room where Angel was standing with Dawn. "I handled raising Dawn as a teenager…. Jeremy and Elena will be no problem." She kissed Damon's cheek as she took his hand and walked over to Angel and Dawn. "Hey, we're getting ready to leave."

"Are you sure it's ok if I come?" Angel asked.

"Yeah. Elena wants this to be for Giles, too."

"Are you going to the funeral in England?" Dawn asked.

"Yes." Buffy glanced at Damon and took his hand as he walked up behind her. "Damon and I both are."

"What about Klaus?" Jeremy asked, walking in with Bonnie from the kitchen.

"We'll deal with it. We won't be gone long. Maybe a week at the most. I've got to go through his stuff and figure out what to do with it and his lawyer wants to read his will."

"Who's staying with us?"

"Alaric's agreed to watch you guys while we're gone. I talked to him last night." Buffy and everyone else turned when they heard Elena coming down the stairs.


	37. Chapter 37

Chapter 37

Buffy walked into the house with Angel and shut the door behind them. She'd been with Elena and Angel at Elena's house after the funeral. Damon had left at the graveyard and Stefan had said that he had had to run an errand. Buffy thought it was weird, but she let it go to pay attention to Elena and Jeremy. Angel had stuck with Buffy since he didn't know anyone in town. Dawn was with Willow checking out Mystic Falls before they came back to pack to go to England.

As Buffy was putting her keys in her bag, the smell of burning flesh hit her nose. She looked at Angel with a confused look. He shrugged with a slight shake of his head and Buffy turned to follow the smell. They found Damon standing in front of the large stained glass window, burning alive in the sunlight. Buffy ran over and tackled him away as Angel shut the curtains.

"Damon, what the hell are you doing?" She demanded.

"Get off of me." He tried to push her off, but she was too strong.

"What is wrong with you?"

"He was bitten by Tyler Lockwood." Stefan said, suddenly appearing in the hallway next to them.

"I don't understand…. When?"

Damon lifted his left sleeve up to reveal the nasty looking infection there. "The other night in the woods with Caroline and Matt. He nicked me."

"Damon…." Buffy gently ran her hand down his arm, tears springing to her eyes. "You said you were fine."

"Don't cry." Damon reached up to wipe a tear from her cheek. "I'm not worth it. Just let me go my way."

"No. You're not doing this."

"Just did. You know what happened to Rose, Buffy."

"No. I don't care." Buffy stood up and hauled Damon to his feet. "You're not dying today." She marched Damon past Stefan and Angel and down to the cellar, closing the door behind them. Stefan locked the door and stood outside with Angel.

Damon laughed. "What's the plan, Superman?" He asked.

"I'm gonna find a way out of this." Stefan said. "Buffy…."

"No. I wanted you to lock me in here with him. It's the best place to keep him from running." Buffy said. "Just…. Find a way to stop this, Stefan. Please."

"Oh, right. A miracle cure." Damon snorted. "Good luck with that one."

"I've got Willow and Bonnie looking for something, anything." Stefan said to Buffy, ignoring Damon.

"Always the hero, Stefan. Just tell me good-bye. Get it over with." Damon started coughing and when he pulled his hand away, there was blood.

"Lie still. Conserve your strength."

"Angel, go with Stefan please?" Buffy asked. "Help him?"

"Of course." Angel said. He and Stefan walked away, leaving Buffy and Damon alone. Buffy didn't miss the sad look Angel had given her.

Buffy turned to Damon and sat down in front of him. "Why didn't you tell me?"

"You've been a little preoccupied with another vampire." Damon said.

Buffy looked away. "He was Angelus."

Damon reached out and gently cupped her face, bringing her eyes back up to meet his. "I didn't want to see you cry, either."

"Damon…."

"I don't want to suffer."

"You're not going to…."

"You saw what happened to Rose. She nearly killed Elena. And now you've locked yourself in here with me."

"I can take care of myself."

Damon started coughing again and doubled over in pain. Buffy scrambled over and held him, rocking him through the pain. "I don't want to hurt you." He said when the painful episode was over.

"Then don't." Buffy laid her head on his back and closed her eyes, saying a silent prayer for Damon to get through this thing somehow someway. Buffy leaned against the wall and he laid his head in her lap as she started stroking his hair absently. "You know, you're making me miss that Gone With the Wind screening they're having tonight."

"You could still go."

"Nah. It wouldn't be the same without your quirky Damon comments scattered throughout the three and a half hours."

"I happen to like that movie."

"So you wouldn't talk through it?"

"No." He chuckled slightly as he played with her fingers. "I would enjoy the fact that we were sitting on a blanket watching a classic…. Together." He held her hand up to his face and kissed her palm.

* * *

><p>A couple of hours later, Buffy had fallen asleep against Damon's shoulder. She'd been exhausted from no sleep and everything that had happened to her in the last 48 hours. He looked down at his werewolf bite and sighed, groaning slightly from the burning sensation there. He didn't want to wake Buffy, though.<p>

"That looks worse." Angel said at the door.

"It feels worse." Damon said. "My subconscious is haunting me. Please tell me you have something for that." For the last hour, he'd been having visions of Katherine and himself in the beginning. Elena had even been there, which had been weird. He guessed because of her connection to both Buffy and Katherine.

Angel put a glass of scotch and Damon's ring on the door window. "Double shot." He poured more scotch into the glass.

Damon made sure Buffy was resting comfortably against the wall and stood up. "That's good." He took the glass and his ring. "Oh…. good." Taking a long swig, Damon sighed. "So my brother sent you back here for murder/suicide watch?"

"He's just trying to help and he's worried about her. So am I."

"He's doing what he always does: trying to right the wrongs of the past."

"Aren't we all?"

Damon groaned, biting his lip against the scream that wanted to tear out of him. He settled for, "You should want me dead."

"Why?"

"I stole your girl."

"You can't steal what's not mine."

"You still love her."

"I always will. But she's not mine. Besides, even if she was…. There's nothing I could do about it."

"Pesky curses."

"I will give you the warning, though, that if you hurt her…."

"Hurt her?" Damon snorted. "I'm dying, in case you missed that."

"Willow's not going to let you die because that will hurt her best friend. Stefan's not going to let you die because you're his brother. You've got a lot of love surrounding you, so brace yourself for a miracle."

Damon got closer and shot his arm out to grab Angel's throat. "Kill me. Please."

Buffy was suddenly there pulling him back. "Stop it, Damon." She sat him down and turned to Angel. "Hey."

"Hey yourself." Angel said. "Sorry we woke you. Are you ok?"

"I'm fine."

Damon groaned and this time didn't hold back on the scream. Buffy held onto him and rocked him. "I need blood. I need blood."

"There's a little room down the hallway." Buffy said to Angel. "There's a fridge back there with blood bags."

Angel nodded and left to get Damon blood and Buffy suddenly had an idea. "Damon…."

"Shh." He pushed her up against the wall beside the door, mouthing the word "stay" and went over to lie still on the ground.

"You know, now's not a good time, Sheriff." Buffy heard Angel say. "Trust me."

"Sheriff, over here." A deputy called.

"I wouldn't go in there."

"I just wanna talk to him." Buffy heard Liz say.

"I wouldn't go in there." Angel's voice was suddenly muffled and Buffy heard the door slam. The door to the cellar opened and Buffy could see Liz from where she was standing. Damon had gotten up and hidden with Buffy. The sheriff turned around in confusion and Damon was suddenly behind her.

"Liz."

"No!" Buffy cried just as Damon threw her against the wall. She fell to the floor, unconscious. Damon sped past her in a blur and Buffy heard the deputy get thrown against the wall. "Shit!" She grabbed her cell phone and ran out, calling Stefan to warn him that Damon had escaped. Before she left, she let Angel out of the basement.

"Where did he go?" Angel asked.

"I don't know, but I've got to find him before he accidentally hurts someone." They ran out and got into her car to head to the town square.

* * *

><p>Buffy found Elena first. Apparently Stefan had told her about Damon escaping and she was out looking for him too. She'd been to the house, but the sheriff had kidnapped her before she'd gone in and locked her in the courthouse. She'd broken out of the courthouse not too long ago when Stefan had called to let her know that Damon had escaped.<p>

"Elena, please just go home." Buffy begged. "This is too dangerous for you to be unprotected."

"But you're here." Elena protested. "And Angel's searching the town, too."

"I can't watch you and Damon at the same time."

"Buffy…."

Buffy took Elena's shoulders. "I'm sorry, Elena, but no. Just go home. Please. I couldn't handle it if I let anything happen to you."

Elena sighed. "Fine. Will you call me when you find him?"

"Yes. I promise."

Elena nodded and ran off. She made it only a few feet from the sidewalk around the square before she ran into Damon. "Elena." He said.

"Damon…." She caught him when he stumbled. "Hey, come on. Come on. We have to get you out of here. We have to hide you. Buffy was just over this way…."

"Where are we going?" Damon asked. He was back in 1864 and Elena was suddenly playing the part of Katherine.

"Everywhere!" Katherine said.

"Wait for me. I want to come with you…."

Damon pinned Katherine/Elena against a tree. "Hey. Hey. Relax." Elena said. "We need to get you to Buffy so she can get you out of here. She'll take care of you."

"You're faster than I thought." Katherine said.

"Why must you always run from me?" Damon asked.

"Because I know that you will chase."

"Then let me chase you forever. Feed me your blood."

"I will not feed you, Damon. If you want it, take it. It is your choice to make."

"I choose you, Katherine."

"Look at me." Elena said. "Hey. It's Elena. It's Elena."

"Promise me you will not tell my brother."

"I promise. It will be our little secret."

Damon leaned toward Elena's neck. "No. Damon. No."

"I have to…. If we are to be together forever."

Damon leaned down to bite Elena's neck, but Buffy and Angel were suddenly there pulling him away. He snapped out of his hallucination and looked at Elena, realizing it wasn't Katherine. "I'm sorry…."

"Come on, Damon." Buffy said gently, putting Damon's arm over her shoulders. "Let's go home." She looked at Elena. "Are you ok?" Elena nodded.

"Elena, you need to go find Alaric." Angel said. "He's looking for you. I think he went to your house." Elena nodded and watched Buffy lead Damon away before she ran off.

Buffy looked at Angel. "Thank you."

"For what?" Angel asked.

"Helping me find him."

Angel waited until they'd gotten Damon into the back of Buffy's car and were buckled in the front seats before saying, "I'm not gonna lie, Buffy. It doesn't make me feel warm and fuzzy to know that you're with a vampire."

Buffy sighed. "Angel, I can't be with a human man. It's just not in my deck of cards. I don't want kids." She snorted. "Raising Dawn was enough for me and now I'm taking on two teenagers…."

"I just never wanted you to be stuck in the darkness."

"My whole existence is rooted in darkness. I've accepted the fact that I can't escape it. I tried to retire, but I ended up right back in the thick of things."

Angel glanced back at the sleeping Damon. "Do you love him?" Buffy kept her eyes on the road and didn't answer Angel's question.

* * *

><p>Klaus sliced open his hand and allowed some of his blood to pour into a glass vial as Stefan watched. Katherine was lurking behind them. "There it is." Klaus said. "You want to save your brother? How about a decade-long bender? And I have big plans for you when we leave this town."<p>

"I'm not like that anymore." Stefan said.

"Well, that's too bad. You would have made a hell of a wingman." Klaus began to pour his blood in the sink.

"Wait!"

"Now that's more like it. I want you to join me for a drink." Klaus tossed Stefan a blood bag. Stefan opened it reluctantly and drank a sip. "Finish it. All of it. You do everything I say, and I save your brother. That's the deal." Stefan sighed and downed the rest of the bag. Klaus smiled and tossed him another blood bag. "Again." Once another bag was finished, Klaus tossed him another and then another. After an hour there were about twenty blood bags littering the floor. "You're very cooperative. It's almost as if you're enjoying it." Klaus tossed Stefan another blood bag.

"No more." Stefan said, pushing it away. "Not until you give me the cure."

"Not until we make a deal. It's your choice, Stefan. You can either remain here living your life in Mystic Falls, or you can embrace what you truly are, leave town with me, and save your brother's life." Stefan took the blood bag and drank. "That's the spirit. There's one more thing I want."

"What?"

"Buffy."

Stefan stopped drinking. "No."

"She's part of the deal, Stefan."

"She has nothing to do with this. Leave her out of it."

"I'm sure she'll want to save your brother as much as you do."

"I'm sure she will, but leave her out of this and stay away from her."

"You love her, too?"

"Like a sister."

"And as a family, I'm sure you can speak for one another…."

"I won't make a deal for her. But if I do this…. If I go with you and do what you ask…. You have to stay away from Buffy, too. She'll find a way to kill you and if you piss her off enough…."

Klaus sighed. He knew Stefan was right. The little Slayer had proven herself to be more than capable of ruining his plans. Her track record was littered with the ruined plans of demons and vampires and even a hell god. She'd found a way to kill a hell god, she could find a way to kill him. He would have to find another way to get her to go along with him.

Klaus took the vial with his blood and looked at Katherine. "Sweetheart…. Take this over to Damon and come right back."

"You want me to leave?" Katherine asked.

"No!" Stefan cried.

"Yes and if I were you…." Katherine took the vial and disappeared. "I'd hurry." Klaus sat down on a chair next to Stefan.

"She'll never take it to him." Stefan said. "She'll never take it to him…."

* * *

><p>Damon was lying on his bed, sweating and looking deathly ill. It made Buffy's gut wrench at the sight. She took the towel in her hand and gently blotted his forehead. "Buffy…." Damon groaned, waking up.<p>

"It's ok, Damon. I'm right here." Buffy said, sitting down next to him.

"Get out of here. I could hurt you."

"You won't. And I told you…. I'm not leaving you."

"Get out of here." He screamed and coughed, his whole body convulsing with the pain.

Buffy took him in her arms and held him tightly. "Shh…. It's ok. It's ok."

"It's not ok. It's not ok. All those years, I've blamed Stefan. No one forced me to love her. It was my own choice. I made the wrong choice. You tell Stefan I'm sorry. Ok?"

"I'll let you tell him."

"This is even more pitiful than I thought."

"There's still hope." He looked up at her. "Damon…. I want you to try something for me." Buffy pulled her jacket off and helped him sit up. She laid his head on her chest and pushed her sleeve up to bare her wrist.

"What are you doing?"

"My blood…. It's more powerful than anything. It was the cure that healed Angel when he was dying of the Killer of the Dead poison. Everything that's happening to you…. It's just like that poison. I want you to try. Maybe it'll work."

"I can't seem to get enough blood…. I don't think I'll be able to stop." He started coughing again and Buffy wiped the blood up with the towel.

"Damon…." He looked up at her and she gently moved his hair from his forehead. "I trust you. Please, just try…. For me. If it doesn't work, then Stefan and Willow will find something else."

"I don't want to hurt you."

"It's my choice. I trust you." She held her wrist to his mouth, stroking his cheek with her hand. "Damon, I trust you."

He looked up at her with uncertainty, but he knew she was resolved. He sighed and let his fangs drop. His eyes changed and he bit into her wrist, gently holding her arm. Buffy gasped at the almost euphoric pain, but she stayed still. She laid her forehead down on top of Damon'

s head as he pulled her blood into his mouth and let the amazing and powerful taste of it flow around his tongue and down his throat. The jolt he got from it was incredible and for a moment, he actually felt better. After a minute, though, he stopped, scared to drain her too much. He took the towel from her and gently wrapped it around her wrist.

"Anything?" Buffy asked hopefully.

"God…. That's some pretty powerful stuff…. I've never tasted anything like it."

"How do you feel?"

"I don't…. I don't feel any different."

"Then you didn't take enough." Buffy held her wrist up to him again. "Keep going."

"I'm not going to drain you, Buffy. If that little bit of your blood didn't help, nothing's going to." He groaned and coughed again and Buffy squeezed her eyes shut against the tears. He looked up at her. "Why are you crying over me? Please don't. I've made a lot of choices that have gotten me here. I deserve this. I deserve to die."

"No. You don't."

"I do, Buffy. It's ok. Cause if I'd have chosen differently, I wouldn't have met you." He reached up to stroke her cheek and tangle his fingers in her long blonde curls. "I'm so sorry. I've done so many things to hurt you."

"It's ok. I've forgiven you." Buffy took his hand and scooted down the bed to lay down next to him. She placed her forehead against his shoulder and felt the tears start to come in bigger drops.

He began to play with her hair and kissed the top of her head. "Buffy…." She looked up at him and he wiped her cheek with his thumb. "I love you. You should know that."

Buffy allowed the tears to fall as she looked at him. "I love you, too, Damon." He smiled slightly.

"What took you so long?" He tried to laugh, but he was getting too weak.

"I've been so scared to tell you and now…." She sighed slightly, "Love and me…. We're not compatible. Every man I've ever loved has left me. I've been so scared to say it out loud because I was scared you would leave me if I did."

"I never would have left you. I'm in too deep."

"What took _you_ so long?"

"Buffy, I'm not the type of guy who falls in love. Not anymore." He fought back the cough and lowered his voice to a whisper. "The only other person was Katherine and she manipulated me. But there's just something so…. Different with you." Damon gently laid his hand on her cheek and stroked his thumb back and forth. She closed her eyes and luxuriated in the feel of it. "From the moment we met…. I had to have you. Maybe it started out as an obsession because you refused to have anything to do with me…." His eyes seemed to get far away as he remembered his time with her. "You were so gorgeous standing in the library with your hair wet from a shower…." His lips curled into a smile at the memory of his first glimpse of the blonde in his arms. "That night in the tomb…. when you kissed me…. It changed everything for me." Damon looked back at Buffy, coming out of the past. "You changed me." He smiled slightly. "You're my first, real love."

"No manipulation required." Buffy stared into his eyes for a long moment, holding his hand tightly. "Why is it that imminent death brings out the truth?"

"Because there's no more room for lies and secrets anymore." Damon held her to him and breathed in the scent of her hair. "You should have met me in 1864. You would have liked me."

"I like you now. I love you. Just the way you are." Buffy touched his cheek, running her fingers over it gently before entwining her fingers in his hair as she stared into his eyes. He managed a smile and she leaned in to kiss him gently.

"Thank you." He said, holding her hand tightly to his chest.

"Well, it's me you should be thanking." Buffy shot out of bed and dropped into a defensive crouch. "I mean, I'm the one who brought the cure." Katherine said.

"I couldn't stop her." Angel said, standing behind Katherine.

"How'd she get in?" Buffy asked.

"Your little sister invited me in." Katherine said.

"Dawn's here?"

"She's downstairs." Angel said. "This one promised a cure and Dawn didn't hesitate to invite her in."

Katherine walked over, past Buffy, and sat down next to Damon. "You got free." He said.

"Yep. Finally." She made him drink the blood in a vial she was holding.

"And you still came here?"

"I owed you one."

"Where's Stefan?" Buffy asked.

"He's paying for this." Katherine held up the vial. "He gave himself over to Klaus. I wouldn't expect him anytime soon."

"What do you mean 'he gave himself over'?"

"He just sacrificed everything to save his brother, including his precious Elena." Katherine tossed Buffy the vial. "And because I almost like you…. You should know that Klaus may come for you. He's intrigued by you, Buffy. He likes to collect the things he's intrigued by. Stefan managed to keep you out of the deal Klaus wanted to make with him for the cure, but Klaus won't stick to his word. At least not for long." Katherine waited a beat before turning and disappearing.

Damon started to sit up and Buffy moved over to help him. He looked up at her in confusion. "What did she mean by that?" He asked.

"I don't know." Buffy said. "How do you feel?"

"Klaus wants you?" Angel asked.

Buffy waved the question off, but Damon said, "Buffy, what did she mean by that?"

The Slayer sighed. "He said as much at the quarry the night of the ritual, but I didn't take him seriously. I thought it was just a threat."

"Why didn't you say anything?" Damon asked.

"Because I didn't believe him. He likes causing jealousy in you and I thought that's what he was doing."

"He can't have you."

"I'm not sure we can stop him."

"We'll find a way." Angel said.

"What about Stefan?"

"Stefan's a big boy." Damon said. "He can handle himself."

"Damon…."

Damon took Buffy's hands. "He'll be fine, Buffy. He got into this mess, he can get himself out. Right now you've got other things to concentrate on."

Buffy sighed. "So what do we do now?"


	38. Chapter 38

_**A/N I'm venturing off into a little story of my very own for the next two chapters before I start with the third season. **_

Chapter 38

Buffy sat amongst a sea of boxes spread around her and stared at the journal in her hands. It had been Giles's last Watcher Diary. He'd been writing in it when Angelus had interrupted. After pushing him to tell her, Angel finally relented and told Buffy what had happened to Giles. Angelus hadn't tortured him. Klaus had just wanted the Watcher dead because he knew about Klaus's curse. He hadn't known that Elijah had told them about it.

Buffy looked down at the words on the page. He'd been talking about Klaus and the curse. Before that he'd been talking about Mystic Falls and everything Buffy had been going through there. He'd started this particular journal when Buffy had gone off with Lexi.

Damon walked into the room and sat down next to her. "Hey." She looked up, tears glistening on her cheeks. He pulled her to him and rested her head on his shoulder. "Shh…."

"I'm sorry I keep leaking all over you." Buffy said.

"I wouldn't expect anything else."

"I'm glad he didn't suffer. I'm glad it was quick for him."

"You shouldn't even think about that."

Buffy sighed and looked around the room from her place on Damon's shoulder. "I don't know what to do with all of this stuff."

"We've got plenty of room back home. Keep it till you can figure it out."

"When my mom died…. Giles took care of most of it. The funeral…. The flowers…. The insurance stuff…. I didn't have to deal with it. I didn't even have to deal with the hospital paperwork at the morgue. Now I wish that I had because I have no idea what to do."

"The lawyers will help you. I'll help you. Willow will help you. You're not alone."

"I know." Buffy inhaled deeply and sat up. She stood up in one fluid movement and stretched. "I'm going to call Elena and check on her and Jeremy."

"You did that two hours ago." Damon said, standing up and following her to the kitchen.

"I know. I'm just worried."

Damon was suddenly in front of her, grasping her shoulders. "Elena and Jeremy are fine. Alaric is taking good care of them."

"Klaus…."

"Isn't going to bother them. He doesn't even know that Elena's alive."

"He wants me. He'll go to Mystic Falls."

"Stefan won't let that happen. Whatever deal he made with Klaus, he'll make him stick to it for as long as possible. Klaus won't bother you anytime soon." He sat her down on a barstool and looked her in the eyes. "You need to grieve. And to do that, you need to slow down. You haven't given yourself the chance to mourn and you need to do that." She gave him an exasperated look. "You'll end up falling apart at a very inopportune time and I really don't want to hold you together if we're fighting for our lives again."

Buffy shook her head. "You're so good to me." She said sarcastically.

"You're better to me." He said sincerely as he smoothed her hair away from her face, pushing it behind her ears. "I'm serious. We're not going back until you've properly mourned the man that was your father in every way that counted."

"I don't have time."

"You are so stubborn!"

"Yes. I am. Besides, I don't do that whole wear black for a year thing."

"Though I think you look sexy in black, I wouldn't expect you to mourn for a year. I've moved on from those days." He smiled slightly.

Buffy sighed. "Will you help me finish packing now? The realtor wants to start showing the place next week and we need to be finished before then."

"And then what?"

"Then…. we take this stuff back home and sort through it there."

* * *

><p>Elena and Jeremy stood in the living room with Angel, Alaric, and Caroline. There was a large <em>Welcome Home <em>banner strung across the top of the doorway leading from the hallway. Buffy and Damon were supposed to be back soon. The boxes full of Giles's belongings had arrived the day before and Angel, Alaric, and Jeremy had put them in Buffy's room.

The door opened and Damon walked in with Buffy right behind him. Elena smiled brightly and ran up to hug Buffy. "Welcome home!"

"Oh my gosh!" Buffy cried as the teenager suddenly cut off her air supply. "Hi! Wow."

"How was your trip? We missed you here. I'm so glad you're back! How did everything go? How was your flight? Do you need any help with your bags? Are you hungry? I am so glad you're back!" Elena said in rapid fire English. If Buffy didn't talk fast herself sometimes, she wouldn't have understood any of it.

"Slow down, Speedy!" Damon said. "We were only gone a week and a half."

"Summer break." Alaric said. "The kids haven't had anything to do."

"Don't know how I can help that." Buffy said as she hugged both Elena and Caroline at the same time.

"We've had plenty to do." Caroline protested.

"Actually, we have a surprise for you." Elena said to Buffy.

"Should I be scared?" Buffy asked.

"No! Come on!" Elena took Buffy's hand and dragged her towards the stairs. Damon fell into step behind Buffy and Jeremy, Angel, Alaric, and Caroline followed. "We actually have two surprises, but this one I couldn't wait to show you." Elena stopped outside the door to the room that Damon and Buffy had been working on turning into a weapons/training room. She smiled brightly and opened the door. "We found your plans and Angel and Alaric helped us finish it."

"You guys did this?" Buffy asked as she walked into the finished room. Her bigger, more impressive weapons, including her scythe, were displayed on one wall. On the other wall were shelves filled with her smaller weapons neatly arranged by name. The middle of the room contained a large blue floor mat. On the far wall by the window was a dresser. Inside was her work out clothes along with some new ones. In the corner sat a sparring dummy and a hanging punching bag. On the same wall as the door was a weight lifting bench with weights neatly stacked in order next to it. "This is amazing."

"You like it?" Elena asked hopefully.

"I love it. Now I can stay in shape."

"And teach Damon to fight." Alaric said playfully.

"Hey. I can fight." Damon protested. "Just not as good as her."

"I brought the bag from my own collection." Angel said.

"Oh, Angel, you didn't have to do that." Buffy said.

"Somebody had to use it. It was just collecting dust at the Hyperion."

"This is awesome, you guys! Thank you so much!" Buffy hugged Elena and Caroline again. Jeremy came up from behind and wrapped his arms around all three girls.

"Oh! The second surprise!" Elena said. "We've got to go finish. Buffy, you stay up here until we come get you." She smiled and walked out with Caroline and Jeremy. Alaric, Angel, and Damon stayed with Buffy as she went over to the shelves of weapons.

"How's she doing?" Buffy asked Alaric.

"She's doing ok." Alaric said. "She missed you."

"Has she mentioned Stefan?"

"She believes he's going to find a way to come back. Have you talked to him?"

"No. Damon and I both have tried texting and calling, but he's changed his number I think."

"Any idea what kind of deal was made?" Alaric asked.

"Whatever it was, Stefan wouldn't let Klaus get near Buffy." Damon said. "Beyond that, I'm not worried."

"Well, I am." Buffy announced. "I want to find them and see if Stefan can be saved."

"That's suicide." Alaric said.

"Maybe. Maybe not."

"You are not bargaining yourself for Stefan." Damon said.

"I can't just sit here and do nothing while Klaus is doing gods only knows what to Stefan."

"We don't have much of a choice." Angel said.

"Stefan's doing this to protect you and Elena." Damon said. "Let him…."

"I don't need protecting!"

"I know that. You know that. We all know that. Hell, Stefan knows that. But he'll never accept it. He's not happy unless he's being the hero. He'll call us when he can."

"I don't like just sitting."

"I know you don't."

"He's right." Angel said. "There's nothing we can do until Stefan calls."

"What if he never calls?"

Damon sighed. No one had an answer to that. At least not one Buffy wanted to hear. Thankfully Caroline suddenly appeared in the doorway. "Ok guys! We're ready." She grabbed Buffy's hand and led her down the stairs and into the dining room. "Ta-da!" Elena was putting a turkey in the center of the table. Around the turkey was an array of different side dishes and steaming rolls.

"Wow!" Buffy said. "You guys did all of this?"

"Angel and Alaric helped." Elena said. "Turns out Angel's a really good cook."

"So I've heard." Buffy said, glancing at Angel.

"The kids wanted to do something nice for you when you got home." Alaric said.

"I love it! Thank you guys!"

Elena pulled the chair out at the head of the table. "Here you go, Buffy."

"Thank you." Buffy said, sitting down. Damon took the chair to her right and everyone else made their way to a seat with Alaric at the other end of the table.

* * *

><p>Caroline and Alaric had finally gone home at almost one in the morning. Jeremy was upstairs asleep and Damon had offered to unpack. Angel had gone for a stroll, which meant he was going out to patrol. That left Elena and Buffy alone. Buffy was putting away dishes while Elena washed them.<p>

"Buffy…." Elena started. The petite blonde turned to look at Elena expectantly. The teen was obviously having trouble forming the words she wanted to say.

"Don't tell me you're pregnant." Buffy said jokingly. "I know Matt's free now and John said something about you having kids…."

Elena laughed. "No. God, no!" She sighed and got serious. "I know what everyone thinks about what happened to Stefan and I know how they feel about finding him, but you haven't said anything."

Buffy nodded and set down the dish she was drying. She went over and closed the door to the kitchen and lowered her voice. "I don't care what everyone thinks. I can't leave Stefan out there alone with Klaus."

Elena exhaled and tears sprang to her eyes. "What are we going to do?"

"I don't know right now, but I'm going to think of something."

"I know that Klaus wants you, too, but I don't want you to trade yourself for Stefan." Elena looked down at the ground. "I can't lose you, too."

Buffy hugged Elena tightly. "You're not going to lose me, Elena. I'm going to find a way to get Stefan back and not get myself entangled with Klaus too. I promise that I won't let anything happen to me."

Damon opened the door and strutted in snacking on an apple. "What are you two blubbering about down here?"

"I'm just assuring Elena that I'm not going anywhere." Buffy said, smiling at her boyfriend. "And I was also saying that her birthday is coming up soon. It's a milestone one."

"I don't want anyone to make a big deal out of it." Elena said.

"Too bad. You have to deal with the fact that I am now your legal guardian until you turn 18 and you have to do what I say. And I say that you have to celebrate your 18th birthday in a big way."

"Ok…. How did you celebrate yours?"

Buffy let out a sharp laugh. "I had a Cruciamentum." Elena gave her a weird look. "I had my powers stripped and was supposed to be locked in a house with a crazy vampire trying to kill me while I tried to figure out how to kill it. But that crazy vampire escaped and kidnapped my mom. So I had to go after it with no powers."

"You won."

"Of course I did. I'm not the best Slayer ever if I hadn't."

"You wouldn't _be_ if you hadn't." Damon interjected.

"But before that I was supposed to have a Stars On Ice date with my dad."

"Supposed to?" Elena asked.

"He cancelled. Just like the three years before that. My dad's a flake."

"Yeah. I don't want to have a Cruciamentum or a date with Stars On Ice."

"Good. I was hoping that a standard, run of the mill party hosted by Damon and I would suffice." Buffy smiled. "Are there any special presents you'd like to ask for?"

"A new car?"

"Are there any special presents within reason you'd like to ask for?"

Elena laughed. "I'll think about it and get back to you." She looked at the dishes as she yawned. "I'm going to finish these up tomorrow. Is that ok?"

"Yeah. Go on to bed."

Elena hugged Buffy tightly. "I am so glad you're back." She smiled and headed out of the kitchen.

"Hmm…." Damon said, leaning against the counter next to Buffy.

"What 'hmm'?" She asked, grabbing another dish to dry.

He moved behind her and pressed against her back. His breath tickled her ear as he said, "You two are plotting something."

"Yes, Damon. We're plotting a birthday party."

"You're not a very good liar."

"Who's lying? I'm going to make sure Elena's 18th birthday is a memorable one. She's had enough sorrow in her life. I want to try and make it better."

"Well aren't you just the doting big sister."

"Maybe I am. What's it to you?"

Damon grabbed her shoulders and turned her around. He caught the dish she almost dropped and set it on the counter before placing his arms on the counter on each side of her, boxing her in. Their faces were only an inch apart. "I happen to find it incredibly endearing."

"Endearing is not a word I would place in your vocabulary."

"Love wasn't either but you changed that." He smiled sexily at her and she shook her head. His lips met hers and they were upstairs in his bedroom between one heartbeat and the next.

* * *

><p>Buffy set the open book down in front of Bonnie and crossed her arms. They were convened at the Grill where Buffy and Elena had gone to eat lunch. Buffy had found a spell book that had belonged to Giles and she'd formed an idea.<p>

"Buffy, I don't know if I can do this spell." Bonnie said, looking at the book.

"You just have to try." Elena said. "If it doesn't work, then we'll figure something else out."

"I just want to know what the deal was that Stefan made with Klaus." Buffy said.

"How will calling on the past do that?" Bonnie asked.

"You can call on the deal, which was made in the past, and we can see what was said and done." Elena said.

"Are you sure you guys want to know?"

"More than." Buffy said. "We can't allow Stefan to suffer just to keep Klaus away. I can take care of Klaus and so can you, Bonnie."

"Why isn't Damon here?"

Buffy uncrossed her arms with a sigh. "Because he's worried that if I go looking for Stefan, Klaus will snatch me up. He's worried about his brother just as much as we are."

"But he's more worried about you."

"No. He just doesn't want to lose Stefan _and_ me. But I can't just sit here while Stefan is out there having gods know what done to him by Klaus."

Bonnie sighed. "Give me a day to look over the spell and see what I need to do it?"

Buffy and Elena exchanged glances. "Yeah." Elena said.

"We can do that." Buffy agreed.

* * *

><p>"It's ok, Bonnie." Buffy said, standing in the young witch's bedroom two days later. She'd called Buffy over to try the spell, but it hadn't worked.<p>

"I'm sorry. I know you and Elena were counting on me." Bonnie said.

"Don't worry about it. We'll find another way."

"I can try again. Maybe go to the house where…."

"No. They wouldn't understand. They're not exactly fans of Stefan's."

"Yeah."

"Thanks for trying though."

"Yeah. Anytime." Bonnie hugged Buffy tightly and they both jumped when an electric charge from Bonnie's fingers shocked Buffy. "Sorry!"

Buffy shrugged. "It's no big. Willow sometimes had that static electricity thing going after a spell. It's ok."

"So Elena says you're planning a birthday party for her?"

"Yeah."

"You know Caroline will want to help with the planning. She loves throwing parties."

"I figured. I was going to call her soon and ask for her help. Honestly the party idea came up as a diversion when Damon started asking questions. I'm not very good at throwing parties."

"Well, as soon as you enlist Caroline, you won't have to worry about that."

After saying goodbye to Bonnie, Buffy went to meet Damon at the Grill. He'd wanted some normal alone time, so they'd agreed to go on a date. It was their first normal date in a long time. And it was their first after admitting their feelings for each other.

"So, what have you been up to today?" Damon asked, playing with her hair as he kissed her neck and nibbled her ear.

Buffy smiled and blushed at the PDA, but they were secluded enough that not a lot of people could see them. "I was talking with Bonnie about party planning."

"Still planning a party, huh?"

"She says I should enlist Caroline's help."

Damon sat up. "Are you?"

"Yeah. I forgot that I'm not a good party planner. I figure Caroline can give it that special touch and I'll just provide the money."

"Is that all you did?"

"It was a pretty uneventful day, actually. Elena and I were talking about what was going to happen after she turned 18. Jeremy said he's applying for a job here. I told him he didn't have to do that since Giles left me enough money that I'm set for a long, long time. And Angel's going to talk to his banker friend who keeps his accounts and he's going to show me how to invest over the 'long term' so I never have to worry about money again."

"I used to just take my victim's money."

"Damon!"

"What? Between it and the compulsion…. I lived large on very little money."

"I'm sure you did."

"But now that I have a financially sound girlfriend, I can give up those horrible ways."

Buffy rolled her eyes. "I'm sure you will." She said sarcastically.

They finished out their night at the Grill with a couple of rounds of pool and a game of darts before heading back home. Damon drew her into the bed as she was changing into her usual shorts and tank top and they spent the night tangled up in each other. After a long few hours, they finally drifted off to sleep.

* * *

><p>Buffy opened her eyes slowly and stretched. The first thing she realized was that she was naked. The second thing, as her eyes really snapped open, was that she was not in her bedroom. She snapped her arms back down to her sides and brushed someone's arm next to her. She looked over in confusion at the arm and then followed it up to realize that it was not someone she knew.<p>

Before she could stop herself, a blood curdling scream flew out of her mouth. The guy in the bed next to her bolted awake and sat up straight, obviously ready for a fight. Buffy yanked the sheet away and stood up faster than she'd meant to. In fact, she was pretty sure that she made it across the room in the blink of an eye. It almost distracted her since she'd never been that fast, but the guy stood up and looked around and pulled her attention back to him.  
>"What's wrong?" He asked, checking out the room.<p>

"Who are you and where the hell am I?" Buffy asked, wrapping the sheet tighter around her.

"What?"

Angel suddenly burst into the room followed by a brunette teenage girl and a tall, brunette teenage boy. Buffy let out another scream when she saw Angel and was suddenly on the opposite side of the room by the windows, away from everyone.

"What's going on?" Angel asked.

"I should've known you'd be behind this!" Buffy said.

"What?" Angel exchanged glances with the man from the bed and they both looked at her in confusion.

"Buffy, what's going on?" The teenage girl asked as she pushed the boy out of the room. She looked to be about Buffy's age.

"Who are you people and what is going on? Where am I?"

"What's the last thing you remember?" Angel asked.

Buffy was suddenly standing in front of him, knocking him to the ground with a right hook before she stomped on his chest to pin him to the ground. Again with the super super-speed! "What did you do to me?"

"Buffy, I don't…. What's wrong?"

Buffy looked down at Angel and it took a moment for her to register that it wasn't Angelus looking at her. "Angel?" She removed her foot and stared at him in wonder as he stood up. "How?"

"Buffy, what are you talking about?"

"You were Angelus."

"Yeah, but that was a while ago. I'm back. Willow fixed that."

"Willow? She's not a witch. Did Jenny or Giles help her?"

"Jenny…." Angel stopped. He took her shoulders gently and looked her in the eyes. "Buffy, what is the last thing you remember?"

She had to think about it for a long moment. "Uh…. I was on my way home from the Bronze with Willow and Xander. I made them go home first because I was worried about you…. Angelus coming after them. Then I went home, said goodnight to mom, and went to bed. I kind of skipped patrolling. Giles is gonna be so mad, but I just couldn't bring myself because I might have run into you."

Angel's brows knitted in confusion. "What year do you think this is?"

It was Buffy's turn to look confused. "1997?"


	39. Chapter 39

Chapter 39

Buffy sat on the couch next to Elena and shook her head. "I'm not sure how this could've happened." Buffy said. "When I went to sleep, everything was normal. When I wake up, it's…. fourteen years later?"

"We think it might be a spell." Damon said. "Elena, have you talked to Bonnie yet?"

"I left her a message." Elena said. "I think she's doing something with her dad today."

Angel walked into the room. "I couldn't get a hold of Willow, but I got a hold of Dawn. She's going to track Willow down."

"Who's Dawn?" Buffy asked.

"She's your sister." Elena said.

Buffy shook her head. "I don't have a sister."

Elena, Damon, and Jeremy all looked at Angel in confusion. He sighed. "Her memories are before the monks made Dawn. So she doesn't remember that she has a sister." Damon nodded, but Elena and Jeremy obviously didn't know the story there. "I'm not sure we should explain everything."

Buffy looked up at him. "Why not?"

"It's kind of a lot to take in." Damon said.

Buffy shook her head and stood up. "See! I hate being the Slayer. I keep telling Giles that it totally ruins everything. My clothes, my social life…. Where does it end?" She caught sight of herself in a mirror. "And if it's fourteen years later, why do I look the same?" Buffy turned and looked at Angel in a panic. "Oh god! I'm not a vampire am I?" She rushed over to the window and opened it up to let the sun hit her skin. She didn't burn. "Oh thank god!" Angel shook his head and Damon just watched his girlfriend in amazement. "Can anyone explain why I can move so fast? And why I look the same if I'm _not_ a vampire?"

"You're still a Slayer." Angel explained, cutting Damon off. "You're just a lot more powerful. You're the longest living Slayer."

"What does that even mean?" Buffy asked.

Angel smiled proudly. "It means you're the best."

"So the best come to…. Where exactly am I?"

"Mystic Falls, Virginia." Damon said.

"That's a long way from home." Buffy crossed her arms. "So, tell me everything."

"I don't think we should." Angel said.

"Why not?"

Angel smiled slightly when she cocked her hips to the side and held a defiant pose. This 17 year old Buffy brought back a flood of emotions and memories that he hadn't visited in a long time. "Sometimes knowing the future isn't a good thing."

"So you're saying my future hasn't been so bright? Well, I said that over and over during the career fair, but nobody listens to me. I only save the world on a nightly basis." She paused and Angel could see the click in her mind. "Wait…. Why, if you're not Angelus, did I wake up next to that guy?" She pointed at Damon before turning sad eyes back to Angel. "Are we not together anymore?"

Angel sighed and looked at Damon. He was staring out the window. "Well, we haven't been together in a long time." Angel started, moving closer to Buffy. "You and Damon have been…. seeing each other for almost a year now." He paused before saying quietly, "You love him."

Buffy looked at Damon's back for a long moment and then back at Angel. "Oh." She shrugged and looked at Damon again. This time he looked back at her. "Well, at 17 I can barely see beyond tomorrow and my tomorrow up until today wasn't looking too good. At least I know I'm not a complete loser at almost 30 if I can get someone as hot as you." Her face scrunched up. "Then again, I do look 17, so does that make you a pedophile?" Elena and Jeremy started laughing and Angel tried to hide his amusement.

Damon shook his head, not amused. "Not a pedophile. Vampire."

Buffy's face fell. "Are you serious! I'm doomed to never date a human?" She blushed at her outburst when Damon's face turned even more serious. "Wow! I can't say I'm surprised, but I'm pretty sure my mom's going to be disappointed when I don't produce any grandbabies. But I'm sure Giles isn't complaining about…." She noticed the quick look between Damon and Angel. "Why do you guys do that whenever I mention Giles?"

"Uh…." Angel started.

"Oh, I really did push him into an early grave! He's always said I was going to, but I never thought…."

"It wasn't you." Angel assured her.

"Wait…. He's really…." The tears started to well up. "No."

"I'm sorry." Damon went to comfort her and he saw her tense up when he got near.

Elena stood up and walked over to Buffy to diffuse the tension she could see building up in Damon. "Do you want to get some air? We can take a walk in the gardens."

Buffy sighed. "Yeah. Sure. It's daylight. What's the worst that could happen?" She followed Elena out and Angel turned to look at Damon.

"I know! She doesn't know who I am." Damon said, sitting down in Buffy's vacated seat.

"It's not her fault." Jeremy said.

"I know that!" Damon looked at Angel. "How could this have happened? She was fine yesterday."

"Then she woke up fourteen years younger."

"It's got to be a spell." Angel said.

"I know it's got to be a spell." Damon countered, obviously annoyed. "Buffy doesn't just wake up and lose that many years of her life every day."

"Do you think Klaus did this?" Jeremy asked.

"Why would he want her to be 17 again?"

"So she doesn't remember who he is and she doesn't remember what kind of power she actually has." Angel said, agreeing with Jeremy. "He was pretty scared about her being able to stop the ritual to break the curse."

Damon shook his head. "It has to be Bonnie."

"Why does it have to be Bonnie?" Jeremy asked, obviously offended for his girlfriend.

"Buffy was with her yesterday and she, Elena, and Buffy have been in cahoots with each other."

"Yeah. To plan Elena's birthday party."

"I think they're looking for Stefan."

"Why aren't you?"

"Because I don't want Klaus to get my brother _and_ my girlfriend. He's taken enough as it is."

Jeremy sighed. "She's out with her dad today. But I know where they're at." He stood up. "I'll go talk to her and see if she knows anything."

"Thank you." Angel said as Jeremy headed out the door. He looked at Damon who was watching Buffy walk with Elena. "We'll get her back."

"What about until then?" Damon asked.

"Damon, she's your girlfriend. I'm not going to do anything to compromise that."

"Even if she only remembers being with you?" Damon walked out of the room. He knew it was irrational to be mad at Buffy for not knowing who he was, but he couldn't take another moment of those lovey-dovey looks she kept shooting Angel. Or the looks he kept giving her right back.

* * *

><p>"So we're pretty close?" Buffy asked. She and Elena were sitting on one of the benches in the garden.<p>

"Yeah. You showed up here with a friend of yours and we hit it off." Elena said. "You and my aunt were really good friends too."

"Were?"

"She, uh…. She died recently."

"I'm sorry."

"She asked you to be mine and Jeremy's legal guardian before she died. Willow did some magic and somehow made Jenna's will say that."

"So, Willow's pretty powerful, huh?" Buffy asked, still blown away that her computer geek best friend was a witch.

"Yeah."

"What about Xander?"

"I don't really know him, actually. He stopped by for a visit a few months ago and I met him briefly, but he wasn't here very long and we were all kind of busy. But he's apparently a contractor. And really good at it. He travels all over the US building things."

"Wow. Go Xand." Buffy paused. "So…. I must be pretty responsible if I'm your legal guardian?"

Elena laughed. "You do all right."

Buffy shrugged. "Well, I'm surprised you and your brother are still alive. I've had four goldfish and they've all gone belly up."

Elena smiled. "Trust me. Without you, I don't think Jeremy and I would be half as ok as we are now."

"So Damon…." Buffy looked through the nearest window, but she didn't see him. "What's his story? What's our story?"

"Well…. He loves you. He's different with you. Way different. Stefan told me…."

"Who's Stefan?"

"Damon's brother."

"Oh. Does he not live here?"

Elena looked away. "Uh, not at the moment."

"I'm sensing there's a story there."

"A long, long story. I don't want to burden you with it."

"Hey, burden away." Buffy shrugged. "The last thing I remember is my boyfriend turning into a homicidal maniac and stalking me and my friends. Apparently this time frame of my life is a lot better." Elena nodded and started to talk about Stefan, but Angel walked outside just then. Buffy jumped up. "Whoa! You're in the sun!"

"I have a ring." Angel said, holding up his hand to show Buffy the ring Bonnie had given me. "It protects me."

"Wow. That's pretty nifty." Buffy said, holding Angel's hand and inspecting the ring.

"Are you ok?"

"Yeah. Elena was filling me in on the last year or so of my life."

"Where's Damon and Jeremy?" Elena asked.

"Your brother went to find Bonnie." Angel said. "Damon is…."

"Sulking." Elena finished.

"I think so, yeah." Angel smiled.

"I'll go talk to him. Can you watch Buffy?"

Angel looked at Buffy. "She doesn't need to be watched. She's pretty good at taking care of herself."

Elena nodded. "Yeah. She is." She smiled at Buffy and went back inside the house.

"You don't do that much." Buffy said.

"What's that?" Angel asked.

"Smile. It's usually doom and gloom with you."

"I smile for you."

"On occasion." Suddenly Buffy started to cry. She turned away and took a deep shuddering breath, trying to stop the sobs.

"What's wrong?" Angel asked, instinctively moving towards her.

"I'm sorry. I just…. I never thought I'd see you again. I've been trying my hardest to convince myself to kill you and then suddenly I wake up and you're back." She shook her head. "But we're not together."

"I'm sorry."

"What happened? To us?"

"Buffy…."

"I'm a big girl. I can take it."

Angel looked down and sighed. "We just…. We can't be together."

"Because I'm the trigger? To your curse?"

"Yes."  
>"Does Damon have a curse?"<p>

"What?"

"Obviously he's a good vampire or else I wouldn't be with him. So, does he have a curse too? To give him a soul?"

"Oh, uh…. No. He's a different kind of vampire."

"A different…. How many kinds are there? Why hasn't Giles told me about them?"

"Because I'm pretty sure in 1997, Giles didn't believe they existed."

"They have souls?"

"Technically."

Buffy shook her head. "Talk about drawing the short stick!"

"Damon?"

"You." Buffy shook her head again. "Why couldn't you be like Damon? Fate is not my friend." She sighed. "Can I at least hug you? It's been forever." Angel smiled slightly and held his arms out. Buffy folded herself into his arms and buried her face into his chest. "I've missed this so much."

"Yeah. I have too." He laid his cheek on top of her head.

"Are we at least friends?"

"We don't get to see each other much. You're kind of…. busy."

"Well, saving the world is a full time job."

"Actually, you retired…. Sort of."

"I retired?"

"Well, you and Willow made thousands of Slayers all around the world and since you weren't the only Chosen One anymore…. You travelled the world."

"And ended up in Virginia?"

"It wasn't your idea, but you love it here."

"And apparently Damon." She looked up at him

Angel pulled back from their hug and cupped her face in his hands. "Buffy, I know it's difficult to understand. Your memories…. You're only 17 years old. It's not exactly your best year and it's hard to see past everything that's going on." He dropped his hands, fighting the urge to kiss her. "But Damon loves you and you love him. You should go talk to him."

"What do I say?"

Angel shrugged. "I don't know. I don't know what you two talk about. I only came here recently."

"How recently?"

"A few weeks ago."

"Oh. Why do you seem so sad about this?"

"Buffy, I'll always love you. That will never change. But, you don't belong to me. So I'm jealous."

Buffy smiled, loving the idea of Angel being jealous. "Jealous, huh?"

"Quit stalling."

"I'm not stalling."

"Buffy, I may not know the 29 year old version of you very well, but I do know the 17 year old. You're stalling. Go talk to him." Angel gently pushed her towards the house.

* * *

><p>Damon stood in his bedroom staring out the window at the gardens when Buffy found him. He hadn't missed their little encounter down there and he didn't much like Angel admitting that he loved Buffy and was jealous of Damon. "Hi." Buffy said.<p>

"Everything ok?" Damon asked, turning around and looking at her.

Buffy shrugged. "It's a little much to take in." Damon smiled. "I want to apologize."

"For what?"

"For how I've been treating you. I know we're seeing each other and that we…. Love…. Each other. And I'm sorry for how hard that word is to say…. About you…. And…."

Damon waved a hand, feigning nonchalance. "I understand. Your memories are picked up from some random day when you were seventeen. I don't expect this Buffy to know me and love me right off the bat." Buffy nodded and shifted uncomfortably. Damon had never seen her so…. Self-conscious. "If it makes you feel any better, this is almost how we started off."

"Really?" Buffy stopped fidgeting for a minute.

"Yeah. We got off on the wrong foot and you didn't like me for a long time."  
>"What happened?"<p>

"You said I grew on you like a fungus."

"Well, I guess I'm pretty hard to crack."

"That you definitely are. I spent months trying to figure you out, but you always kept me off balance."

"When did we, uh…. Get together?"

Damon shrugged. "Officially, only a few months ago. But before that…. We were on and off."

"So, what am I like…. Now?"

He smiled and sat down on the edge of the bed. Buffy took the leather chair next to the bed and curled up in it, facing him. He could tell it was the insecure way for a teenager to make herself smaller. The Buffy of this time only curled up when she was hurt. Damon sighed and looked at her. "You are incredibly incredible."

Buffy laughed. "Wow. Cheesy much?"

Damon shrugged. "Well, I hear that love makes you cheesy."

"Elena says that you're different around me. Why is that?"  
>"Before I met you…. I didn't care."<p>

"About what?"

"About anything. Then you came in here with your bad ass self and I found myself changed. A new man. I started to care." He paused. "But don't tell anyone that. I still have a reputation to uphold."

Buffy nodded. "Your secret's safe with me."

"So, how long have you been seventeen? I remember you telling me that Angel turned into Angelus on your seventeenth birthday. From your reaction earlier…. It's been a while."

"Um…. A couple of months." She was clearly uncomfortable with that topic, so he switched again.  
>"Would you like to go grab some lunch? I know you must be starved."<p>

"I am kinda hungry."

"Good. Well, let's go then." Damon stood up and held his hand out to help her up.

"Where are we going?"

"The Grill. You like their food."

They started out the door, but Angel walked up the stairs, blocking their path. "Hey." He said. Damon bit back the growl when Buffy's face lit up at seeing Angel. He knew it wasn't fair because she didn't know him. This wasn't his Buffy. "So, Jeremy just called. He's on his way back with Bonnie. They should be here in an hour or so. They were up past Richmond."

"Who's Bonnie again?" Buffy asked.

"She's a little witch friend of Elena's." Damon said. "I'm guessing she had something to do with this."

"We don't know that." Angel said.

"Klaus wouldn't do this. There's no need to."

"If Buffy doesn't know who he is, then she doesn't know to be afraid of him."

"She wasn't ever afraid of him in the first place."

"If Klaus is after her, then he'll stop at nothing. This could just be a play to get at her."

"Why would he even want her when she doesn't know what kind of strength and power she actually possesses? That's what attracted him in the first place. That's why he wants her. And that's why we need to fix this before he shows up."

"Uh, hi!" Buffy said, waving her hands in their faces. "I'm standing right here." She fixed her gaze on Angel. "And I thought you said that I retired."

"It didn't stick." Damon said.

"Ok. So who's Klaus and why does he want me?"

"It's a long story." Angel said.

"Then fill me in. Both of you. While we wait for Bonnie." Buffy looked between the two men and waited for their reactions.

* * *

><p>Buffy sat with Elena on the couch again while Damon sat on the arm next to Buffy and Angel sat on one of the chairs opposite the couch. "I have to agree with Damon. If I'm so powerful, Klaus wouldn't want me as a seventeen year old. I mean, right now I hate being a Slayer. It's brought me nothing but pain and heartache and death. I want nothing to do with it. But apparently, in this time frame, I really enjoy being the Slayer. I embrace it. Klaus sounds like the type of guy to respect that."<p>

"Thank you." Damon said.

"But why would Bonnie make me a seventeen year old?"

Elena shook her head. "I don't think she meant to. She may have been trying a new spell…." Elena stopped and inhaled sharply.

Damon turned and looked at Elena. "What do you know?"

Elena looked at Buffy for guidance, but quickly remembered that Buffy was only seventeen and had no idea what was going on in the present. She sighed and said, "Buffy and I are looking for Stefan."

"Damon's brother?" Buffy asked.

"Yes."

"I thought I was very clear on why that is a bad idea." Damon said slowly, obviously angry.

"Is your brother missing?" Buffy asked Damon.

Damon sighed. "Yes and no."

"He was taken by Klaus." Elena said. "He made a deal to save Damon…. And keep Klaus away from you."

"Wait…. I'm so very confused right now."

Damon stood up. "This is all very confusing. We should just stop talking about it."

"No, Damon." Elena said, standing up. "We are not leaving Stefan out there alone. We can't."

"Look what's happened, Elena! Look what you've done!"

"Hey!" Buffy stood up. "She said that _we_ were looking for your brother. This is as much my fault as it is hers."

"And I told you, too, that looking for Stefan is a very bad idea."

"Why?"

"Because Klaus will snatch you up just like he did Stefan."

"Obviously I'm not scared of him."

"And you should be! Damn it, Buffy! You have to be careful. I can't lose you, too."

Buffy sighed. "Hard headed no matter how old I am."

Angel laughed and Damon shot him a glare. Damon walked over to Buffy and took her hands. He moved her into the hallway and lowered his voice so the others couldn't hear. "Look. I love you. I know right now that doesn't mean much, but when you get your memories back, it will. Klaus will take you and that will leave Elena and Jeremy without a guardian."

"And you without me."

"Yes."

"Why don't you want to find your brother?"

Damon sighed. "I do want to find him. I am…. worried about him. But losing you too would be too much to bear." Buffy didn't know how to respond to that. If it had been Angel saying those words, she would've understood and promised to be careful. But she still would've gone through with her plan. Maybe that was the same for her 29 year old self.

Just then, the door opened and Jeremy and Bonnie walked in. "What's going on?" Bonnie asked. "How are you seventeen?"

Buffy shrugged. "No clue. You're Bonnie, I guess?"

"Did you guys do the spell?" Elena asked.

"What spell?" Damon asked.

"Yeah. I got all the stuff, but it didn't work." Bonnie said.

"What spell?" Angel asked.

"To bring the past forward." Bonnie said. "Buffy found the spell in one of Giles' books."

"We thought that if we could see the deal that Stefan made with Klaus, then we could work a way around it." Elena admitted.

"But it didn't work." Bonnie reminded.

"No." Angel said. "I think it did. You called on the past and the past showed up." He gestured at Buffy. "Just not the past you were looking for."

"Maybe that's what that shock was…."

"What shock?" Elena asked.

"Before Buffy left, I gave her a hug and we both thought it was static electricity. Maybe it was the spell working?"

"Why did it make my girlfriend seventeen years old again?" Damon asked.

"I don't know."

"Well, fix it!"

"I need to call Willow."

"We already have. She's working on it."

"Where's the book?" Angel asked. "The one with the spell? I'm no witch or warlock, but I've been around enough. Maybe I can help."

* * *

><p>"I have something to propose." Damon looked up at Buffy as she walked into his room.<p>

"Is that so?" He asked as she sat down next to him. Before she could say anything, Damon held up a finger. "Uh, who am I talking to?" Buffy leaned in and kissed him gently, but passionately. "My girl." He cleared his throat. "So, a proposal?"

"I propose that you work with us. If it gets too much or it looks like Klaus is turning his eye on me, then we'll back off."

Damon groaned. "Not this! Look at what happened to you!"

"Oh, I was seventeen again. They even made a movie about it, but I didn't need to learn a life lesson to come back."

"Just get the witch who screwed up the spell to fix it."

Buffy rolled her eyes. "Damon, Elena and I are going to continue to look for Stefan. It would be very helpful if you'd…. help."

"What do I get if I do?"

"The pleasure of your brother's company again."

"Really?"

"Ok, the pleasure of mine and Elena's company?"

"Close, but…. No."

"Both?" He gave her an obvious 'no way in hell' look. "Add to that the pleasure of knowing that I love you and that I am completely yours and you can have me any time, day or night."

Damon smiled. "I already know that."

"Right. Because those jealous eyes you were shooting Angel were just for giggles?"

"Ok, I was a little jealous." Damon sighed. "Fine. I will help you look for Stefan. But I decide when it's getting too close."

"Deal." Buffy leaned in to kiss him, but he grabbed her and flipped her underneath him.


	40. Chapter 40

Chapter 40

Buffy sighed and pinched the bridge of her nose. "Caroline, I said no big parties." She said into her cell phone.

"It's not big." Caroline said. "I promise."

"Then why did you charge my credit card $200 at the party store?"

"Decorations are expensive. It's not like you have any just laying around. And I'm pretty sure Damon wouldn't want teenagers using his fine china from 18whenever."

Buffy took a deep breath. "Just promise me that you'll do _all_ of the cleanup if it's too big."

"I promise."

"Thank you." Buffy hung up and looked in the mirror to finish applying her makeup. "I swear. Dealing with this many teenagers is aging me."

"Nope." Damon said behind her from the tub where he was taking a hot bubble bath. "You still look young and beautiful."

"Thank you." Buffy said, grabbing the front half of her hair and pinning it back with a clip.

"We are out of champagne."

"No." She half turned and fixed him with a glare. "_You_ are out of champagne. I don't drink in the morning."

"Well, would you be a dear and…."

"I'm thinking that you have two legs and can walk down to get it yourself." She turned back to the mirror and applied some lipgloss. Damon stood up, covered in water and soap suds, and seemed to pose for her. Buffy laughed slightly and shook her head. He smiled and walked over to her. "Damon, no!" He grabbed her into a bear hug, getting her clothes wet. "Damon!"

He kissed her and let her go. "Mmm…. Strawberry flavored. Nice."

Buffy watched him walk away. "You're dripping a little." It had been two months since they'd started looking for Stefan, but every lead that turned up turned out to be a dead end with more dead bodies. They were no closer than when they'd started. Klaus had put a cloaking spell on him, so Willow was having zero luck tracking him. Angel was down in Florida tracking a lead at the moment through some old informant of his. He'd followed one of the leads down there and had volunteered to see what more he could dig up.

Elena was holding out hope, but Buffy was starting to lose hope. Everywhere they went, Damon was more and more convinced that the old Stefan was back. That Klaus had brought out the ripper side of him. Buffy didn't want to believe it, but she'd seen enough to know that anything was possible.

Buffy sighed and grabbed a pair of jean shorts and a dark green, strapless baby doll top. The summer in Virginia had been brutally hot and humid and she'd been forced to skimp-up her wardrobe to keep from burning up. Damon was loving it. As she worked on changing out of her wet clothes, she heard Elena come in downstairs. She also heard the gasp and the angry tone. Damon must be showing her more than she needed to see.

She quickly made her way downstairs and sure enough, Damon was wrapping himself in a blanket. "Damon!' She scolded.

"What?" Damon asked. "This is my house. I can walk around naked if I want to. It's not my fault she can't knock."

Buffy glared at him. "Last time I checked, it's my house and Elena doesn't need to knock." Despite her protests, Elena was insisting on staying at her house with Jeremy, but she had a key to Buffy and Damon's house. "I'm sorry, Elena."

Elena shook her head. "It's…. fine. Whatever."

"Everything ok?"

"Sherriff Forbes gave us another location to check." Elena held out a piece of paper. "Memphis."

"Another dead end, you mean?" Damon interjected.

"You don't know that."

"You're right, Elena. This could be the one. After two months, this could be the clue that tells us Stefan is alive and well and living in Graceland."

Buffy rolled her eyes and took the paper from Elena. "I'll call Angel and see what he can find out."

"That will take too long. I'll go." Elena said. "By myself."

"And let Klaus know you're tracking him? He thinks you're dead. Let's keep it that way." Damon said.

"It's a new lead, Damon. We haven't had one in a while."

"Elena, stop." Buffy said. "We'll check it out and if we find anything, we'll call you. Ok?"

"Thank you." Elena sighed and walked back out to her car.

Buffy looked at Damon. "God, do you have to be so mean?"

"I'm getting worried." Damon said. "We're getting a little too close for comfort."

She gently placed her hands on his drying chest. "I'll be fine."

"I don't want him near you."

"I'll be fine."

"You know, Klaus may not scare you, but he scares me. If anything were to happen to you…."

"It won't." Buffy looked at the piece of paper. "Come on. Let's go add this to the list upstairs and I'll call Willow to get her to do some hacker stuff and find the address." She paused as they made their way back upstairs to Damon's room. "You know that victim in Pensacola Angel's looking into? He had family in Tennessee."

"Did he?"

"Yeah. I'll add Angel to my call list and see what he knows."

"What about party planning with Caroline?"

"Though I loathe leaving her alone with my credit card, this is more important."

"What happens if we find Klaus?"

Buffy looked away. "We'll deal with it."

Damon sighed. "Fine. Road trip?"

"I'll call Rick." Buffy grabbed her shoes and started to put them on as she dialed Rick's number.

* * *

><p>Alaric drove his SUV up to a beautiful farm house and stopped the car. Damon got out of the passenger seat and opened the door behind him for Buffy to get out. Alaric walked around the SUV as all three of them stared at the place. Buffy's phone chirped and she looked at it.<p>

"Elena?" Alaric asked. Buffy nodded. "I don't know why you don't just come clean and tell her where we are."

"Because this is only a half lead and I don't want to get her hopes up." Buffy said, putting her phone back in her pocket.

"Yeah, well, they're all half leads. And I'm your guys' accomplice. What do you want me to say to her? I'm practically living there."

"Still sleeping on the couch?" Damon asked.

"I keep thinking they're going to kick me out, but they don't. I don't know why. It's not like I'm helping or anything."

"You help me by keeping an eye on them." Buffy said, gently touching Alaric's arm.

Alaric nodded and looked around. "It's quiet."

"Yeah." Damon said. "Too quiet."

"I smell something not good." Buffy said.

"Blood?" Damon asked.

Buffy nodded. "And death."

They started towards the house and Damon opened the door. He was the tester to see if everyone was dead. "Oh yeah." He said as he walked in without anything stopping him. Alaric was the last one through the door and he shut it behind them as Buffy and Damon made their way around the house.

"I'm having déjà vu." Buffy said.

"You've been here before?" Alaric asked.

"No. But I've been somewhere like this before. I think. The deaths in this house were not peaceful." She eyed the bloodstains that were everywhere.

The three of them rounded a corner and found two very dead girls sitting on the couch, their dead eyes staring in front of them. "Ugh…. Vampire for sure." Alaric said.

"Stefan for sure." Damon corrected.

"How do you know?"

"It's his signature. There's a reason they call him the Ripper. He feeds so hard, he blacks out and rips them apart. But then, when he's done, he feels remorse. It's the damndest thing." Damon stuck his foot out and nudged one of the girls with it. The blonde's head rolled off and fell to the floor with a wet plop. "He puts the bodies back together."

"Back together?" Alaric asked.

"It's definitely Stefan." Damon turned around and realized that Buffy was missing. "Rick, find me a gas can." He strode off to find his girlfriend. She was sitting on the front porch steps staring off into the distance. "Hey."

"This can't be Stefan." Buffy said quietly.

Damon sighed and sat down next to her. "Not the Stefan you know."

"It's like coming across something Angelus put together. Is he really that ruthless deep down?"

"It's not ruthlessness that makes him put the bodies back together. It's guilt."

"Not from where I'm standing."

"The Stefan you know is still in there. He's just harder to find once this one takes the wheel." Damon stood up, kissed the side of Buffy's head, and headed back inside. She smelled gasoline as he poured it over the bodies and explained to Alaric why he was burning the place down. She heard a door open and shut and Damon say something about werewolves before setting the place on fire and walking out.

Buffy stood up and walked away with the two men. "How did you know they were werewolves?"

"We found their chains in a hidey hole." Damon said. "Did you know they were werewolves?"

Buffy nodded. "I could smell them."

"What does Klaus want with werewolves?" Alaric asked.

"That's the million dollar question." Damon said. "Come on. Let's get back. We've got a party to attend."

* * *

><p>Buffy walked into her bedroom and found Elena staring at herself in the mirror. The teen had gotten more sullen as the days went by. It had really hit her that her aunt was dead and Stefan was gone.<p>

After a moment, Elena noticed Buffy standing in the doorway. "Don't worry. I'm not gonna lose it. At least not before the cake."

Buffy smiled. "Hey. It's your party. You can cry if you want to." Elena smiled and held back the tears. "Hey, hey, hey. You're only turning 18. No tears until you turn 29 and realize 30's right around the corner. _Then_ you can cry." She hugged Elena tightly. "God, now I'm depressed."

Damon walked in. "What's going on in here?"

"Just telling Elena how beautiful she looks." Buffy said, keeping an arm around Elena. "And realizing just exactly how old I am."

"Ok, one: You do look amazing, Elena. And two: You're not that old, Buff." Damon said. "So, have you told her about her present yet?"

"No."

"You guys!" Elena protested.

"I know!" Buffy argued. "We promised not to buy you anything, so don't worry. We didn't pay for it."

"You stole it?"

"No! Geez, are we that shady?" Buffy took the box from Damon and held it out to Elena. "We found it. Ok, that does sound shady, but I promise. No shade. All sun." She took Damon's hand as Elena opened the little black box.

"My necklace! I thought I'd never see it again."

"Alaric found it in his loft and figured you'd be happy to get it back." Damon said.

"I am happy. Thank you, you guys!"

"You're welcome." Buffy smiled.

"Can you…." Elena held out the necklace.

"Of course." Buffy took the necklace and Damon took the empty box. Elena lifted her hair up and Buffy slipped the necklace around her neck, clasping it. Damon watched Buffy's eyes as she put the necklace on Elena. He could see the almost motherly pride she had for the teenager.

"Shall we?" Damon asked, holding out an arm for each girl.

Elena nodded and took one arm while Buffy took the other. Damon escorted them out and down the stairs. The place was jam packed with people. Elena looked a little confused and panicked, but Buffy just looked annoyed. People shouted "happy birthday" at Elena as they passed.

When they reached the living room, Buffy groaned. "You have _got_ to be kidding me! They're doing keg stands in the living room."

A girl walked by holding a bottle of Damon's vintage liquor and he stopped her. "Hey, hey, hey, hey! You don't want that. You want the cheap young stuff over by the cheap young people."

"Did you just compel her?" Buffy asked.

Caroline came bouncing up, all smiles. "Do you like?" She watched Elena for a minute. "Don't answer that."

"This is keeping it small?" Buffy asked.

Caroline just kept smiling and Elena sighed. "What are we drinking?" Elena asked as she took Caroline's arm and walked off into the crowd with her.

Damon slipped his arm around Buffy's waist and took a drink. "This is insanity." Buffy said, looking around.

"Oh, quit being a mother for five minutes and enjoy it." Damon said, smirking.

Buffy sighed and took the bottle from him. "Fine." She downed a few gulps and handed it back to him. "But I'm definitely not cleaning this mess up."

"We'll hire someone." Damon pulled her towards the dancing crowd and wrapped his arms around her as he started to dance.

* * *

><p>About thirty minutes later, Damon, Buffy, and Alaric were sitting on the back patio drinking and talking. Damon and Alaric were straddling the ledge of the patio, facing each other, while Buffy was stretched out and balancing on the ledge with her back leaning against Damon's chest, her head resting on his shoulder. Damon had on arm wrapped around her waist to keep her from falling.<p>

"I am every parents' worst nightmare." Alaric said. "I'm the chaperone teacher from hell."

"I love high school parties." Damon said.

"I had one that was this big." Buffy said. "It got crashed by zombies." She looked around the grounds, double checking that there were no zombies.

"I am so glad I didn't grow up in Sunnydale." Alaric said.

"Hello Birthday Girl." Damon said as Elena marched out onto the patio.

Elena held out her hand to Damon saying, "drink" and then just took his glass from him.

"What's wrong?" Buffy asked.

"Jeremy's smoking again."

"Is his stash any good?" Damon asked.

Buffy groaned and slapped Damon's thigh. "Would you shut up?"

"You're an ass." Elena added before turning to Alaric. "Talk to him? Please? He looks up to you." She handed Damon his glass back and walked off.

Alaric sighed and Damon smirked. "You're screwed." He said to the history teacher.

Buffy looked at Alaric. "Want me to go talk to him?"

"No. I've got it." Alaric got up and walked off.

Buffy looked around the party. "You know…. I haven't seen Angel yet. He said he was going to be here."

"I'm sure he's lurking somewhere." Damon said. He still got jealous pangs whenever the older vampire was around. Buffy's comfort level with him made Damon's non-existent blood pressure go up.

"Don't be like that. What if something happened to him?"

"Call him." He handed her her cell phone from one of his back pockets.

Buffy unlocked the phone and was about to dial when Angel's number popped up. "Oh." She answered it. "Hey, where are you?"

"Don't hang up and if you're near Damon, move away." It was Stefan and his voice made Buffy's blood run cold.

"Uh, hang on." She looked at the phone and hopped down off the ledge. She started to move off. "I've got to find better reception." Damon held up his hands with a confused look, but she just kept moving. As soon as she was out of earshot, she said, "What's going on Stefan? Why do you have Angel's phone?"

"Come to the old Fell warehouse. I'll be waiting." He hung up.

This was so not good. She briefly thought about going to tell Damon what was going on, but Stefan didn't seem to want that. The whole situation screamed "trap a la Klaus", but if she could get Stefan back, then she was going to play by the rules. Especially if it kept Angel and Stefan alive.

"Where are you going?" Elena asked as Buffy headed for the door.

"Uh…. Angel's car…. It stopped working." Buffy said lamely.

"Oh. Don't miss the cake. Caroline's insistent that it be a perfect moment."

"I won't miss it. I'll be right back." She smiled and headed out the door.

The drive over to the warehouse felt ridiculously long even though it was only a few minutes. She saw Angel's car sitting outside and looked around for the trap. Apparently it was waiting inside the warehouse. With a sigh, she walked up to the door and opened it, not surprised that the lock on it was broken.

The place was dark, but her night vision kicked in and she could see just fine. "Angel?" Buffy called out.

"Buffy!" Angel called.

"Where are you?"

"It's Stefan! He's…." There was the sound of flesh hitting flesh and Angel was quiet.

"Stefan…." Buffy said.

"Hello Buffy." Stefan said, turning on a light.

Buffy blinked against the brightness and held her arm up to shield her eyes. That's when a large knife flew out of the brightness and pinned her arm to the wall behind her. She screamed and went to claw it out, but Stefan suddenly appeared and held her free arm down. He was stronger than she remembered.

"Stefan…." Buffy said, tears falling from her eyes at the pain in her arm and in her heart at seeing her friend like this.

"Where's your phone?" Stefan asked calmly.

"What is the matter with you? Where's Klaus? What has he done to you?"

"Klaus isn't here. But he has a message for you and my brother."

"Where's Angel?" Buffy asked as Stefan searched her coat pockets.

"Just so you know, if you so much as touch that knife in your arm, I will kill Angel." He produced her cell from her inside pocket and unlocked it.

"Stefan, this isn't you."

"You don't know me."

"I do know you. This isn't who you are. Those bodies in Tennessee…. You still feel guilt. This is Klaus' doing. He did this to you. He's making you do this to us." He ignored her as he sent a text to Damon summoning him to the warehouse. "Stefan!" He turned away and disappeared into the darkness. Buffy briefly thought about taking the knife out of her arm and attacking Stefan, but she didn't know where he was. For all she knew, he was holding a stake at Angel's heart. "Stefan, I know you made a deal with Klaus to save Damon and keep him away from us, but this is insanity. You don't need to do this. We can find another way! Stefan?"

It felt like an eternity before she heard Damon's car pull up outside. He was talking to Elena on the phone, but suddenly hung up. "Buff? Sweetie, Angel's car looks fine." He called as he walked into the warehouse. "Where are you?"

"Damon…." Buffy said, the fear and tears evident in her voice.

He suddenly smelled her blood on the air. "Buffy!" Before he could get to her, Stefan appeared in front of her, blocking Damon. "Stefan."

"Hello brother." Stefan said calmly.

"You don't write. You don't call."

"I need you and Buffy to stop following me. It's causing some problems."

"With who? Klaus? I'm supposed to care what he thinks?"

"What you're supposed to do is let me go."

Damon moved forward slowly. "I saw your latest artwork in Tennessee. You're walking a fine line there my friend. Keep that up and there will be no saving you."

Stefan smiled slightly. "See, the thing is…. I don't need any saving. I just want you to let me go."

"You know, Buffy and I have a birthday girl at home who's not going to let us do that."

Stefan nodded. "You know, maybe I haven't made my point." He was suddenly in front of Buffy and another knife was sticking out of her shoulder. She screamed in agony and both Damon and Angel cried her name.

Damon growled. "Not cool, brother."

"Oh come on! A little bit cool. I mean, neither of us has ever bested her."

"You didn't best her. You tricked her." Damon growled.

Stefan laughed and another knife appeared in Buffy's side, right underneath her heart. She screamed again and Damon suddenly had Stefan pinned against the wall opposite Buffy.

Stefan shoved him back and then flipped them so he could slam Damon against the wall. "I said…. Let me go."

Damon no longer cared about saving his brother. He shoved him away and rushed over to Buffy. "I'm sorry." He ripped the knives out of her, hating the screams of pain he caused, and then bit into his wrist. There was no hesitation as he pressed the wound to her mouth.

"What are you doing?" Angel asked, suddenly appearing next to Damon. Stefan had broken his bonds as he'd run out.

"Saving her life."

"You're not supposed to give her your blood!"

"I've done it before." Buffy gasped and came around, sitting up straight suddenly. "God!" Damon pulled her to him and kissed her hair. "I'm sorry, baby. I'm sorry."

"Oh god…." Buffy began to sob as she her brain registered what exactly had just happened.

"I'm sorry." Angel said. "He called me and said that he'd escaped from Klaus and needed me to come help him. I didn't know…."

Buffy stayed pressed into Damon's shoulder as she cried. He rocked her gently and whispered comforting words into her hair.

* * *

><p>Buffy felt completely drained and had no energy for the party going on inside her house. Damon kept his arm wrapped around her as they made their way in. Caroline handed Damon and bottle on her way out with Tyler. "You missed the cake." She said accusingly to them before disappearing out the door.<p>

"Angel, can you end this party please?" Buffy asked. "I'm going to bed." She didn't wait for his response as she walked to the stairs with Damon right beside her. He led her up to his room…. Might as well be their room for all the time she spent there…. And shut the door.

"What are you doing in here?" Damon demanded.

Elena was standing by his bed holding papers she'd collected from his closet where he and Buffy had been tracking Klaus and Stefan. "Why didn't you guys tell me? Why did you keep it a secret?"

"Can we not do this right now?" Buffy asked. "I'm having a really bad night." She didn't want to tell Elena what Stefan had just done. The bloodstains on her light blue dress were covered up by one of Damon's leather jackets he'd had in his car.

"All summer…. Every single time I came to you with a lead…. You had hope. And then you stopped having hope and you said that you'd stopped looking. What happened?"

"We were both idiots for having hope." Buffy said.

"Tell me what you know."

"I know you need to get back to your party. It's going to end soon." The blonde walked past Elena and sat down on the bed, pulling the coat tighter around her. Damon decided to leave the room. This was a fight between the parental figure and the teenager.

"We're supposed to be in this together, Buffy! You've been tracking Klaus' victims and…."

"Because they're not Klaus' victims, Elena! They're Stefan's."

"What?"

"He's left a trail of body parts up and down the eastern seaboard."

"No! You're wrong."

"I wish I were…. You don't know how badly I wish I was wrong, but I'm not. I didn't tell you that we were still tracking him because as soon as we discovered that it was Stefan doing the killing, not Klaus, I couldn't bear the thought of you finding out, but after tonight…."

"What happened tonight?"

Buffy shook her head. She wasn't going to tell Elena the details. They were too horrible for Buffy to even want to repeat them. "Never mind about tonight. Just know that Stefan is gone and he's not coming back. Not in your lifetime." Buffy sighed and held back the tears. "I'm sorry you had to find out this way, but this is the truth of it." Elena shook her head, tears falling down her cheeks. "Go back to your party, Elena. You can stay in my room tonight if you want." Buffy held open the door to the room and looked at Elena expectantly. She didn't have the energy to be nice at the moment. She'd apologize later, but right now she was exhausted and hurt beyond words.

* * *

><p>Damon came back twenty minutes later to find Buffy staring out the window into the night. He closed the door behind him and walked over to her. "What do we do now?" Buffy asked, her voice hoarse. She'd been crying.<p>

"We just keep breathing. Keep moving." Damon said, wrapping his arms around her.

She looked down at his blood flecked arms. "That's not mine."

"No."

She turned in his arms and looked at his disheveled hair and torn shirt. "What happened?"

"I was pissed."

"Am I going to have another mess to clean up?"

"No. I shut the door and it's not going to be opened again."

Buffy realized he'd trashed Stefan's room in his anger. "Ok." She wrapped her arms around him and hugged him tightly. "Next chapter begins then."


	41. Chapter 41

_**A/N I'm feeling generous this holiday season. Here's a new chapter. I'll update again Thursday. Or maybe tomorrow...**_

Chapter 41

Buffy sat on Damon's bed staring at the sunlight on the floor the morning after Elena's birthday. She hadn't slept at all that night. Images of Stefan stabbing knives into her kept haunting her. He'd been like a brother to her and Klaus had turned him into this monster. Damon was standing across the room taking down all the leads in his closet. He hadn't known, or at least hadn't said anything about her being awake all night. But then again, he'd barely slept last night too.

"You just can't stay away can you?" Damon said. Buffy jerked her head up and saw Elena standing in the room. She hadn't heard the teen come in.

"You guys have been dodging my calls." Elena accused.

"Yeah. Well, busy day and all."

Elena rolled her eyes at Damon and went to sit with Buffy. "Why didn't you tell me about last night?" Buffy looked at her, confused. "Angel told me."

Buffy sighed. "What did you want me to say? 'Happy Birthday, Elena. Stefan tried to kill me.' I don't know. It just doesn't have that nice ring to it."

"I don't think he meant to kill you."

"Funny. The knife to the heart felt like it."

"He called me."

"What?" Damon and Buffy both asked.

"Stefan called me last night."

"What did he say?" Buffy asked.

"He didn't say anything. But it was him. I asked Sheriff Forbes if she would trace the calls origin. It came from Tennessee."

"Where he's binge drinking on the country folk." Damon said as he tossed the papers in the fireplace.

Buffy shook her head. "We went through this, Elena. Stefan's gone."

"If he was gone, he wouldn't have called."

Damon tossed a lit match into the fireplace and the papers flared up. Buffy looked at Elena. "I'm sorry, but we're done. He doesn't want to be found and that's it." Elena shook her head and walked out, obviously upset. Buffy hung her head and groaned. "Teenagers!"

"Tell me about it." Damon said, walking over and sitting down next to her. "You ok?"

"Stefan, someone I considered a brother to me, tried to kill me last night. How do you think I am?"

Angel knocked on the door. "Everything ok? Elena just ran out of here looking pretty pissed."

"That's because she is." Buffy said.

"If Stefan says…."

"I know that!" Buffy snapped, almost a growl. Her mood was completely foul and she didn't want to talk anymore. "Can I just be alone for a while? Please?" Both Damon and Angel looked hurt, but Damon was the first up.

"I won't be far." He said, kissing her forehead and walking out. Angel reluctantly followed.

Buffy stared at the fire. Everything had gone completely wrong in one month. She'd almost lost Damon. She'd almost lost Dawn. She'd almost lost Elena. She had lost Giles. She had lost Jenna. And now she could add losing Stefan to that list. How could everything be so messed up?

And for the first time in a long time, she wished that Lexi was there to talk to. Lexi had known how to make everything better. It usually involved tequila, but when things weren't looking up, Lexi somehow _made_ them look up. What would Lexi say now if she could see Stefan like this?

Buffy sighed. "You can come back in Damon."

"I wasn't lurking." He said, walking in the room. "I just forgot something."

"Right." She stared at him.

"Ok, I was kind of lurking. I hate seeing you like this."

"Can we just rewind the last month and do it differently?"

"Sure. I'll get Willow on it." Buffy snorted. "What are you thinking?"

"Honestly?"

"No. Lie to me."

Buffy rolled her eyes. "I was just thinking that I really miss Lexi. That she would know exactly what to do right now." Damon looked down. "I'm sorry."

"No." Damon sighed. "I shouldn't have killed her."

"Nope." Buffy took his hand. "But honestly…. I'm almost glad you did." He looked at her, highly surprised. "If you hadn't, she would've whisked me away to that Bon Jovi concert in New York and then…." She paused. "You know…. I never actually knew her itinerary. Every adventure was a surprise." Damon smiled slightly as she shrugged and gently played with his hair with her free hand. "Everything happens for a reason."

He brought her fingers to his lips and kissed them slowly. "You have no idea how much I love you, Buffy Summers."

She leaned in and kissed him gently. "I think I have an idea." He smiled and Buffy's heart melted. "I also think that you should show the Damon that I know to everyone else."

"I've got a reputation to uphold." He glanced at his watch. "Come on."

"Where are we going?"

He smiled. "On a surprise adventure."

* * *

><p>Buffy smiled as Damon held the door to the store open for her. He'd brought them to Richmond to a place called Carytown. There were lots of unique little shops and eateries down a long stretch of road. They had just left a place called Bygones that had been packed with different clothing and accessories from the early 20th century all the way through until the 80s.<p>

Now they were wondering through a toy store called the World of Mirth. Damon was laughing at some silly stuffed toy of a germ when Buffy's cell phone rang. She looked at it. "It's Rick."

"Don't answer it." Damon said. "We're on an adventure."

"It could be about Elena." Buffy turned and answered her cell. "What's up?"

"I just thought you should know that I'm taking Elena to the mountains." Alaric said.

"Why?"

"She got a tip from Tyler that a pack of werewolves likes to go up there to run wild through the woods on a full moon."

"Tonight's a full moon."

Damon turned to look at her with a quizzical expression. She waved him off.

"Yeah." Alaric confirmed.

"Well, don't take her." Buffy said, the _duh_ evident in her voice.

"Buffy, we're already on our way."

"Then how are you calling me? Obviously she didn't want Damon or myself to know."

"She's in the bathroom right now. We're at a rest stop off I64."

"Then turn around, Rick. It's not that hard."

"She's going to go into the mountains one way or another. I'd rather she do it with us. Will you and Damon please meet us?"

Buffy sighed. "I can't believe you are entertaining this, Rick."

"You know how stubborn she is."

"Yeah. I do." Buffy sighed again. She did that a lot these days. "Fine. Text me where you're going and I'll plug it into my GPS. We're on our way." She hung up.

"What's going on?" Damon asked.

Buffy pulled Damon out of the store and they headed down the street towards his car. "Elena's werewolf hunting in the mountains."

"Are you kidding me?"

"I wish I was." Buffy said.

* * *

><p>On the way into the mountains, Buffy had grabbed a pair of shorts from her bag in Damon's trunk and changed into them. They'd planned on staying in Richmond at the Jefferson for a few days to explore the city since Buffy had never been. Damon had stayed in his clothes, not really caring how hot it was outside. Now they were making their way up a mountain with Buffy tracking Elena and Alaric.<p>

"I think I may just kill her myself." Damon said.

"I think I may help." Buffy retorted. "I don't understand why she won't just accept that Stefan's not coming back."

"She's in love."

"I know that. But when your boyfriend tries to kill your guardian…. Someone he considered a friend and sister to himself…. Just to get the message out that he doesn't want to be followed anymore…. I think it's time to look past the whole love thing."  
>"When did you become so cynical?"<p>

"Right around the time Stefan tried to kill me." She stopped and held up a hand to shush Damon's question.

"I'm a doppleganger." Elena said somewhere up ahead. "It's not gonna work on me. He left it for if I ever have kids."

"Yeah, well…." Alaric said. "Then why don't you save it for future generations of stubborn, relentless baby Gilberts?"

"Ok. How about you borrow it until after we survive this? I'd feel bad if I got you killed before happy hour." Buffy and Damon came around some trees to see Alaric kneeled with his back to them and Elena standing near a small drop off next to a lake. "I don't know why you think that you're a lost cause…." Elena screamed as she was suddenly airborne and flying into the water. Damon had shoved past Buffy at blinding speed and tossed her in.

Alaric turned, crossbow aimed, only to have it taken away by Buffy. "Glad you brought weapons." She said, inspecting it. "Mine are at home."

"Damon!" Elena cried. She spotted Buffy. "Buffy! How are you guys even here?"

"Thanks for the tip, brother." Damon said over his shoulder.

Alaric moved forward and Elena stared at him incredulously. "You sold me out!"

"You think I'd take you into a mountain range with werewolves on a full moon without backup?" Alaric asked.

Elena glared at him. If looks could kill. Buffy rolled her eyes and put her hands on her hips. "Get out of the water, Elena."

"If I get out of the water, you're gonna make me go home."

"Yeah. Pretty much."

"You two gave up on him."

"I didn't give up on him, Elena. I faced reality. Now get out of the water."

Elena crossed her arms. "No!"

Damon sighed and marched down the slope. "What's your big plan, Elena? Huh?" He kept going into the water. "You gonna walk through a campsite of werewolves, roast a marshmallow, and wait for Stefan to stop by."

"My plan is to find him and help him. This is the closest that we've been to him since he left."

"I was pretty close to him when he shoved some knives in me the other night." Buffy said.  
>"I'm not going home."<p>

"Klaus thinks you died when he broke the curse." Damon said. "That makes you safe. This?" He gestured at their surroundings. "This is not safe."

"I'm not leaving before we find him."

"It's a full moon tonight, Elena." Buffy said, the exasperation evident in her voice.

"Then we'll find him before then." Elena looked at Buffy standing by the water and then at Damon in front of her. "Please."

Damon refused to answer. He turned to look at Buffy. She threw up her hands. "Fine! Ok! But we are out of here before the moon is full and Damon becomes werewolf bait."

"I promise!" Elena said, smiling brightly.

"You know, you are not always going to get your way with me." Buffy threatened. "One of these days I'm going to lock you in the basement and not let you out."

Damon burst out laughing and Elena shot him a glare as she walked out of the water. Buffy handed Elena the shirt she'd taken off before Damon had thrown her in the water and they headed off. The hiking thing was no problem for Buffy and Damon, but Alaric and Elena had trouble keeping up. Eventually Buffy backed off and stayed close to Elena.

"How're you doing?" Buffy asked her.

"Fine." Elena said.

"You know, I could help you." Damon offered.

"No thanks."

"One little whoosh…." He pantomimed throwing her in the air.

"Yeah. With my luck, you'd drop me."  
>"What are you guys?" Alaric asked. "Twelve?"<p>

Buffy laughed. As she kept moving, she started to feel a familiar presence. "Did you call Angel?" She asked Alaric.

"No." Alaric said. "Why?"

Damon looked at her, knowing what she was saying. He made sure that Elena wasn't looking when he mouthed _Stefan?_ Buffy nodded and said, "Just curious. I think he might be getting bored."

"Well, considering he's used to fighting the forces of darkness on a nightly basis, I'm surprised you didn't ask him along." Damon said.

"I'm sure you're fine with it." Elena shot back.

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"You're jealous."

"No I'm not."

"Oh, you so are. You know about Buffy and Angel's history and now they're living in the same house."

"I'm perfectly secure in my relationship, thank you. Why don't you worry about your own?"

"All right, guys." Buffy said. "Bickering stops here please."

"We've got about a mile left." Alaric said.

"The sun's about to set." Damon observed.

"I can see that Damon." Elena said.

"I'm just saying."

"The moon doesn't reach its apex for a while. We have time."

Buffy stopped and looked around. Damon looked at her questioningly and she shook her head. It wasn't Stefan. He moved in front of Elena as Buffy took a stake from Alaric's backpack. Alaric raised his loaded crossbow at a figure approaching.

The man was covered in blood and shivering, but he was definitely not a human. He didn't seem to notice them until he was standing right in front of them and Alaric said, "Stay where you are."

The man looked at Damon and sniffed. "Vampire." Damon shrugged and the werewolf attacked. Buffy screamed Damon's name as the were got him pinned against a tree. Alaric shot the crossbow bolt into the were's back as Buffy threw him off of Damon and across the clearing. The were attacked Buffy this time and Elena called the Slayer's name as she tossed something at her. Buffy caught the wolfsbane grenade out of the air and smashed it into the were's face. He screamed as the liquid burned him and Damon kicked the were hard in the face, bowling him over and knocking him unconscious.

"Let me guess." Alaric said as Buffy walked over to Damon to check him for bites. "Hybrid."

Buffy looked down at the were and sniffed. "Yup." She looked at Alaric's backpack. "You got ropes in there?"

"Of course."

"Let's get this guy tied up before he comes around. Soak the ropes with vervain and wolfsbane."

"How'd you know I had vervain?"

"I can smell it." Buffy said as she and Damon hauled the hybrid up and against a tree. Elena soaked the ropes and handed them to Alaric. Buffy made sure the knots were tight.

"These aren't going to hold him much longer." Damon said. "What else do we have?"

"Rick, here. Take these." Elena said, soaking the last of the ropes with vervain.

Damon absentmindedly reached back and grabbed the ropes. They burned him and he cried out, shaking his hand in pain. "OW!"

"I said Rick." Elena said.

Buffy giggled and Damon shot her a glare. While Alaric tied the last of the ropes around the hybrid, Buffy kissed Damon's burnt hand with a playful smile. "All right, that's the last of the vervain." Alaric said. "We don't have enough stuff to hold him." He looked up. "I don't think we're gonna make that ridge before the full moon."

"If we can get him to talk, we don't have to." Elena said, stepping forward. She reached out to touch the hybrid and was startled when he woke with a loud gasp. Buffy yanked Elena backwards, away from the hybrid as he started to change. His head moved every which way, his neck and skull breaking and cracking as the transformation happened.

"Is he turning?" Damon asked.

"That's impossible." Elena said. "It's still daylight."

"Tell him that." Buffy said, pulling Elena further away as the hybrid screamed in pain. "Damon!" Her boyfriend had moved forward and was holding the changing were to the tree.

"There's not supposed to be werewolves out here until the moon is full."

"You know those ropes aren't going to hold a wolf." Alaric warned.

"Damon, we've got to get out of here." Buffy said. The wolf's teeth were way too close to his arm for comfort. "We've got to get out of these mountains now!" Buffy moved forward and yanked her boyfriend away from the wolf. "Damon, now!" The four of them turned and ran back into the woods as the sun began to go down below the horizon. It was full on dark when Elena tripped and fell.

She started to get up, but Damon said, "Don't move!" She realized they were all frozen as she heard a growl in front of her. She gasped as she saw the werewolf snarling at her. "Here doggie, doggie!" Damon turned and ran.

"Damon no!" Buffy screamed as the wolf gave chase.

"Come on, let's keep moving." Alaric said, pulling on Buffy and Elena.

"I can't leave, Damon." Buffy said, moving away.

"He can handle himself. Let's move."

"He gets bit, he'll be dead. I'm going after him. Get Elena back to your car and get out of here."

"Buffy!" Elena yelled as Alaric pulled on her and Buffy disappeared into the woods after Damon.

Buffy ran for all she was worth and tracked Damon's scent through the woods. She finally found him fending off the werewolf that had reverted back to his human form. The hybrid was trying his hardest to kill Damon. Buffy swooped in and threw the hybrid against a tree.

"What is the matter with you?" Buffy asked, fending off the wolf.

"I had to get it away from Elena." Damon said.  
>"By sacrificing yourself?"<p>

"Well, that wasn't exactly the plan. Buffy!" The hybrid sprang at her and knocked her to the ground. She fought off his teeth as Damon grabbed the wolf and threw it off her. The wolf attacked Damon as Buffy was getting her bearings. Something moved beside her, too quick to track, and suddenly the wolf trying to kill Damon was dead. Buffy looked up to see Stefan holding the hybrid's heart.

"Fancy meeting you here." Damon said, as he helped Buffy up.

"What part of 'don't follow me anymore' got lost in translation?"

"You might want to take that up with your girlfriend." Buffy said. "If you don't want her chasing you, I'd stop with the late night phone calls."

"I didn't call her."

Damon rolled his eyes at his brother. "Sure you did."

"She's not going to give up on you." Buffy said, taking a step closer to Stefan. Damon didn't like the idea, but Buffy waved him off.

"Well, she has to." Stefan said. "Because I'm never coming back."

Buffy saw something in Stefan that she hadn't before at the warehouse. "Stefan, I meant what I said." She moved up to him, standing right in front of him. "We can find a way to get you out of this deal with Klaus before it's too late."

Stefan shook his head and Damon finally saw what Buffy saw. Stefan did still care. He lowered his voice and looked down at his hands. "The only way to do that, Buffy, is to trade me for you and I'm not doing that. Neither are Damon and Elena." Stefan gently touched her arm where he'd pinned her against the warehouse wall with the knife. It was a silent apology. "Now, why don't you get Elena home? See if you can keep her there this time."

"Stefan…."

"Go." Stefan turned and disappeared.

Buffy looked at Damon. "Elena was right."

"I know." Damon said. "Now let's go, please. There are other werewolves where that one came from." He took her hand and they walked back to where Alaric had parked his car.

Elena spotted them first and jumped out of the car with Alaric right behind her. "Buffy!" She raced over and hugged the blonde. "Are you guys ok?"

"We're fine." Buffy said.

"Bite free." Damon said. "Get back in the car."

"Can you just give me a minute to appreciate that you guys aren't dead?" Elena asked.

"I'll give you ten seconds." He started pushing her towards the car. "Nine, eight…. Hey Rick, did you happen to see where I parked my car?"

"Damon, stop being such a caveman." Buffy said, moving him away from Elena. "He's right though. Just get back in the car and we'll meet you at home."

"I'm going. I'm going." Elena got in and Buffy waved as Alaric started the car.

Buffy and Damon started the trek back to his car. "Our adventure's ruined now." Damon said.

"It's ok. We had another one." Buffy said, taking his hand.

Damon stopped and turned to her. "I'll say it before you do." She looked at him questioningly. "He's still in there and we can't stop fighting for him."

"What about Klaus?"

"It kills me to even allow you to be in the same mountain range as Klaus, but we've got to save Stefan. And not just for Elena. But for you, too. He became your Lexi after I killed her. The reason you wanted her so bad today is because Stefan was gone and you didn't have that friend to talk to."

"I have you."

"I'm just your boyfriend. You need someone to vent to. A best friend. And that someone is out there and he can be saved."

"This isn't because of that jealously thing?"

Damon snorted. "Yes. That is it completely. I want to save my brother to keep you from becoming best friends with Angel."

Buffy laughed and wrapped herself in Damon's arms. "I love you, Damon."

"You're making me soft." He said, kissing her gently.

* * *

><p>Buffy sat cross-legged on Elena's bed and waited for the teen to get out of the shower. Finally the teen emerged and jumped when she saw Buffy. "Sorry." The blonde said.<p>

"Is everything ok?" Elena asked.

"I came to apologize."

"For what?"

"For being so mean to you the other day. I was upset and hurt and I took it out on you. But you were right." She stood up. "I thought Stefan was gone, but I was wrong. And so was Damon."

"You saw him out there?" Buffy nodded slightly. "Is he ok!"

"No. He's not ok. But he can be saved."

"What happened out there? What changed your guys' mind?"

"We changed our minds because even in his darkest place, he couldn't let Damon or myself die. So, we owe him that in return."

"But you said he tried to kill you that night…."

"I don't think he was anymore. I think he was just trying to scare me. And it worked."

"What about Klaus?"

"I'll deal with that later."

"You can't trade, Buffy."

"No. I know that. We'll figure it out. We'll bring him back."

"Thank you."

"Yup." Buffy hugged Elena. "Now, I need to get back to Damon. With Klaus being so close, he's on edge."

"I can imagine."

"I'll see you tomorrow." Buffy walked out waving at Alaric as he made his way up the stairs with his bags.

_**A/N 2 And just to clear things up, Buffy got her memory back in Chapter 39. Angel and Bonnie worked it out. When Buffy goes to talk to Damon at the end of that chapter, she was 29 year old Buffy, not 17 year old Buffy. The spell had been reversed.**_


	42. Chapter 42

Chapter 42

Buffy shook her head and tossed the papers she was leafing through on the desk. "A whole lot of nothing. I don't understand. Klaus doesn't have a witch with him. How can he be hiding himself with magics?"

Damon picked up one of the papers. It was a printout of an email that Willow had sent. It wasn't good news. "She'll figure it out."

"You're way too confident." Buffy stretched in her seat. "It's like Stefan and Klaus have completely gone off the grid. No bodies. No massacres. Nothing." Damon leaned down and kissed Buffy gently. "What was that for?"

"You're way too stressed."

"Yes, Damon. I am stressed." He started to massage her shoulders as she continued. "Saving your brother is a full time job. Keeping Elena out of trouble is a full time job. Keeping an eye on Jeremy is a full time job. Being a Slayer is a full time job. Being your girlfriend is a full time job. Between all these jobs, I just don't know how to NOT be stressed."

"You think it's a job being my girlfriend?"

Buffy rolled her eyes. "Sometimes it feels like it. Especially when you're acting like a jackass to everyone else."

"Reputation."

Buffy's phone rang and without even looking at it, she answered it. "This better be good."

"Miss me?"

Buffy sat up and looked at Damon. "Katherine." She said for Damon's benefit. "How did you get my number?"

"I have my ways."

"Where are you?"

Katherine laughed. "Why? So you can kill me?"

"Uh, yeah. That was the thought. What do you want?"

"I'm home sick. What have I missed?"

"Well, Stefan is still Klaus's little prisoner and we're finding a way to save him and no one's thought about you since you left. Except Mr. Pointy. He's been asking when you'll come play with him."

"Do you have any leads on Stefan?"

"Why? Do you know where he is?" Katherine made a noise that suggested she did. "You do, don't you? Are you trailing them?"

"A hybrid who wants me dead and his sidekick who's off the rails? I couldn't be further away."

"Something tells me that means you know exactly where they are."

"All I know is that Klaus pitched a fit once his hybrids didn't work. Now he's looking for some answers."

"How do you know that?"

"You spend 500 years running, there'll be a few people along the way that are looking out for you."

"Is that what you're doing? Looking out for Stefan?"

"Maybe. Maybe not. I'm conflicted."

"And I'm bored. Where are they?"

"They're in the lovely land of Oz."

"And you're going to be in the lovely land of dead if you don't tell me."

"You're no fun." Katherine huffed. "They're in Chicago. Damon can fill you in on _that_ history." She hung up.

Buffy looked at her phone and then up at Damon. "I'm assuming you heard that."

"Every word." Damon said.

"So…. History in Chicago?"

* * *

><p>Buffy moved around Elena's bedroom and filled a travel bag with clothing as she waited for the teen to wake up. Damon was off filling the car up for their road trip and filling Angel in on what was going on. He'd gone back to LA to dig up some old contacts to see if they knew anything more about Klaus that could help them track the hybrid.<br>Elena finally started to stir and she sat up. She let out a gasp when she saw Buffy. "God, Buffy! You scared me!"

"Sorry." Buffy said. "Do you have a travel thingy for your toothbrush?"

Elena looked at her clock. "6am? Seriously? You came over here to borrow a travel thingy for a toothbrush?"

"No. I came over here to get you all packed and ready while Damon finishes running some errands."

"Packed and ready for what?"

"To bring Stefan home."

"Wait…. What? What are you talking about? Where is he?"

"The windy city."

"He's in Chicago?"

"No. Bali. Yes, Chicago."

"How do you know?"

"I got a lead."

"Is he ok?"

"He's not there to meet Oprah, Elena. Now, can you please get up and pack? If Damon gets back before you're done, he's gonna pack for you."

Elena's eyes widened and she jumped out of bed.

* * *

><p>Buffy looked out the window at the passing scenery. It was Damon's turn to drive, so she was kicking back and relaxing. Damon, however, was incredibly worried. Klaus and Buffy would be way too close for his comfort. They'd had a huge fight over whether they'd actually go to Chicago or not because of Buffy's plan. She wanted to distract Klaus while Elena worked her magic on Stefan.<p>

"Why am I sensing some seriously bad vibes from you two?" Elena asked from the backseat. "You've barely said two words to each other."

"That's what happens when your boyfriend calls you stupid." Buffy said.

"I did not call you stupid." Damon argued. "I called your plan stupid."

"You also said _I_ was stupid for wanting to be in the same room as Klaus."

Damon paused. "Ok, I did say that. And I still think that."

"And I think you're stupid for not trusting me."

"I think you're both stupid." Elena said. "Buffy's plan will work, even though it is a crazy one, and Damon…. You need to learn to trust your girlfriend."

"I do trust her." Damon retorted. "It's Klaus I don't trust."

"I don't trust him either." Buffy said. "But I don't think he wants me just yet."

"Why do you think that?" Elena asked.

"Because if he did, then he would've come for me already."

"That's true."

Damon sighed and reached down beside Buffy's leg. He pulled out an old journal and handed it to Elena. "Here. Read this. It paints a pretty little picture of Stefan's first experience in Chicago."

"It's Stefan's diary." Elena said, surprised. "I'm not going to invade his private thoughts."

"You need to be prepared for what you're about to see."

"I've seen Stefan in his darkest periods." She handed the journal back to Damon. "I can handle it."

Damon rolled his eyes and opened the journal, reading while he drove. "Here's one. 'March 12, 1922: I've blacked out days. I wake up in stranger's blood in places I don't recognize with women I don't remember." Damon gasped dramatically. "I'm shocked!" He looked over at Buffy. "Stefan's not a virgin?"

"Eye's on the road, grandma." Elena said, taking the journal from Damon.  
>"Fine. Back to my game. Tell me if you see a Florida plate."<p>

Buffy rolled her eyes and glanced back at Elena reading Stefan's journal. "You don't have to read that if you don't want to."

"No. Damon's right. I need to really prepare myself." She smiled at Buffy and settled back in her seat to read.

Buffy looked at Damon. She sighed and took his hand, pulling it into her lap. "I'll be ok."

"I don't want him to take you." Damon said, lowering his voice.

"He won't." Buffy leaned her head against his shoulder. "I won't let him." Damon kissed the top of her head, not soothed at all by her reassurances.

* * *

><p>Damon pulled his car over next to an old apartment building in the city. They all piled out and followed Damon into the building. The place obviously hadn't been used in years. Maybe even decades.<p>

"Stefan could live anywhere in Chicago and he chose this?" Elena asked.

"There used to be an all-girls high school around the corner, but it shut down for attendance issues." Damon said, leading them down a hallway and stopping in front of a door. "Weird."

"If you're trying to scare me into giving up and going back, it's not going to work."

"Shh." Damon shushed her and gripped the doorknob. With a yank, the knob and lock broke off. Damon shoved the door open. They walked into a sparsely decorated apartment that was covered in dust. "Here we are." He shut the door behind them. "Stefan's second personality home."

Buffy moved some dust around. "He obviously hasn't been here."

"Tour's not over yet." Damon made his way over to a large pantry shelf that was built into the wall. He felt around the side of it and found a latch. The shelving opened like a door with a loud creak. He motioned for them to follow and turned on a bare light bulb.

"Stefan hid his alcohol. What a monster." Elena mocked.

"Look harder."

Elena moved past Damon into the hidden alcove. Buffy moved behind Damon, her hand snaking down his arm and weaving her fingers with his. On the inside wall was a long, multi-columned list of names.

"It's a list of names." Elena said.

"Mm-hmm." Damon said, squeezing Buffy's hand.

"Are these all of his victims?"

"Still handling it?"

Buffy let Damon walk out of the alcove before she moved up behind Elena. "Hey, this is nothing. My ex's list of names wouldn't fit inside this entire…. Building. Not exactly comforting, I know, but this…. This we can save."

"What were you doing in the 1920s?" Elena asked Damon accusingly. "Paving the way for women's liberation?"

"I was around." Damon said. "Chicago's a big city. Stefan was a cocky ripper douche, but I could avoid him and still indulge in a few Daisy Buchannans of my own."

"Uck." Elena rolled her eyes. Damon headed for the door. "Where are you going?"

"His old stomping ground."

"I'm coming with you."

"No. You stay here and whip up your part of the plan. Buffy and I will come back when we find him."

"Wait, we can't leave her here." Buffy protested. "What if Stefan shows up?"

"Then you won't have to distract Klaus."

Buffy crossed her arms. "They're practically attached at the hip, Damon."

"I'll be fine." Elena said with a sigh. "Just go find him. If anyone shows up, I'll just hide."

Buffy reached into her bag and handed Elena a vervain dart. "Even if it's only Stefan, don't be afraid to use this. Got it?" Elena nodded and Buffy followed Damon out. "I want to stop somewhere first."

"What? Where?"

"I've got a friend in Chicago."

"Who?"

* * *

><p>"What's up, B!" Faith cried, hugging the other Slayer. "Long time no see."<p>

"Yeah." Buffy said, hugging her friend back.

"You doing ok?"

"As good as can be expected."

"Come in." Faith held open the door to her apartment. "Robin's not home right now."

"How is he?"

"Five by five. You know the drill." Faith gave Damon's backside the once over. "Damn, B. Still like em dark and broody."

"Dark, yes." Buffy smiled at Damon. "Not so much with the broody anymore."

"I like." The dark Slayer nodded approvingly. "I like a lot."

Buffy nudged Faith with her shoulder, prying the other Slayer's eyes off her boyfriend's backside. "Damon, this is Faith. Faith, this is Damon."

The two shook hands. "Nice to finally meet you. Sorry I missed you guys in England. I couldn't get a flight back in time. So what brings you to my neck of the woods?"

"Oh, I was wondering if you'd like to go Stefan hunting with us?"

"Stefan's here in Chi-town, huh?"

"He's back to his old tricks." Damon said.

Faith shook her head. "Yeah, Angel mentioned that. He stopped by on his way to LA."

"You haven't heard anything about Stefan or Klaus?" Buffy asked.

"No. You'd think with a big bad hybrid running around in my city with a crazy ripper vamp, I'd hear about it."

"You'd think, but they've been pretty low key lately."

"All right, I'm game. Let me just leave Robin a note and we can head out." Buffy laughed slightly. "What?"

The blonde Slayer grinned. "You're so…. Domesticated."

"Shut up." Faith tossed a pillow at Buffy and went into the kitchen.

* * *

><p>Damon led Buffy and Faith into a bar called Gloria's. The building was old, so Buffy figured it was definitely a Stefan stomping ground. Damon took her hand as they walked up to the bar where a middle aged dark woman with white blonde hair cut close to her head was working. The woman turned around and recognized Damon.<p>

"Well, look what the wind blew in." She exclaimed. "Last I heard, you hated this place."

"Gloria!" Damon said. "Damn! If I knew you were gonna age like this, I woulda stuck around."

"I always did like you better." She looked at Buffy and Faith. "And you're running with a good crowd."

"Gloria, this is my girlfriend, Buffy, and her friend Faith."

"Slayers." Gloria pointed at Buffy. "You must be the one that everyone's talking about. I sense some serious power coming off of you."

"That would be me." Buffy said.

"It's nice to meet you."

"You too."

Gloria looked at Damon. "It's too bad your brother is still running in the wrong crowd."

"You've seen him?" Damon asked.

"With Klaus. Bad combo."

"You know where they went?"

"They'll be back here later tonight. They're out running a little errand for me."  
>"Gloria, don't be a tease. What kind of errand?"<p>

Gloria smiled. "I don't think so. You may be cute, but you're still a vampire." She looked at Buffy and Faith. "You two can have any drinks you want on the house. I love Slayers."

Faith smiled. "I just found myself a new hang out."

Buffy's cell phone went off. It was Elena. "Hey, we…."

"Buffy, Stefan and Klaus were just here."

"What?"

"Please come back!"

"Yeah. Ok. We're on our way." Buffy hung up. "Elena was almost discovered by Klaus."

"That's not good." Faith said, looking at her drink with a longing in her eyes.

Buffy chuckled. "Faith, can you stay here while we go collect Elena? Keep an eye out for Stefan and let me know when he shows up?"

"Best plan ever." Faith smiled and took a sip of her drink. "I got you covered."

"Thank you." Buffy and Damon headed back outside.

* * *

><p>An hour later, they made their way back to Stefan's apartment. Elena came out from behind the kitchen wall holding the vervain dart. "Finally! I called you an hour ago."<p>

Damon tossed her a bag of her clothes. "Make yourself presentable. We know where Stefan's going to be tonight."

"I told you I was practically discovered by Klaus and you're worried about what I'm wearing?"

"We had an hour to realize how bad of an idea it was to leave you here alone, process it, and move on."

Buffy rolled her eyes. "Are you ok?"

Elena nodded slightly. "Yeah."

"Ok, good." Buffy pulled Elena into the kitchen. "Get dressed. You need to look your best to make Stefan stick around long enough to listen to you."

"So you know where he's gonna be?"

"Yes. With Klaus. Damon and I will distract Klaus and you deal with Stefan."

"Ok. Thank you."

"You're going to have about five minutes, tops, before Klaus rips Damon's heart out and possibly runs off with me. I really, really don't want that to happen, so please tell me you can do this."

"I can do this."

Buffy nodded. "Good. Get dressed." She headed out to where Damon was sitting.

"You don't want to get all pretty for Klaus?" Damon asked.

"What? You don't think he'll like the jean shorts and blue tank top?" She sat down on his lap and wrapped her arms around his neck. "We'll be ok. I'll be ok. Faith's not going to let anything happen to me. And neither will you." Buffy's phone rang. "Yeah?"

"Guess who just walked in and made themselves comfortable at the bar?" Faith said.

"We're on our way." Buffy hung up. "Elena, it's showtime."

* * *

><p>Buffy stood outside with Elena and waited for Damon. He'd gone inside to get Stefan's attention. After a long couple of minutes, he finally came back out. "Did he see you?" Buffy asked.<p>

"Yeah." Damon said. A blur moved past Buffy and shoved Damon against a car.

"What is wrong with you!" Stefan asked.

Buffy pulled him away as Damon straightened up. "What is wrong with you?" He asked. "You try to kill Buffy one day, you're saving our lives the next. What are you? Good, bad? Pick one!"

"Klaus almost saw Elena today." Stefan said. "You have to get her out of Chicago."

"She's not going anywhere until she's got you checked into vampire rehab and on the mend. Trust me, we tried."

"She is the key to everything. Klaus can't know she's alive."

"What are you talking about?" Buffy asked.

"She was supposed to die in the sacrifice and she didn't. Now Klaus can't create any new hybrids. His witch is seconds away from figuring that out. Tell Elena to go home and forget about me."

Buffy moved slightly to reveal Elena standing behind her. "Tell her yourself."

Damon looked at Buffy. "I'm going in first."

"What? No."

Stefan held Buffy's arm while Damon walked back into the bar. "Let him. Klaus may not be focused on you right now, but he will be if you give him the opportunity. Let Damon go in first to show Klaus you're not alone."

"Faith's in there."

"Good. The more powerful people around you, the better. He's distracted with this hybrid plan of his, so as long as you're not alone, he won't fight too hard to get you."

Buffy nodded and walked over to the entrance of the bar. She glanced at Stefan and then walked in. Faith was standing by the entrance. "I was just about to come get you."

Buffy looked over at the bar and saw Klaus lifting Damon up by the neck. "I'm a little boozy, so you'll forgive me if I miss the heart the first few tries."  
>Buffy spotted the little umbrella Klaus was holding. It was the little wooden kind. "Faith, back me up if I need it?"<p>

"You got it."

Buffy walked over just before Klaus stabbed Damon again and said, "Put him down Klaus." Damon's eyes widened and he tried to shake his head.

Klaus tossed Damon across the room, breaking one of the tables. He turned around with a smile. "Buffy! Here we thought you were keeping your distance. I didn't expect you to show up here."

"Where Damon goes, I go."

"You should really rethink that."

"Why's that?"

He was suddenly standing mere inches in front of her. "Because I'm the better choice. I'm so much more fun."

Buffy looked up at him, staring him in the eyes. "Well, I'm not looking for that much fun. I've had plenty and now I'm looking for a slower paced life."

"Oh come now." He reached out and brushed her hair behind her ear, running his finger down her jaw and then cupping her chin. "You're not one for the slow paced anything." Faith helped Damon up and they stood back. Damon made sure to stay in front of Faith since the darker Slayer was gearing up for a fight that would get her killed. "You brought a friend?" Klaus looked at Faith. "A Slayer friend!"

"I've got lots of them."

"I know." He turned back to her. "If my hybrids plan doesn't work out…. I could always just turn your little army of Slayers."

"You could try. Going up against that many Slayers would be suicide. And you just don't strike me as a kill-yourself kind of guy."

"Just everyone else." Klaus was suddenly standing behind Damon with a broken chair leg and Faith found herself flying across the room. He held the stake near Damon's heart. "I'll just sever those ties to a slower pace and…."

"Don't!" Buffy cried.

Klaus smiled. "Let's make a deal, shall we?"

"No." Damon growled.  
>"Let him go. Please." Buffy took a step forward and Klaus pushed the stake harder against Damon's chest, making him bleed and Buffy stop in her tracks. "Klaus…."<p>

"Here's the offer: I'll make you the queen of an army of incredibly powerful Slayer-vampires in exchange for your boyfriend's life. How could you possibly turn that down?"

"Easy." Buffy's hands curled into fists and she was moving into a fighting stance. She knew she had no chance against Klaus, but if Damon could get away….

Gloria suddenly appeared next to the bar and held out her hand. The chair leg caught on fire and Klaus threw it away. "Really?" Klaus groaned.

"Not in my bar." Gloria said. "You take it outside."

Klaus rolled his eyes. He moved over to Buffy and stood just behind her, brushing his lips against her ear. "Don't worry. We'll make that deal soon enough. As for Stefan, you don't have to negotiate for him. When I'm done with him, he won't want to go back." Klaus looked at Damon as he kissed Buffy's cheek slowly and then disappeared.

Buffy wiped away the kiss and rushed over to Damon, hugging him tightly. "Are you ok?"

"I'm fine." Damon said. "You're getting yourself bloody."

"I don't care." She still clung to him. They'd been moments away from actually dying.

"What is wrong with you? You were going to fight him?"

"I had to make sure you could get away any way that I could."

"Are you kidding me? You sacrificing yourself for me is the last thing I want."

"Don't kid yourself, man." Faith said, getting to her feet. "B's in love with you and she'll do anything to make sure you're safe. Even if it means dying. She's always been that way."

"Thanks for the help." Buffy said, turning to her friend.

"Wasn't much help, but hey…. It got me a new hang out, a new friend, and free drinks whenever I want." Faith smiled at Gloria. "If those are the perks of you showing up? You should come around more often, B."

* * *

><p>After saying goodbye to Faith, Buffy and Damon got in the car where Elena was sitting in the backseat. She looked completely devastated. Buffy looked at her, knowing what Stefan had told her. "Are you ok?" Buffy asked gently.<p>

"Just drive." Elena said.


	43. Chapter 43

_**A/N I hope everyone had a Merry Christmas!**_

Chapter 43

"I just don't know why you want to bring chili to a potluck." Damon said, putting the lid back on the pot. "Everybody brings chili."

"Hey Rick." Buffy said, looking up from her chopping as Alaric walked in the kitchen. "What's up?"

"What time do you want to go to the Lockwood party?" Elena asked Alaric.

"Uh…. Those founders parties aren't really my thing." Alaric said.

"You show up, there's gonna be nine other people who brought the same thing." Damon said, standing behind Buffy now and playing with her hair.

"It's an old family recipe, ok?" Elena shot back.

"Yeah. I know. I knew your old family. They made sucky chili."

Buffy laughed and Elena shot her a glare. The Slayer smiled brightly. "Oh come on! That was funny." Elena rolled her eyes and laughed.

"Why are you guys here exactly?" Alaric asked.

"She knows." Damon said, glancing at Elena before moving his face back to Buffy's neck.

"They think I'm going to break." Elena said. "I'm not going to break. I'm just going to keep making chili and pretend I didn't just spend the entire summer looking for someone who didn't want to be found."

"She's in denial." Damon whispered loudly.

"I'm not in denial."

"No?" Damon moved away from behind Buffy and stepped over to Elena. He held up the locket Stefan had given Elena that was still around her neck. "You're still wearing this necklace. Isn't this a reminder of your unbreakable bond with Stefan?"

Buffy rolled her eyes and pulled Damon away from Elena. "Ok, leave her alone. I still wear the claddagh ring Angel gave me." She held up her right hand to show it on her index finger.

"While you're _my_ girlfriend." Damon reminded her, pulling her to him.

"Well," Buffy turned in his arms to look up at Damon and her hair fell down her back and off her shoulders. "Give me some pretty jewelry and I'll wear it." He smiled and kissed her.

"What is that?" Alaric asked.

Buffy turned to him. "What is what?"

Alaric moved over and held Buffy's hair up off the left side of her neck. "That!" There were two healing holes in her neck where she'd obviously been bitten by a vampire.

"That's none of your business." Buffy jerked away from Alaric and put the green onions in the pot of chili.

"You're letting him feed off you?"

"It's none of your business, Rick." Damon warned.

"The hell it is. You're Elena and Jeremy's legal guardian! This is unacceptable behavior from you."

Buffy turned and glared at Alaric. "You don't have any right to tell me what I can and can't do with my boyfriend. And don't you dare question my behavior around my kids Mr. Drinks A Lot. I at least keep my personal business personal."

"Hey!" Elena said, getting between them. "Though I am worried about this, Buffy…. You and Damon are right." She looked at Alaric. "It's none of your business."

Buffy's cell phone rang and she moved out of the kitchen to answer it. "Yeah?"

"Hi, Buffy." It was Liz Forbes.

"Hey Liz."

"Are you and Damon busy?"

"No. What's up?"

"I have a favor to ask of Damon."

"Oh, sure."

"Can you meet me in the square?"

"On our way." Buffy hung up and looked at Damon. "Come on. We've got somewhere to be."

"I'm sure it's better than Judgmentville here." Damon said, glaring at Rick on his way out.

"Elena, I'll see you at the Lockwoods' house later." Buffy said, walking out the door with Damon.

* * *

><p>Buffy and Damon followed Liz towards the jail. "So Mayor Lockwood called your gay ex-husband to torture your vampire daughter?" Damon asked.<p>

"Yes. I've been keeping him detained till the vervain's out of his system so you could…." Liz held her fingers up to her eyes and waved them back and forth. "You know."

"You want me to just kill him?"

"No, Damon!" Liz said. "He's Caroline's father."

"Sounds like a douchebag to me."

"Yeah, well, just cause you and I are on ok terms doesn't mean I'm suddenly a big advocate for your lifestyle."

"Is that what you told him when you two got divorced?" Buffy asked, causing Damon to laugh loudly. Liz shot Buffy a look and then smiled. "Sorry. I couldn't let that one just sit there. Damon's really rubbed off on me."

"Funny." Liz said, opening the door to the jail. She led them to a secret door and then down into a cave-like basement via a winding staircase.

"Double check him for vervain before you compel him." Buffy said to Damon. "Just in case. I don't want Caroline going through that again."

"Neither do I." Liz said, opening a big iron door. There sat Bill Forbes, Caroline's father. He kind of looked like Buffy's father, which made her hate him all the more.

Damon walked over to Bill and slowly pulled the duct tape off his mouth. Bill looked at Liz. "You brought more vampires into this?"

"It's the best thing for all of us, Bill." Liz said.

Buffy bent forward to look at Bill and pointed to herself. "Not a vampire."

"But I am." Damon said, moving next to Buffy. "So, Bill, I hear you're into the whole daddy/daughter/vampire torture thing."

"I was trying to help her." Bill said.

"Well, if there's anyone who doesn't need help, it's your annoying control freak of a daughter." Damon let his fangs drop and bit into Bill's neck. After a second, he pulled back. "Yup. He's vervain free."

"Just erase his memory, Damon." Liz said.

"Wait, I have a question." Buffy said. "What makes you think you can change the basic nature of a vampire?"

"The mind's a powerful tool." Bill said. "It can be trained and retrained. You just have to be strong enough."

"God, what were you? A part of the Initiative? That sounds like their cup of BS."

"You know what, sweetie? I completely agree with Bill." Damon said. He knelt down in front of Bill. "I actually happen to love mind control myself." He grabbed Bill's face and forced him to look at him. "You will leave town immediately. All you remember is that you came to bring your daughter back to school shopping." Damon turned to Buffy. "Shall we?"

She took his hand and they walked out. "See you at the party, Liz."

As soon as they were out in the sunshine of the square, Damon turned to Buffy. "You taste _much_ better than that douchebag down there."

"I would hope so." Buffy said, pushing Damon and forcing him to walk backwards with his arms around her waist. "I think we have plenty of time for a little stop at the house before the party starts."

Damon smiled sexily. "I like the way you think." He grabbed her hand and pulled her towards his car.

They drove towards their house, but stopped just inside the long driveway, not able to go any further. Damon pulled her to him and began to kiss her fervently. Buffy moved on top of him, grinding down slightly. He groaned and maneuvered a hand between them, working at the button and zipper on his pants. Buffy moved his head to the side and licked and kissed her way up his neck as he moved her skirt up and nipped at her collarbone.

"Hmm…. Nice…." He groaned. "Commando."

Buffy laughed as she nipped at his earlobe. "You've ruined the last four pair. I've learned my lesson." She wriggled as his fingers played inside of her. "God…."

Damon couldn't take anymore waiting. He pushed her down onto him and she began to move. Slowly at first, but then building speed and friction as she went on. He felt himself getting close and his fangs dropped, eyes changing. Buffy's head fell back, baring her neck to him. As he neared his end, he bit into her neck, right where he had before, and she let out a yelp, coming to her end with him and biting into his neck. She licked up the blood she'd spilled, breathing heavily.

This had been their new routine for the last couple of weeks. The first time it had happened, he'd gotten so lost in the moment that his fangs had dropped and his eyes had changed against his will. Buffy, to his surprise, yanked his head down to her neck and he bit in, sure she would throw him off. When she'd bitten into him, though…. It had been the hottest moment of his entire existence.

Buffy's blood was sweeter than anything he'd ever tasted. The one time he'd gotten to drink from her before was now a hazy memory thanks to that werewolf bite. So when her blood poured into his mouth and his into hers, it had started something new between them. They were both stronger and faster and the more they did it, the longer the effects lasted. It was bordering on addiction.

Buffy giggled. "I need a new shirt."

Damon smiled at the small blood stain on her tank top. "Whoops." He licked at the trail of blood that was already starting to dry.

"Sloppy." She kissed him gently as she moved off of him and sat down in the passenger's seat.

"Let's go get you a new shirt and then head to the party." Damon put the car in drive and headed up the driveway. "Huh."

Buffy turned away from Damon and saw the black 67 Plymouth GTX sitting next to her silver Mercedes Benz E-Class Cabriolet convertible. "Angel's back."

"I guess he would be since our search for Stefan is over." Damon parked and they got out. "Though our weeks of peaceful alone time is now interrupted."

"Yeah." Buffy shrugged. Damon opened the door for Buffy as she moved her hair to cover the fresh bite mark. Just because it was healed didn't mean it wasn't still red and obvious. "Maybe I can make it upstairs before…."

"Hey guys." Angel said, coming out of the living room.

"Angel. We didn't expect you back." Damon said.

"Well, I figured since Stefan's been found and unwilling to leave Klaus…. Why not? Mystic Falls is a nice town." Angel sniffed the air. "Are you ok?" He asked Buffy. "I smell your blood."

"Keep your nose to yourself." Buffy said. "It's nothing."

"Are you hurt?"

"No. I'm fine."

"Then why…."

"I'm fine, Angel." Buffy said forcefully.

"Oh." Angel nodded knowingly. "He fed off you."

"Standing right here." Damon said. "Why do people keep doing that?"

"Buffy's blood…."

"I know about her blood."

"You could lose control and…."

"He's not going to." Buffy interrupted. "And like I told Alaric, this is none of your business."

"If you're not being careful…."

"What are you? My mother? Cause we already had this talk a long time ago. Everybody needs to stay out of our business. This is between Damon and I and nobody else." She turned and marched upstairs.

"Damon…." Angel started.

"Don't lecture me, grandpa." Damon snapped. "_I'm_ not going to put her in the hospital." Angel looked away, still ashamed that he'd lost control of himself and nearly killed her all those years ago. "Buffy and I are grownups and we can make our own decisions."

"What if you accidently kill her?"

"Then she'll be like me. Only a hell of a lot more powerful." Damon turned and headed for the stairs. "There's a party at the Lockwoods' today. Why don't you go hang out with Alaric and talk about how reckless I am with my Slayer?" And with that, he disappeared up the stairs.

* * *

><p>Buffy walked arm in arm with Damon across the Lockwood's backyard and shook her head at the party around them. "I feel like I've died and gone to a warped version of the 50s." She eyed the old red truck sitting as a prop near the picnic tables.<p>

"Oh look!" Damon said, holding up a sign that read _Fell Family Chili_. Behind that was the _Lockwood Family Chili_ and then the _Gilbert Family Chili_. "I told her so."

Buffy laughed. "Oh look! An anesthetic!" She held up a beer that she'd plucked from Alaric's grasp across the table. He'd walked up with three of them.

"Let me let you two in on a little secret." Damon said. "Founders parties are just an excuse for the Council to gather in back rooms and plot against vampires."

"I got that." Buffy spotted Liz. "Excuse me, boys." She walked over to meet up with the sheriff.

Alaric turned to Damon. "I think you need to take a beat with Buffy."

"Excuse me?"

"Look…. She obviously loves you and would do anything for you and I don't think she's in her right mind after everything that's happened."

"'Her right mind'?" Damon scoffed.

"Look, you feeding off of her is not only dangerous for her, but it's dangerous for everyone else."

"I don't think it's any of your business what my girlfriend and I do behind closed doors, Rick."

"Angel told me that you don't care if you accidentally turn her."

"I _know_ this is none of Angel's business."

"We're just worried about her." Angel said, walking up next to Rick.

"Buffy can take care of herself."

Angel moved closer to Damon. "You're a bad influence on her, Damon. Before she met you, she was all about the good fight. Now she doesn't care who gets hurt."

"Take it up with someone who cares. Which, by the way, is not Buffy or myself." Damon turned and walked over to Liz and Buffy.

Buffy smiled up at him. "Good timing, sweetie." She said. "The Mayor just called for the Council meeting."

"Well, let's not be late then." Damon wrapped an arm around her shoulders and they followed Liz into the meeting.

Damon took a seat in a wingback chair and Buffy sat on the arm of it with his arm between her legs and his hand curled around her knee. She was warmer than usual and he knew exactly what that meant. He smiled up at her. They pretty much ignored everyone else as they secretly played with each other.

"There have been no incidents of question since spring." Liz was saying. "It's been quiet."

"Anyone else have anything to add to the minutes?" Carol Lockwood asked. "Buffy?"

Buffy looked up and realized that she'd missed pretty much the entire meeting. "Uh…. No. Nope. Nothing to add. I think the sheriff covered it, Mayor Lockwood. I guess we've made it through the worst."

"Well, I have nothing new to add, so…. Thank you all for coming." Everyone stood up and filed their way out of the study. Damon got up and went over to the board to get himself a drink. Carol made her way over to him as Liz joined Buffy.

"Carol." Damon said.

"Damon…." Carol started.

"I have a question." They all turned to find Bill Forbes standing in the doorway.

"Bill." Carol said.

"Do you four think that everybody on the Council is clueless or just stupid?"

"What are you doing here?" Liz asked.

"Carol, could you give us just a moment?"

"Uh, sure…." Carol looked at Liz with a confused expression, but she left the room anyway.

Bill shut the door behind her. "To answer your question, Liz, I feel that this Council has been compromised and I came to expose your little vampire friend over there, but I just missed the meeting."

"Vampire? Damon? What are you talking about?"

"Let's not play this game, Liz."

"He compelled you." Buffy said.

"Didn't work. It's time for this town to truly be protected. I'll be talking with Mayor Lockwood about putting vervain in the town's water supply. Excuse me." Bill turned and walked out of the room. "Uh…. Confused." Buffy looked at Damon. "Are your powers not working?"

"They work just fine." Damon said, staring at the door where Bill had disappeared.

"Then how…." Liz started.

"I don't know. Excuse us." Damon took Buffy's hand and walked out. They found Alaric, Angel, and Elena walking out the door. "Whoa, whoa, whoa, wait! Huston, we have a problem."

"Where've you two been?" Elena asked.

"Managing Bill Forbes." Buffy said. "Apparently he's impervious to compulsion."

"How?" Alaric asked.

"I have no idea." Damon said. "He threatened to out me."

"Don't get me started on the irony of that." Buffy said.

Damon smiled. "That's two!"

"What did you do to him?" Elena asked. "How do you know the compulsion doesn't work?"

"That's not the most important piece of information that we mentioned, Elena." Damon said.

"What does he want?" Angel asked.

"Well, to control the Council. He says it's been compromised."

"And it has." Alaric said.

"He wants to put vervain in the town's water supply."

"Maybe it's not a bad idea." Elena said. "I mean, it'll help you keep yourself in control now that Stefan's not here to…."  
>"To what?" Buffy asked.<p>

"To keep me in check." Damon said. "Make me behave. I should've killed that guy this morning!"

"He's Caroline's dad, Damon." Elena argued.

"Yeah, when I kill him, she'll have one more parent than we do."

"Oh come on, Damon!" Alaric said.

"Step aside." Damon warned.

"Not gonna happen." Angel said, taking the spot next to Alaric and blocking Damon.

Damon shrugged. "Your temporary funeral." He suddenly snapped Alaric's neck. Angel went to attack Damon, but Buffy intercepted him and threw him away, across the expansive front lawn.

"Damon, no! Buffy!" Elena screamed. "What is wrong with you two!"

"He'll wake up." Buffy said, moving past Elena with Damon. She turned to Angel as he moved towards them. "You touch him and I swear you will have a scar when I'm through with you." She nudged Damon towards the house, giving him her silent permission to go end Bill Forbes.

"This isn't you, Buffy." Angel said. "He's influenced you."

"Yeah? So? What's your point?"

"You used to care!"

"Oh, what do you know? You haven't been around."

"I know that before you came here and met him, you were a good person."

"Was I?"

"You have always been a good person. You were just confused and lost for a while. But you found your way and this person that you are now? She's not the Buffy I know."

"You don't know me."

"This all started when you became friends with Lexi."

"Don't you dare bring Lexi into this. She was my friend. My sister. And you didn't know her at all." Angel made to reach out to her, but Buffy backed away. "Let me get something clear with you that I learned a long time ago and something that's been made even clearer in recent months. I'm the Slayer, Angel. Sometimes my job requires me to do bad things."

"Your job does not require you to allow your boyfriend to kill your friend's father."

"Bill Forbes is a nuisance. He will expose Damon and that will lead to all sorts of trouble not only for Damon but also for Caroline. I'd like to avoid that as would Damon."

"Maybe Damon needs to be ran out of town."

"Then I'll go with him."

"You need to take a break from him."

"Why does everyone think it's ok to dictate my love life?"

"He's a bad influence on you, Buffy. Need I remind you that he killed your friend, 'your sister' Lexi?" Buffy's fist balled up at his sarcastic tone towards her relationship with Lexi. Angel softened his tone. "I think if you just took some time…."

"To what? Miss him? Absence makes the heart grow fonder." She paused. "Oh wait, that's not true. You've been absent and my heart's not fonder." Buffy marched past Angel towards the house and Damon, but he grabbed her arm.

"Buffy…."

"If you want to keep that hand and the arm it's attached to, I suggest you let go of me." Angel let her arm go and Buffy headed into the house. She was almost knocked over by Caroline flying out the front door with her father. In the study, Damon was sprawled on the floor against the wall, blood running down his chin. "Damon!" She rushed over to help him up.

"You can't do this anymore, Damon!" Elena said. She'd snuck away during Buffy and Angel's fight. "Not in this town. Not around me."

"Why not? Nothing I haven't done before. Why is it suddenly so important for everyone to keep me in check?"

"Because I don't want you to be what other people think that you are."

"What? A monster? Sorry to disappoint you Elena, but the last time I checked I was still a vampire."

"I just wish that you didn't have to act like one!"

"Hey!" Buffy yelled. "Let's get something straight here. Damon is not Stefan. How about everyone just stop trying to turn him into his brother?"

"And you! You've changed, Buffy." Elena accused. "You used to say that you would never let Damon drink your blood."

"Things change, Elena. People change. And if I decided that Damon drinking from me isn't such a crazy, horrible thing anymore, then that's my decision. I don't need anyone's permission to do something intimate with my boyfriend."

"What about you letting him come in here to kill Caroline's dad?"

"I do what's best for everyone and sometimes that recipe requires a little pinch of bad. Sorry if you don't like that, but you just have to accept that this is the way it is. So does everyone else." Damon took Buffy's hand and she followed him out. He stopped to pick up Alaric's body and dump him in the trunk. "Are you ok?" She asked him.

"I'm fine." Damon said.

* * *

><p>Buffy rolled over to find a red rose laying on Damon's pillow. She smiled and brought it to her nose, inhaling its pretty scent. After getting up and getting dressed, she made her way downstairs to find Damon mixing drinks. "Oh, mimosas."<p>

"Good morning." Damon leaned over to kiss her. "I made them with vodka."

"That's fine." Buffy took the offered glass and looked over to see that Alaric still hadn't woken up yet. "Oh…. Does the ring not work?"

"No. He's fine." Damon picked up his glass and another for Alaric and walked over to sit next to the couch. He shook the glass next to Alaric's head. "Wake up." Alaric shot up, gasping desperately for breath. "Wow. Took a bit longer than usual, huh? You might want to get that ring checked. I hope it's not going bad."

"You killed me." Alaric said.

"You pissed me off."

"You killed me!"

"Rick. No hard feelings. I was on a bit of a terror. Everyone was telling me and my girl how to behave."

"Well, maybe they finally realized you're just a manipulative dick." Alaric stood up and walked out, slamming the door behind him.

Buffy shrugged. "You're my manipulative dick."

"That's all that matters." Damon said, pulling her to him. "You're not a bad person."

"You heard that?"

"Yeah. You were yelling kind of loud." He reached up and moved her hair behind her ear. "You are not a bad person."

"Neither are you."

Damon smirked. "Your underwear thinks differently."

Buffy laughed. "It's a good thing they're inanimate objects!" She leaned down to kiss him and he laid back, pulling her on top of him. Before anything could get started, there was a knock on the door.

"Really!"

"Ignore it." Buffy said, kissing his chin. The knock sounded again, more forceful this time. Buffy sighed and rolled off of Damon. "Whatever."

Damon growled and stood up. He walked over to the door and opened it to find Elena. "I will accept written apologies only."

Buffy walked up behind Damon before he could say anything else. She laughed slightly. "Well, well…." She crossed her arms. "Hello Katherine."

Katherine began to laugh and Damon groaned, laying his forehead against the door. "Wonderful!"

"What do you want?" Buffy asked.

"I'm just a girl looking for a couple of partners in crime. You guys feel like hitting the road? Getting the hell out of dodge?"

Buffy and Damon exchanged glances. "You have impeccable timing." Damon said. He'd been planning on asking Buffy if she wanted to skip town for a while. Finish their trip to Richmond and maybe take New York afterwards. Katherine's sudden appearance and offer…. It wasn't ideal, but it could prove interesting.  
>"Is that a yes? I'll drive."<p>

Damon looked at Buffy. Apparently she'd been thinking the same thing as he had. "Why not!" She said. "The walls are starting to close in on us around here. My guardianship of Elena is technically over with now that she's 18 and she can watch Jeremy till I get back. Where are we going?"

"Away from here. That's all I'm going to give you for right now." Buffy stepped closer to Katherine menacingly. Katherine stepped back. "Hey, hey…. I promise. It's good." She held up Elena's necklace that Stefan had given her.

Buffy sighed. "Fine. I'll get packed. Don't think that Mr. Pointy isn't coming too, though." Damon laughed slightly as he followed her upstairs with Katherine not far behind him.


	44. Chapter 44

Chapter 44

Buffy sat in the passenger's seat and looked over at Damon driving. Katherine had been banished to the backseat. That didn't keep her from talking, though.

"When do I get to ride shotgun?" Katherine asked. "The backseat's getting boring."

"You get to ride shotgun when they can ice skate in hell." Buffy shot back.

"You know, in some dimensions, hell is a completely frozen wasteland."

"Why don't you go there?"

"I don't know how to ice skate."

"It's easy. I'll teach you if it will shut you up."

"If I shut up, then how will you know what I've got planned."

"Because I'll beat it out of you."

Katherine smiled. "You know, I see what Damon sees in you. I'm starting to really like you. I may even consider calling you a friend."

Buffy groaned. "I am not hearing this!"

Damon laughed and took her hand, kissing her knuckles. "Don't worry, babe. Eventually she'll screw up and then you can kill her."

"I never screw up." Katherine said.

"I could pull out a long list of your screw ups." Buffy said. "And I've only known you for a few months."

Katherine rolled her eyes. "If I can't ride shotgun, when can I drive?"

"Oh, just this side of never."

"Why not? It's such a pretty car."

"Because it's _my_ pretty car."

"I'm not a bad driver."

"Katherine, just tell us where to go and sit back and relax." Damon said.

Katherine sighed, but stayed leaned up between the seats. "Are you hungry?" She asked Damon. "Let's stop for a bite. A truck stop for a trucker."

"Oh, stop being cute."

"It's not possible."

"We've been driving around aimlessly for hours. Where are we going?"

"Far enough away so you two can't go running back."

"You don't have to worry. Mystic Falls and us are on a bit of a break."

"You and Mystic Falls or you and everyone else?"

"Let's just say that everyone else and us are having different opinions on how we should behave."

Katherine leaned in closer to Damon and said in his ear, "Let me guess…. Everyone expects you two to be heroes 24/7 and neither of you like to pretend."

Buffy rolled her eyes and grabbed Katherine's neck. "Stop flirting with my boyfriend." She shoved Katherine back into her seat.

Damon laughed. "Sorry, Katherine. You just don't do it for me anymore." He reached over and gently squeezed Buffy's thigh.

She smiled at him and took his hand, keeping it in her lap. When Katherine's attention was diverted out the window, Buffy squeezed Damon's hand. When he looked over at her, she mouthed, "_Pull over._" Damon smiled slightly and gave an imperceptible nod. Just ahead of them was a rest stop off the interstate. Damon pulled into it and parked.

"Why are we stopping?" Katherine asked as they all climbed out of the car.

"I thought you might want to stretch your legs." Damon said. "Take a break from your sexual tension." Buffy smiled and walked over to Damon's side of the car and away from Katherine. Unfortunately she followed Buffy. "I'm tired of driving."

"My turn." Buffy took the keys and then threw them a few feet away into some trees and bushes.

"Hey!" Katherine protested, heading to go find the keys.

Buffy grabbed Katherine's arm and tossed her against the car. "We're not going anywhere until you spill your guts."

Katherine rolled her eyes and sighed. "Fine." She reached behind her and pulled out Elena's necklace. "Do you recognize this? A little birdie told me that Klaus wants to get his hands on it."

"Why would Klaus want Elena's necklace?" Damon asked.

"Does it matter? He wants it and I have it. That's leverage kids. Always stay one step ahead of your enemy."

"I'll keep that in mind."

"But more importantly, when I stole the necklace from Bonnie I found out something else. Something better." Katherine made her way around to the trunk of Buffy's car.

"Oh yeah? What's that?"

"Are you two willing to do whatever it takes to stop Klaus? No turning back?"

"We're not turning back." Buffy said.

"Good. Because this isn't going to win you any points at home." Katherine popped the trunk and Buffy and Damon exchanged glances. With a sigh, they both walked around to the trunk. Inside was Elena's little brother.

"Jeremy!" Buffy said, making sure he was alive. "Are you kidding me!" She grabbed Katherine and threw her a few feet away to land on a picnic table. Before she could get up, Buffy was across the grass and pinning her back down to the table by her neck. "You have ten seconds to explain to me why Jeremy is unconscious in the trunk of my car."

"What if I told you there was a way to kill Klaus? And not dagger dead. Dead, dead." Katherine choked out.

"Six seconds."

"Do you remember my friend Pearl? Centuries ago, she told me about a vampire who knew how to kill Klaus. Then she wouldn't tell me anymore."

"Why not?" Damon asked, laying Jeremy on an adjacent picnic table.

"Because it was her leverage." Buffy let Katherine sit up. "She knew it was valuable information and wouldn't share it with me."

"This is all just a lovely story, but she's dead." Buffy said, crossing her arms.

"Which is why I never brought it up. She only ever told one other person."

"Who?"

"Her daughter. Anna."

"Also dead."

"Which brings us right back around to…."

"To me." Jeremy said behind them. "Back around to me."

Buffy moved over to Jeremy. "Are you ok?"

"Yeah." He let her help him off the table to sit on the bench.

The Slayer turned on Katherine and started to advance. The vampire started to back up until her back was pressed against the car. "You knocked him unconscious and kidnapped him so you could talk to the very dead Anna about some fairy tale that a very dead Pearl told her?"

"Uh, yeah." Katherine said.

Buffy rolled her eyes. "If you weren't semi useful, I'd drive a tree limb through your heart."

"I'm ok, Buffy." Jeremy said.

"Good." Katherine said. "Now…. Talk to Anna."

Jeremy sighed and looked around. "What are you doing?" Damon asked him.

"Trying to contact her." Jeremy said.

"Don't you have to close your eyes or something?"

"I don't know." Jeremy tried closing his eyes, but nothing happened. "This isn't going to work."

A cell phone vibrated and Katherine pulled it out of her skirt pocket. It was Jeremy's cell phone. "I think your witchy girlfriend is worried that you've run away with your ghostly lover." She handed him his phone, but then pulled it away before he could grab it.

"_Stop_ with the teeny bopper drama." Buffy said. "Jeremy, focus, ok? The quicker this happens, the quicker you can go home."

Jeremy nodded. He let out a long breath of air and closed his eyes.

"I'm not helping them." Anna said, suddenly appearing next to Jeremy. Buffy was only mildly surprised that she could see Anna. It wasn't the first time she could see ghosts.

"It's ok to help." Jeremy said. "They're looking for a way to stop Klaus."

"I don't care. Katherine is not a friend to you."

"What's she saying?" Damon asked.

"She doesn't want to help you."

Katherine leaned over to Buffy. "My advice? You want to make an omelet, you've gotta break a few eggs."

"No one asked for your advice." Buffy shot back. She walked over to Jeremy and Anna and sat down. She looked directly at Anna. "Look, Anna. I know you don't trust Damon and nobody trusts Katherine, but you can trust me."

"You can see me?" Anna asked.

"You can see her?" Damon and Katherine asked.

"Yes." Buffy said to all of them before turning back to Anna. "Listen, I want to stop Klaus and if you know how to get that done, then please tell me."

Anna sighed. "Mikael. You're looking for someone named Mikael. And I do trust you. I don't trust your taste in men."

"Yeah, well…. Nobody likes my taste in men." Jeremy laughed and Damon rolled his eyes. Buffy smirked at him before asking Anna, "Who's Mikael?"

"The vampire who hunts vampires. You don't want to wake him. He will kill all of you."

"I'm not a vampire."

"But you associate with them."

"What do you mean 'wake him'?"

"It's time I go find the keys." Damon said, wandering off to the bushes where Buffy had thrown her keys.

"A witch locked him up in a tomb to keep him from hunting vampires a few years ago. He's been asleep."

"That name sounds familiar." Buffy said. "I'd have to check Giles' books, though." She reached into her jacket pocket for her phone, but it wasn't there. "Where's my phone?"

"Do you need to check in with Elena?" Katherine asked.

Buffy broke off part of the picnic table and slammed Katherine down onto it, pressing the broken shard of wood into Katherine's chest. She was tired of the games. "Where's my phone Katherine?"

"Wow, what did I miss?" Damon asked, casually walking out of the bushes with Buffy's keys.

Katherine reached into her pocket and got Buffy's phone out. Buffy unlocked it and saw that she'd missed three calls and had over 15 text messages. "Bonnie and Angel have been trying to reach me."

"What is it?" Jeremy asked.

"It's Klaus."

"No turning back, Buffy." Katherine said.

"Shut up, Katherine."

"Hey! Look at the big picture. The best shot at taking out Klaus is by finding Mikael."

"Jeremy…."

"I'll stay here." Jeremy said. "Anna says she'll help guide me to Mikael."

"Ok. I'm gonna send Angel to meet you. Do you know his number?"

"Yeah."

"Jeremy, I am so sorry about all of this."

"I'm ok. Go. Help Elena." Jeremy hugged Buffy tightly.

"Damon?"

"Let's get gone." Damon said, getting in the car.

"You're gonna get yourselves killed." Katherine called. "The Damon I remember wouldn't have been this stupid!"

"I wouldn't have done it for you." Damon said, shutting his door.

Buffy climbed behind the wheel. "Katherine, if even one more hair on his head is out of place, I'm blaming you and you will not survive it. Got it? And he better be back in time for school." Katherine rolled her eyes and Buffy drove off at top speed.

* * *

><p>Damon followed Buffy through town as she tracked down Klaus. They'd started at the school, but there was no sign of Elena or Klaus. Stefan wasn't around either. "Please tell me we're getting close." Damon said.<p>

"What?" Buffy asked. "You're not worried about Klaus taking me?"

Damon stopped and bit his wrist. He grabbed Buffy's arm and spun her around, putting his bleeding wrist to her mouth. She drank down a couple of mouthfuls and shivered. "Now I'm not." He kissed her. "Just don't get killed."

"Same to you." Buffy offered him her wrist and he bit down, taking in his own couple of mouthfuls of her sweet, electrifying blood. They both healed instantly and kept running. Buffy stopped after a few blocks. They were by the hospital. "There."

"You know, uh, why don't you…. Why don't you get the truck? I'll get Elena." Buffy heard Klaus say. She and Damon rounded the corner to see Klaus standing in the parking lot. "Well, look who finally decided to show up to the party."

"Where is she?" Buffy asked, not bothering to stop.

"Elena? Uh, she's making a donation to a greater cause." Klaus grabbed Buffy's arm, pulling her to a stop. "I can't let you interfere." Klaus shoved Damon back. "You either."

"You'll have to kill me." Damon said.

"Oh, I would love to kill you, but, uh, I made a pledge to your brother and unlike him, I keep my word. Although, you know what? Thinking about it now, he really doesn't care that much anymore." Suddenly Klaus let Buffy go and had Damon pinned to the hood of an SUV.

"Damon!" Buffy grabbed Klaus by the hair and slammed his head down into the SUV's hood before throwing him back a few feet. They both looked stunned at the display of power from her. Even Damon's eyes widened a bit as he got off the SUV.

"New tricks, love?"

Buffy smirked, loving that she could move Klaus against his will. She moved down into a crouch, ready to take him on. "Why don't you find out?"

"Oh, I'd love to, sweeting! This is going to be fun." Klaus started to attack, but Damon moved in front of Buffy, blocking her.

"Don't you wanna know about your friend Mikael?" Damon asked before Klaus could touch him or Buffy.

Klaus stopped dead and glared at Damon. "What do you know about Mikael?"

"Just that he knows you're here." Buffy said. She could see the fear creep into Klaus's face.

"You're bluffing." He said.

"Katherine, Damon, and I found him."

"Consider it our leverage." Damon said.

Klaus groaned and grabbed Damon, throwing him face first against a car. He grabbed Buffy's neck and pulled her to him, kissing her. "Until we meet again, love." And with that, he vanished.

"Damon!" Buffy rushed over to him.

"Are you all right?" Damon asked, looking Buffy over. Her neck was starting to bruise a little from Klaus's grip.  
>"Yeah. I'm fine."<p>

"Did he kiss you?"

Buffy spit on the ground, wiping her mouth with her jacket sleeve. "Yeah."

"Next time I see him, he's going to be a very dead Original."

"I'll help." Buffy helped Damon stand. "Elena!" She turned and they both ran into the hospital. Buffy searched desperately for Elena through each of the rooms they passed.

"Buffy!" Damon called a little ways down the hallway.

She ran up to the room and over to Elena. The teen looked pale and fragile in the hospital bed. An IV drip was in one arm and a tube siphoning her blood out of her was in the other. She had a bandage on her neck. Buffy let the tears fall as she took the tubes out of Elena's arms.

Elena started to come around. "Buffy?"

"Hi, sweetie." Buffy said, moving her hair out of her face. "We're gonna take you home, ok?" Elena nodded and Damon gently lifted her into his arms.

* * *

><p>Buffy held Elena under the blanket Damon had wrapped them in. The teen rested her head against Buffy's shoulder and watched Damon pour bourbon into a glass. He walked over and handed Elena the glass. "Here's some bourbon. It'll help you forget." Elena took a sip and made a face. "It's strong. You know I can help you forget too. At least the memories you don't want to keep."<p>

"No." Elena said. "No compulsion. I need to remember. All of it." She laid her head down on Buffy's shoulder again and Buffy pulled the blanket tighter around them.

Damon held out Elena's necklace. "I stole it back for you."

Elena didn't accept it. "He's really gone this time. I watched it happen. After everything we went through to…. To help him. Now he's just gone." Elena started to cry. "Where were you Buffy?"

Buffy closed her eyes tightly, tears falling down her cheeks to land in Elena's hair. "I shouldn't have left. I am so sorry, Elena. I promise you that I will never leave you again."

Damon reached out and grasped Elena's ankle. "I make that promise too. We were stupid and reckless. Can you ever forgive us?"

Before Elena said anything, Stefan said, "Well, isn't this cozy." They all stood up, Buffy and Damon blocking Elena. Stefan was standing in the doorway to the hallway.

"What are you doing here, brother?" Damon asked.

"Last I checked, I live here." Stefan helped himself to the alcohol. "Klaus is gone. But he's asked me to keep watch on you until he returns." He pointed at Elena. "From now on, you're under my protection. By all means…. Carry on." Stefan walked out of the library, still sipping his drink.

Buffy looked at Damon and then disappeared into the hallway. She suddenly stood in front of Stefan. "Let's get something clear, Stefan. I will revoke your invitation to this house, because it is _my_ house, if you so much as harm a hair on anyone's head. Especially Elena's."

Stefan chuckled. "You won't kill me, little sister."

Buffy moved up to stand toe to toe with Stefan, getting in his face. "Wanna bet? The Stefan I know and love…. You're not him."

"I'm not Angel. You can't shove a soul in me and expect everything to be better." He stepped around her and headed for the stairs.

Buffy looked at Damon and Elena standing in the hallway. "Well, he's not getting my bedroom once he finds that mess you left him." She said to Damon.


	45. Chapter 45

_**A/N Happy New Year everyone! I hope 2012 is good for you. I've made my New Years Resolution! Good luck to me!**_

Chapter 45

Buffy leaned over Damon sleeping in bed and kissed him gently. He groaned and opened one eye. "You're dressed." He said.

"Yeah." Buffy said, straightening up.

"What time is it?"

"4:45."

"AM?"

"Yup."

Damon groaned and rolled over. "Why are you awake, you crazy insomniac?"

"I have something to do. I'll be back later."

"Love you." Damon drifted back to sleep, cradling her pillow.

Buffy kissed the side of his mouth and headed out the door. She stopped in her training room and grabbed the bag of weapons she'd left just inside the door. Quietly, so as not to wake Stefan or Angel, she shut the front door behind her and trotted to her car. Elena had asked Buffy to train her how to fight vampires. Buffy had, in turn, enlisted Alaric's help. The Slayer didn't really know how to train a human to fight and she was worried she might hurt Elena.

Using the key to Elena's house, Buffy opened the front door and headed to the kitchen to start the coffee pot. Elena's alarm clock was just going off upstairs, followed only five minutes later by Alaric's. By 6am, they both came down the stairs. Alaric was obviously not a morning person as he attacked the coffee.

* * *

><p>Buffy leaned against a tree and watched Alaric show Elena how to use the stake launcher attached to his wrist. He'd set up a dummy that Buffy had brought from her training room. There was a target painted on its chest.<p>

"The pressure of your punch ejects the stakes." Alaric explained.

"Easy enough." Elena said, gearing up to punch the dummy. She punched, but nothing happened. "That's weird." She punched again, but still nothing happened. Elena smacked the stake launcher. "It must be jammed or something." Alaric shot a glance at Buffy.

"You're not strong enough." Buffy said. Elena turned to look at her. "You need to start lifting some weights and getting some muscle built up. Since you're just human, you need some meat on those bones."

"Thanks for not sugar coating it." Elena shot back. Buffy shrugged.

Alaric held up a grenade. "You know what this is?"

"A vervain grenade. I've used one before."

"Then you know that the element of surprise is your only advantage when it comes to a vampire." Alaric pulled the pin and tossed it to Elena. "Surprise."

"Omigod!" Elena cried. She panicked and threw the grenade in the air. The thing went off, sending vervain holy water everywhere. Elena glared at Alaric. "This isn't a joke to me, Rick."

"And you think I'm joking?"

Buffy rolled her eyes and moved away from the tree. "Elena, vampires will take whatever they want. They will hurt whoever they want. And they'll do it without remorse. It's their nature."

"You don't have to use pronouns. You can say Stefan." Elena said.

"I'm not just talking about Stefan." Buffy took Elena's shoulders gently. "I get why you're here. Stefan hurt you because I wasn't around and you don't want that to happen again."

"You think that I'm crazy to believe that I can protect myself from a vampire who's flipped the switch on his humanity."

Buffy shook her head. "Elena, I think that you found a way to ask me for help. And you found a way to get out of bed this morning when the odds are stacked against you. That makes you one of the strongest human beings I know." Elena smiled slightly. "I also know that you can do pretty much anything you want to."

"How?"

"Well, Xander fought by my side for years and he's just human. My friend Cordelia was just human…. For a while…. And she fought by mine _and_ Angel's side. Willow was just human before she found out she was a witch. So, I've learned that being just human isn't a limitation unless you make it one." Buffy took the stake launcher from Alaric. "Try again."

* * *

><p>Buffy leaned against her car sipping a coffee and watching Elena, Caroline, and Bonnie. The girls were staring at the school on their first day of Senior Year.<p>

"Here we are." Caroline said. "Senior year."

"Does anyone else think that this should feel slightly more empowering?" Bonnie asked.

"That's a myth." Buffy said. "It's just another year of teachers, books, and dirty looks."

"Thank you Dr. Seuss." Caroline said, shooting her an annoyed look.

"Don't worry. Just remember you don't have to ever do it again. Unless you fail. Or decide to go to college."

"You're not helping." Elena said.

"Ok, so prank night was a bust." Caroline said. "But we are accepting it and moving on."

Buffy laughed. "Have a great first day girls. Go get 'em!" Elena shot her a glare as the Slayer got in her car. After their training session, Elena had insisted that Buffy go pick up Caroline and Bonnie and drive them to school. Ever since the incident at the high school, Elena had been stuck to Buffy like glue. She would've stayed over at Buffy and Damon's house if it weren't for Stefan.

When Buffy pulled up in the driveway, Angel was speeding out with his tires spinning and throwing gravel everywhere. He was obviously pissed about something.

Damon was probably awake. The two were definitely at odds with each other. But when she opened the door, loud music and the smell of blood greeted her. Obviously Stefan was awake.

"Hi sweetheart." Damon said. Buffy turned to see Damon stepping over two dead girls at the foot of the stairs.

"I warned him." Buffy growled, dropping her bag in the hallway. Stefan was sitting in the living room playing a bloody game of Twister and feeding from one of the three girls on the board.

Stefan glanced up. "Uh oh…." He taunted.

"Good morning, Stefan." Buffy crossed her arms and looked at the girls. "Get out."

"We don't have to leave unless Stefan says so." One of the girls taunted.

Buffy sneered and her eyes seemed to darken from blue to a midnight blackish-blue. "I said, get out. Now." The girls panicked and ran. Damon made sure to compel them to forget everything on their way out.

Stefan glared at Buffy. "You're no fun."

"Nope. I'm not. What did I tell you about this?"

"So, stake me little Slayer." Buffy crossed her arms. "That's what I thought."

"Hey, the two brunettes on the staircase owe me a Persian rug." Damon said.

"You mean, they owe _us_ a Persian rug?" Stefan asked. "It's my house too, brother."

"Actually, it's my house. My name's on the deed." Buffy reminded him. "In fact, you were the one who came up with that idea."

Damon smirked slightly before asking, "So is this what Klaus had in mind when he compelled you to protect Elena?"

"Those ladies were helping me be all that I can be." Stefan said.

"And you can be all you can be while you clean this mess up." Buffy said.

"Yes, mother dear." Stefan mocked.

Before Buffy could walk over and punch Stefan's teeth in, there was a loud knock on the door. Damon turned and walked over to it, opening it. On the other side was a girl with long blonde hair and a puckered mouth that made her look like a brat. She had a bunch of shopping bags in her arms.

"Where's Stefan?" She asked.

"Who the hell are you?" Damon asked.

"He left me here!" The girl pouted when she spotted Stefan walking up. "My brother actually left me here."

"Oh, I'm sorry. Your tone implies that I'm actually supposed to care." Stefan said, standing behind Buffy.

"You're Klaus's sister?" Buffy asked, moving closer to Damon and away from Stefan.

"Rebekah. Pleasure, I'm sure." She tried to walk into the house, but she wasn't invited. "Um…. Invite me in."

Buffy laughed. "Oh, I really don't think so."

"I'm an Original, little girl."

The Slayer rolled her eyes. "What's your point?"

"I will kill you without even batting an eye."

"You can't get to me." Buffy moved right up to the threshold and stopped.

"You can't stay in there forever."

"Nope." Buffy stepped over the threshold and stuck a hand out. Rebekah went flying through the opening of the porch and landed hard on her back in the grass. "Sure can't."

After collecting herself and he things, Rebekah marched back to the door. "How did you do that?"

"That's for me to know and you to never find out." Buffy shook her head. "Do you actually have feather extensions in your hair? Seriously?"

Stefan walked up to Buffy. "I'd let her in if I were you."

Buffy looked up at him. "Why?"

"Because she's a brat and will get whatever she wants eventually. She'll probably start killing people until you relent."

Buffy glared at him and Rebekah said, "So, which one's my room?"

"If you don't like her, then why are you telling me to let her in?"

"Because she'll find a way to annoy us all to death." He turned and headed off.

"Invite me in." Rebekah said.

"There's a nice bed and breakfast…." Damon started.

"Invite. Me. In."

"Same rules apply to you. No more bodies in here or you'll find yourself one of them." Buffy said.

"Whatever."

"I think I like Klaus better."

"Good. Because he sure likes you."

Damon growled and marched off. Buffy rolled her eyes and followed, calling an invitation over her shoulder and groaning about way too many vampires in her house. She headed upstairs to Damon's room and shut the door. Damon moved into his bathroom and turned on the shower.

"I'll be in there in a few." Buffy said.

"What are you doing?" Damon asked.

"Making a desperate phone call." Buffy dialed Katherine's number and put the phone to her ear.

"What?" Katherine demanded.

"What do you mean 'what'? I've been calling you for two days."

"Odd. That's exactly how long I've been ignoring you."

"Jeremy and Angel told me that you found Mikael."

"Sort of. He's a little bit out of commission. He won't eat and I've tried everything. Gravediggers, mourners, mice, rats, bats…. He's just not interested."

"Try harder. We need him to kill Klaus so we can de-Rip-ify Stefan before he destroys my house."

"Fine. I'll give it another shot." Katherine hung up on her.

Buffy rolled her eyes and dialed Elena's number. She should be changing classes. "Are you checking up on me? Cause I'm fine." Elena answered.

"Actually, I just wanted to tell you that you might not want to come here for a while." Buffy said. "We have a new house mate. Barbie Klaus."

"Rebekah? She's living with you now? Why?"

"Well, she's stranded. Apparently Klaus left her in the dust when Damon and I name dropped Mikael."

"What about Stefan? What is he up to?"

"Oh! Pretty!" Buffy heard Rebekah call from the vicinity of her room.

"Speaking of Barbie Klaus, I think she just found my closet. Gotta go!" The Slayer hung up and rushed out.

* * *

><p>"Is she serious?" Damon asked.<p>

"Well, yeah." Buffy said, standing outside the door to her training room. Elena was inside lifting weights by the sound of it.

"Are you sure that's a good idea with Klaus and his bratty sister nosing around here?"

"Yes, actually. She's gotta learn some time."

"She's not a Slayer."

"I know that. But that doesn't mean I can't train her like one. I just need your help. Angel didn't answer…."

"You called Angel first?"

Buffy shrugged. "I was trying to apologize for yelling at him."

"You had a right to. He was sticking his nose where it didn't belong."

"But I was still a bitch about it."

"He still deserved it."

Buffy rolled her eyes. "Damon, will you help me or not?"

He sighed. "Fine." Damon opened the door to the training room and sure enough, there was Elena lifting weights. "What? Are you going to bench press a vampire?"

"Do you want to hear what's happening now?" Elena asked. "Stefan called me a human blood bag. He's a completely different person." Elena struggled to lift the bar, but Damon had grabbed it and was holding it down. "What are you doing?"

"Helping you out." Damon said.

"Damon!"

"Come on, Slayer Jr."

"Stop it!" Elena relented and let go. Damon easily lifted the bar and put it back in its place. "Like one obnoxious Salvatore isn't enough."

"Sorry." Buffy said, glancing at her boyfriend playing with a stake from the shelves. "I just figured an actual vampire would be good for training."

"I want to do something."

"About?"

"Stefan."

"What's your plan, oh warrior princess?" Damon asked.

"I want to lock him up. At least until this Mikael guy comes, kills Klaus, and the compulsion breaks."

Damon looked at Buffy and she nodded. He was leaving this part to her. "Compulsion or not, Stefan's high on human blood."

"We've gotten him off of it before."

"This is different. It's not a stint in rehab, Elena. His humanity's gone."

"Then do it for me. Every single time I look at him, I feel like I'm gonna break and I'm not gonna give him that satisfaction."

Buffy nodded. Elena was going through the same thing she'd gone through when she was 17. And with her recent trip to that time in her life, the memories were all too clear. Angel had been gone and Angelus had been tormenting her. Now Stefan was gone and he was tormenting Elena. The 17 year old Buffy cried out for the 29 year old Buffy to understand Elena's desperation and help her out.

"Ok." Buffy nodded. "We'll lock him up."

"Really?"

"Yeah. You got a plan?"

"Sort of."

"Sort of?" Damon asked.

"Well, I'm not exactly the expert on crazy, Ripper vampires."

"But I am." Buffy said. "Tell me what you've got and I'll fill in the holes."

* * *

><p>Elena stood in front of Buffy, Damon, Caroline, Alaric, and Angel in Alaric's classroom. The bonfire was going on and Elena said that Stefan had planned on going. "I'll lure Stefan away from the bonfire. Then when he's distracted…."<p>

"I'll shoot him." Alaric said.

"Can't Bonnie just juju him or something?" Damon asked.

"I'm trying to keep Bonnie out of this. I don't trust that Stefan won't hurt her."

"Caroline, are you covered?" Buffy asked.

"Yes. I will make sure the old Forbes' jail cell is prepped and ready."

"You're forgetting a key player here." Damon said. "Rebekah. Wherever Stefan goes, the blonde ponytail tends to follow."

"Which is why it's your job to keep her away." Buffy said.

"How? She's an Original. Last time I checked, we're out of daggers."

"Yup. You're going to preoccupy her with your charm."

"We might have better luck finding the dagger." Alaric said.

"Are you ever not going to be mad at me Rick?" Damon asked.

"Doubtful."

"Anyway!" Buffy said. "Damon, you'll flirt with my clothing thief and I'll pick a fight with you."

"Can we have makeup sex?" Damon asked.

"As loud as possible and keep everyone up and miserable if they insist on living with us."

"Ew." Elena and Caroline said.

Tyler strolled in. "Sorry I'm late. What's going on?"

"We need you to raid your mom's vervain supply. Enough to keep Stefan down for a while."

"You can't do that to Stefan."

"Why not?" Caroline asked.

"Trust me, Tyler. It's in his best interest." Elena said.

"Yeah."

"It's not in Klaus's." Tyler said.

Buffy and Damon exchanged looks as Caroline said, "But Klaus is the bad guy, Tyler. And why are you acting like some freaky, hybrid, slave-minion?"

"Uh oh." Buffy said.

"What?" Alaric asked.

"Klaus made me who I am, Caroline." Tyler said. "I owe him everything."

"Oh boy." Damon said.  
>"Ok, can we cool it on the commentary please?" Caroline snapped.<p>

"What is going on?" Elena asked.

"I'm just gonna go." Tyler said, turning to the door.

Buffy was across the room in a heartbeat and Tyler fell to the ground with a vervain dart in his back. "What are you doing?" Caroline cried, rushing to her boyfriend's side.

"He's been sired." Damon said.

"What?" Alaric asked.

"Sired." Buffy said. "He feels loyal to Klaus because Klaus's blood created him."

"Loyal how?" Elena asked.

"He seeks acceptance from his master. It's actually really rare, but I guess not so much in hybrids."

"So how do we fix him?" Caroline asked.

"Get a new boyfriend." Damon said.

* * *

><p>Buffy stood back and watched Damon stroll over to where Rebekah was sitting alone roasting a marshmallow. He stepped over the log she was sitting on and took a seat next to her.<p>

"What? No friends your own age?" Rebekah asked.

"Oh, like you can talk." Damon said.

Rebekah blew out the burning marshmallow and looked at Damon. "This is supposed to be fun. I've been through ten of these."

"No. You're just looking at it all wrong. It's a little rough on the outside." Damon pulled the burnt shell off the marshmallow to reveal the gooey center. "But on the inside. Yum." He held the melted treat up to her mouth and she ate it off the stick.

"Mmm…. It's good."

"Yup."

Buffy looked away. This was really starting to annoy her. She turned around to find Angel standing behind her. "What's going on?" He asked.

Buffy shrugged. "Just a lovely little plan to capture Stefan."

"Why is your boyfriend flirting with that girl over there?"

"That's Rebekah. Klaus's sister."

Angle nodded, getting what was going on. "He's distracting her."

"And annoying me."

"Was that his idea?"

"No. Mine." She glanced back at Damon. "I have to pick a fight with them."

"Doesn't seem like that'll be too hard."

Buffy ignored his comment. "Where were you headed all pissy this morning? You left skid marks in the gravel."

"Stefan made me angry."

"He's doing that to everybody."

"How much longer is this going to go on, Buffy?"

"Angel, we're working on it. Ok?"

"I know you love Stefan, but…."

"I'm not going to kill him." She shook her head and gave him a disgusted look. "I gave you the same courtesy." Angel looked away, chastised. "He can be saved, Angel. We just have to…. Wait."

"Don't wait too long."

"Did you come here to be Captain Obvious?"

"No. I came here looking for you." She gave him a questioning look. "You called earlier."

"Oh. Yeah. Never mind now. I needed someone to help me train Elena. Damon helped me."

"Train Elena to do what?"

"Fight vampires." Buffy turned back to Damon and Rebekah, waiting for a good moment to barge in.

"I can't believe you've never had one of these before." Damon said, handing Rebekah a s'more.

"Well, I've been in a casket for ninety years."

"That's no excuse."

Rebekah looked over at Damon. "Why are you being so nice to me? You hate me. You should be mean." She glanced around. "And where's your girlfriend? Lost her to my brother already?"

"Hardly."

"You're distracting me. Why?"

"Just trying to be a good house mate."

Rebekah leaned in to Damon and whispered something to him before walking off. Buffy looked back at Damon and realized that the stick Rebekah had been using was protruding from her boyfriend's abdomen. "Damon!" She rushed over to him with Angel right behind her. "Hold on." Looking Damon in the eye, she silently mouthed, "One, two…." And on three she pulled the stick out.

He groaned and leaned over, sitting down as he held his stomach. Buffy held her wrist out to him, but he shook his head. "What happened to our fight?"

"I'm sorry. I couldn't pick the right moment and I got distracted."

"Sorry." Angel said. "Didn't mean to ruin your plan." He didn't sound sorry.

Buffy sighed. "Where'd she go?"

"I'll track her." Angel moved off, blending into the shadows in his special Angel way.

"Distracted, huh?" Damon asked, looking at his girlfriend. "Should I be picking a fight right now?"

Buffy rolled her eyes. "Only if you want to lose."

"What were you two talking about?"

"That he's getting on my nerves with his attitude towards me."

Damon looked surprised that she'd been arguing with him. He smiled slightly and said, "Kick him out. Revoke his invite to the house."

Buffy sighed. "I can't do that, Damon."

"Why not?"

"Because…. I just can't be that mean to him."

"I can."

"Please don't. Just…. Let it go, ok? I'm with you. I love you."

"You love him, too."

Buffy shook her head and took Damon's face between her hands, making him look at her. "I don't want him." She scooted closer to him. "I want you."

Damon looked at her for a long moment before reaching up and brushing her hair behind her ear. "I want you too."

"You've got me. All of me." She leaned in and kissed him gently. "Maybe…. I should ask him to find a place of his own if he's going to stay in Mystic Falls."

"I think he should move in with Alaric. They're both so judgy, they'd be perfect roommates. They can judge until their eyeballs fall out."

Buffy shook her head. "Speaking of Alaric, let's go find him and Elena and see if they need our help."

"Why didn't we just beat the crap out of Stefan, again?"

"Because Elena doesn't want to see him dead or hurt. Just locked up." Buffy let Damon help her to her feet and they moved off.

* * *

><p>Buffy and Damon worked on rolling up the ruined Persian rug in the hallway. Elena had nearly been burned alive in Alaric's car when it had blown up. Stefan, who'd been knocked out, managed to kick the backdoor of the SUV off. Elena had saved Stefan before the car had completely exploded. Buffy had administered first aid to Elena before sending her home. To her surprise, Elena had punched Stefan in the gut with a stake launcher and got him with the two stakes.<p>

"I'm proud of her." Buffy said.

"She did give it to him pretty good." Damon agreed.

"I think she's going to be pretty good at training."

Before Damon could respond, something flew past them and a vase shattered on the ground. Buffy and Damon exchanged glances and stood up. Another knick knack smashed somewhere else in the house.

"Keep it up, Stefan." Damon called.

There was more smashing glass around the house. Damon rolled his eyes and bent over to pick up a piece of the smashed vase as Buffy moved down the hall to see what else had broken. Suddenly, Damon was thrown out into the hallway from the living room.

"Damon!" Buffy rushed over to him. "What happened?"

"This is going to be fun."  
>Buffy looked up to see Mason Lockwood walking towards them.<p> 


	46. Chapter 46

**_A/N Can't wait for the return of Vampire Diaries tomorrow! Ian Somerhalder posted that his first day back after the holidays, he filmed a nude scene. Can't wait for THAT episode!_**

**_I hope you all enjoy this chapter. It's one of my favorites because an old friend of Buffy's makes a return. Happy Reading!_**

Chapter 46

Buffy woke up and shook her head to clear the cobwebs. The first thing she realized was that she was chained to a chair and her arms were in a weird position. She tried to break the chains, but she couldn't get any leverage. With a sigh, Buffy looked up. Damon was chained in a chair across from her with a fire poker sticking out of him. She rolled her eyes and spotted Mason Lockwood standing by the window.

"Now why is it that you can see me, but he can't?" Mason asked.

"I don't know." Buffy said. "Every time there's a ghost situation, I tend to end up either possessed or Dr. Laura for the deceased."

"I'm not going to possess you."

"Good."

"I don't think I'd like being a girl. Especially you."

"Why?"

"You're so…. Little. I'd feel cramped." Buffy nodded, agreeing with Mason's logic. "And I don't need any kind of therapy…."

"Could you please release my boyfriend and me, then?"

"Not yet."

"Are you going to kill us?"

"No."

"Then what's the point of this?"

"Just having some fun. I figure since you like to watch, you could watch me torture your boyfriend for a little bit."

"Really? Torture? And then what? A cup of tea?" Buffy strained against her bonds.

"You're not getting out of that. Unless you want to dislocate your shoulder."

"Boy, cause I've never done _that_ before." Buffy spotted Damon's ring laying on the floor. "Sunlight?"

"Yup."

The Slayer rolled her eyes. "I can't believe I'm doing this." She looked at the ceiling. "Stefan!" She would've called for Angel, but he wasn't home.

Damon groaned and started to come around. "Oh…. You've got to be kidding me."

"Hurts doesn't it?" Mason said.

"Would you hush?" Buffy snapped.

"I'm hurting and you're telling me to hush?" Damon asked.

"I'm not talking to you."

Damon looked around. He spotted his ring on the floor. "Low blow."

Stefan stood in the doorway and laughed at Buffy and Damon's situation. "What the hell happened to you two?"

"Whatever twisted Ripper game this is…. Leave me out of it."

"Stefan didn't do this." Buffy said.

"Thank you." Stefan said, walking over to Buffy. He snapped the chains binding her arms and she snapped the rest of them. "This is pretty messed up, though, isn't it?"

As Stefan snapped a couple of chains on Damon, Damon asked, "If you didn't, who did?"

"Don't know. But I'd like to congratulate them." Stefan yanked the hot poker out of Damon's chest and Damon yelled.

"Shut up, Stefan." Buffy growled, walking over and undoing the rest of Damon's chains. Stefan walked out of the room and Buffy rolled her eyes. "Here," She offered Damon her wrist, but he didn't bite. "What?"

"I'm agitated. I woke up in chains with a hot poker sticking out of me with no clue who did this other than my little brother."

"Stefan didn't do this."

"Well then who did?"

"Chained to a chair? Hot pokers? One guess who did this."

"He's dead."

"Yeah, well…." Buffy looked over at Mason. "He's back." She sang, impersonating the Poltergeist movie. Mason took that opportunity to open the curtains and Damon started to burn. He dove out of the light and Buffy scooped up Damon's ring, fast as lightening, and shoved it back on his finger. She glared at Mason. "You are so going to get your ass exorcised."

"Mason Lockwood is doing this?" Damon asked.

"Yup."

"And you can see him?"

"You can't?"

Damon looked at where Buffy was looking, but he didn't see anything. "No. If I could, I'd be killing him again."

"We need to pay a visit to Bonnie. I think her spell went crazy." She glanced over at where Mason had been, but he was gone. "Good riddance."

"What?"

"He disappeared."

"Why can you see him and I can't?"

"I don't know! I'm a Slayer, not a Watcher. I don't explain things. I just kill them."

"Then let's go find Bonnie so _she_ can explain things and then _we_ can just kill Mason…. Again." Damon said, heading out.

* * *

><p>Buffy rode shotgun in Damon's car as he pulled into the town square. People were out hanging lanterns for the Illumination that night. Damon spotted Caroline and Bonnie near Elena's house a few blocks away and pulled to a stop. "Greetings, Blondie. Witchy." He said. "I think you got your voodoo wires crossed when you got rid of Vicki Donovan."<p>

"What do you mean?" Bonnie asked. "Why?"

"Because Mason Lockwood's ghost tried to torture us this morning." Buffy said.

"What!"

"Why would you think that?" Caroline asked.

"Uh, because I saw him. With my own two eyes. While I was chained to a chair." Buffy said.

"Did I mention there was a hot poker stuck in my chest?" Damon said.

"No." Caroline said. "Why?"

"Because there was."

"I thought you said ghosts couldn't physically interact with people." Caroline said to Bonnie.

"They can't!" Bonnie said.

"Yeah, well…. We don't have time for vengeful Lockwood. When I kill someone, they're supposed to stay dead. Whatever you screwed up…. Fix it." Damon stepped on the gas and sped off.

* * *

><p>Buffy and Damon walked into the Grill and saw Alaric and Elena walking through the restaurant.<p>

"I'll grab Jeremy." Alaric said.

"I'll be right back." Elena said, heading for the bathroom. "Hey Buffy!"

Alaric spotted Damon. "You know, I've had enough vampires today, thanks."

"Oh, come on." Damon said. "Have a drink with us. We've got troubles."

"No. You've got troubles. We're not a team. You tried to kill me, Damon. We're not friends. I don't like you anymore." Alaric looked at Buffy. "And you're not on my good list either."

"Rick, do you remember back when you liked him…. And me…. We all conspired to kill uncle werewolf Mason Lockwood?" Buffy asked.

"Yeah. And?"

"Well…. He's still a little pissed."

Alaric stared at them for a moment. He sighed. "All right, fine. What happened?"

"Drink?" Damon asked. "On me." He walked over to the bar and the three of them sat down.

"Something's wrong." Buffy said.

"What?" Damon asked. He was learning to really trust Buffy's instincts.

"I don't know." She shook her head. "Something…. Something's calling me, but it's faint."

"Calling you?" Alaric asked.

"Yeah." Buffy shook her head again. "It was like…. A cold chill."

"What do you think it was?" Damon asked.

"It was calling…. The dead."

"But you're alive." Alaric said.

"I haven't always been. Ever since I came back from the dead…. Well…. I don't know. I can still sense the dead and see their ghosts and everything because I think that other side still has a bit of a hold on me." She looked over at Damon. "I think someone was doing a spell involving the dead."

Before Damon could respond and blame Bonnie, the bartender brought them their drinks. Damon's was suddenly taken out from under him. They all looked up to see Mason Lockwood downing the drink. "Great!" Buffy said.

"That was my drink." Damon said.

"Wait…. You can see him now?"

"Mason…." Alaric said.

"You can too!"

"God, I miss whiskey!" Mason said. He looked at Damon and then slammed the glass against his forehead.

"Damon! Hey! If you can hurt him…." Buffy punched Mason in the jaw. "Then I can hurt you! Yay." When Mason stumbled away after Buffy's punch, she gasped and covered her mouth with her hands. "Oh my god…."

"What's wrong?" Damon asked.

Buffy couldn't tear her eyes away from the sight. "Oh my god…." She stood up and walked across the restaurant. "Lexi?" Tears sprang to her eyes as her friend smiled brightly.

"Hey, Buff." Lexi said. She held out her arms and the Slayer rushed into them, hugging her friend tightly.

"How are you here? How is this happening?"

"I don't know, but I'm not complaining." Lexi hugged Buffy tightly again. "I have missed you so much!"

"Me! I've missed you terribly!" Buffy let out a small sob. "Oh, Lexi! With everything that's happened…. Is happening…."

"I know." Lexi pulled back from the hug and glanced at a stunned Damon.

Buffy shook her head when she saw where Lexi was looking. "Oh, Lex…. I'm sorry…. I…. We just…."

"I know." Lexi smiled. "It's cool. I'm happy for you. I'm not happy he killed me, but…. You've changed him, Buff. He's actually pretty decent now. Almost the Damon I first met back in the 1800s. I don't think that would've happened if I was still…. Around."

"Oh! Stefan! Lex, you've gotta help him! You're the only one…."

"Already working on that. Have you seen Elena?"

"Yeah. She was headed for the bathroom a few minutes ago."

"So, I know you've got issues with that whole werewolf thing going on over there, but would you stay with me today? Help me fix Stefan?"

"Are you kidding me? I'm not going anywhere. Well…. Let me go tell Damon what's going on and then I'm not going anywhere but with you."

"Sure. I'll get Elena. Tell Damon I said hi."

Buffy had a hard time walking away from her deceased friend. Damon looked stunned still as she walked up to him. "Sorry, sweetie, but I'm going with Lexi."

Damon shook his head. "No, yeah. I understand."

Buffy glanced at Mason. "Will you be ok?"

"Well, since I know that I can at least punch him…. I'll be great. He says there's a weapon to kill Klaus."

"And you're going after it with him?" She looked at Mason again. "Are you sure this isn't a trick? Maybe I shouldn't leave…."

"No." Damon grabbed her shoulders. "Buffy, that's your dead friend over there. She's here and we don't know for how long. I took her away from you." He cupped her face between his hands lovingly. "The least I can do is let you be with her for however long you've got with her."

"Thank you, Damon."

"Go." He kissed her gently and then let her walk away to catch up with Lexi and Elena.

Buffy walked back over to Lexi. The taller blonde wrapped an arm around Buffy's shoulders and looked at Elena. "Ready?" Lexi asked.

"Yes." Elena said. "How are we going to capture him?"

"Already took care of that."

"What do you mean?"

Lexi led them out of the Grill and across the street to the police station. The three of them snuck down to the old Forbes vampire holding cell. Lexi opened the door to reveal Stefan passed out and chained to the chair in the middle of the room.

"Klaus really did a number on him, huh?" Lexi said.

"He compelled him to turn off his humanity." Elena said.

"Well, we're just going to have to convince him to turn it back on. I have to warn you, it's not going to be pretty."

"I can handle it."

"Elena's pretty tough." Buffy said affectionately. Elena smiled slightly, happy that Buffy's friend was back and she was getting the chance to see her.

Lexi walked over to Stefan and kicked his foot. "Wake up, sleepy head." Stefan came around and looked at his surroundings. "How're you feeling?"

Stefan struggled to get out of the chair, but he was tied down nice and tight. "What is this? Let me out of here!"

"Shh! Inside voices, please. I'm trying to get inside your head."

Stefan laughed and looked at Elena. "Elena, get rid of her please."

"No." Elena said forcefully.

Buffy smiled and Stefan turned to her. "Uh, I don't think so, pal." She said. "Lexi's here to stay until she's ready to go." Stefan growled slightly.

"First step: Drying him out." Lexi said. "Starve away the blood lust, strip away the temptation."

Stefan laughed and shook his head. "This isn't going to work, Lexi. You can't do this."

"You heard the not pretty part?" Lexi asked Elena.

"I heard you." Elena said.

Lexi nodded and leaned down to look Stefan in the eye. He looked a little nervous and then started to panic. He began to struggle. "What are you doing Lexi!"

"I'm doing what I do best, sweetness." Lexi said. "I'm saving your life." Stefan screamed and struggled and Elena took Buffy's hand. Buffy squeezed it gently and looked at Lexi. She moved around Stefan as he struggled and screamed.

"I'm starving! I'm starving! Let me out! Let me out. Please let me out!"

"What's happening?" Elena asked.

"He's hallucinating." Buffy said.

"That's three months without any blood." Lexi said.

"Let me out!" Stefan cried.

"Now he's at nine months. Two years." Stefan lunged. "Five."

"Did I ever tell you how glad I am that you're dead?"

"Awe, I missed you too friend."

Elena's phone started ringing. She grabbed it and looked at the caller. Buffy gently pushed her towards the door. "Hello?"

"So, the necklace isn't where Damon said it would be and now we can't reach Damon." Caroline said on the other end.

Buffy held out her hand for Elena's phone. Elena handed it over. "Caroline, why are you looking for Elena's necklace?"

"Bonnie needs it to send the ghosts back where they came from."

"No. Caroline, I need Bonnie to hold off on sending the ghosts back."

"What? Why?"

"Look, I know Bonnie's pissed about this whole Anna thing and I'm pretty annoyed about the Mason torturing Damon and me thing, but…. Lexi's here."

"You're dead vampire friend that Stefan knew?"

"Yes. And she's helping with Stefan right now."

"Can we find the necklace at least and then deal with boyfriend ghost dramas?"

"The necklace is in Damon's room in the top drawer of his dresser on the left. It's in the pocket of a pair of his black jeans."

"Yeah, he told us and we've gone through every pair of pants that he owns. It's not there."

"Then someone stole it because it was just there. He checked it this morning."

"We'll keep looking." Caroline hung up.

Buffy handed Elena back her phone. "Everything ok?" Lexi asked.

"I think we have a thieving ghost at the house, but other than that…. Yeah."

"You know, I could've sworn the word 'retired' once applied to you."

"I guess retirement and me don't really see eye to eye."

Lexi smiled slightly. "At least you get to use those months of training in the Amazon."

"Yeah."

"Elena…. Elena, I'm hurting." Stefan said. He was sweating and looking seriously haggard. "Please help me."

"Don't listen." Lexi said. "Shut him out."

"I am helping you, Stefan." Elena said.

"I'll do anything. I'll change. I promise."

"It's a lie. He'll say anything right now."

"Elena, I'm sorry. I'm sorry! Just make it stop! Please, just make it stop."

"You have to separate yourself from your emotions." Lexi said. "Don't let him play on them."

"Elena, look at me. Look at me. Elena, I love you. Ok? I love you. I love you so much. I love you so much."

"You got a stake in your bag?" Lexi asked Buffy quietly.

"Of course." Buffy said.

"I'm sorry Stefan, I just don't believe you." Elena said.

"You know what? I don't want your help anyway. I wish I'd never met you." Stefan said. "Every single moment that I've spent with you has been a complete and total waste!"

"You see that?" Lexi asked. "That's the Ripper talking. Once he's weak enough, you have to cause him pain. Make him feel things. Anger. Rage. Anything! You have to make him see past the blood." Lexi took the stake she'd gotten from Buffy's bag and stabbed it into Stefan's arm. He screamed and Elena flinched back, bumping into Buffy. Buffy wrapped an arm around Elena. "Think of it as a regimen. Day in and day out. Like running the tread mill. Like making coffee. Until he's ready to be saved." Lexi went to stab Stefan again.

He growled, "I will rip you apart Lexi!"

"You can't. I'm already dead." Lexi stabbed Stefan in the shoulder and Elena jumped with a gasp.

"I can't!" Elena said, backing away.

"Elena!" Buffy called, but the teen ran out of the room and up the stairs.

"It's ok." Lexi said. "This is the hard part."

"I can tell." The Slayer sighed as Lexi stabbed Stefan again. "What if…."

"What?"

"What if this doesn't work? I mean, it's not like before. Klaus compelled him to become like this."

"But compulsion can be broken. Look at Bill Forbes."

"You saw that?"

"Well, the only thing ghosts really have to do on the other side is watch over the people we care about. You and Stefan are the two people I care about the most."

Buffy smiled slightly. "So you think Klaus's compulsion can be broken?"

"Yes. You know, Damon really has rubbed off on you. You're not as optimistic as I remember."

Buffy shrugged. "You made me optimistic."

"And I haven't been around in a while."

"So, if you've been watching over us, why haven't I been able to see you?"

"I don't know. Cause I'm not really on this plane, I guess."

"Until now."

"We're all alone over there on the other side."

"So you haven't moved on?"

"I've got people to watch over." Lexi glanced at Stefan and then stabbed him again.

"Buffy…." Stefan said.  
>"Save it, Stefan. I'm not going to run out because it's a little messy. I want to save you as much as Elena does."<p>

"I hate you! You've made me nothing but miserable."  
>"Well, that's what little sisters do."<p>

"You're nothing to me."

"Not right now, no. But the Stefan I know and love…. Well, he thinks differently."

Lexi stabbed Stefan again. "Quit fighting me Stefan. I know you're in there."

"Not anymore Lexi." Stefan said.

"You know you say that every time? Until I make you feel again." Lexi stabbed Stefan again.

"Ahh! You wasted your whole life taking care of me and now you're dead and you still have nothing better to do."

Elena came running down the stairs. "We're running out of time!"

"You gotta give me more." Lexi said.

"I can't."

"No! Not until I break through."

"I can't, Lexi."

"Elena, what's going on?" Buffy asked.

"They have the necklace. They're going to close the door."

"The necklace…." Lexi said.

"I thought they were going to wait." Buffy said to Elena.

"The tomb vampires are back and they're killing the Founders' family members." Elena said.

"What?"

"Ok!" Lexi said. "That necklace. At least tell me you remember how you felt about that. You found it during your darkest time. And you said that when you made it through that that necklace represented hope."

"Ironic then that it's about to get blown to pieces." Stefan said.

Buffy felt something like a breeze and Lexi looked up. "No!" Buffy said. "Lexi!" She rushed over to her friend and embraced her tightly. "Please don't leave. I need you here."

"No, you don't, Buff." Lexi said, tears sliding down her face. "You've got this. You always have." She looked at Elena over Buffy's shoulder. "He's still in there, Elena. You just have to break through."

"It's ok, Lexi. I know what to do now." Elena said. "You can be free."

"Lexi…." Buffy said.

"Love you, Buff. You and Stefan are my best friends. You're family. Remember that." Lexi gave one last tight hug and then she disappeared.

Buffy gasped and shook her head. "Bye, Lex…." Elena came over and hugged her tightly. Stefan seemed to ignore them as he looked down at the floor. Buffy's phone started ringing and she answered it. "Hey."

"Hey." Damon said. "Are you ok? Is Lexi…."

"She's gone." Buffy said, holding back the sob.

Damon didn't miss the hitch in her voice. "I'm sorry."

"Where are you? You sound distant."

"I've got something I need help with. Can you….?"

"Yeah. I'll meet you."

"I'm at the old Lockwood cellar."

"Ok." Buffy hung up. "Elena…."

"Go. I've got this." Elena said. "Just…. Come back and help?"

"Of course." Buffy walked over to Stefan and leaned down. He looked up at her. "We're family and family doesn't walk away when there's a member in trouble." She kissed Stefan's cheek and walked out.

Alaric was walking down the street away from the Grill when he spotted Buffy. "Are you ok?"

Buffy wiped at the tears. "Yeah. Rick…." She sighed. "I'm sorry for the way I've been acting. With everything that's been going on…. Everything that's happened with Klaus and Angelus…. I didn't know how to really act. I just kind of reacted and people got caught in the crosshairs. You're my friend and you're helping me out with Elena and Jeremy and I'm very grateful for that."

Alaric nodded, a slight smile spreading across his face. "Apology accepted."

"Thank you. Well…. Damon needs my help."

"I'll come with. Three heads are better than one."

"Yeah." Buffy smiled.

* * *

><p>Alaric and Buffy walked down into the old Lockwood cellar and found Damon waiting for them. He stood up and hugged Buffy tightly. "Are you ok?"<p>

"Yeah. There's never enough time even when you have forever." Buffy said.

"Did you get to say goodbye?"

"Yes. I needed that. Thank you."

Damon looked at Alaric. "What are you doing here?"

"Helping Buffy out." Alaric said. "I ran into her in the square and she was crying."

"I thought you were mad at her."

"She apologized." Alaric said pointedly. "What's going on?"

"I needed a non-vampire to get into this cave and there's only a certain amount of people that I trust. Buffy being one of them." Buffy nudged Damon with her elbow. "And…. You're another one."

"You have a crappy way of showing it."

"Look, if Mason Lockwood can get over the fact that I killed him, can't you cut me a little slack, Rick?"

"I shouldn't have to get over it. I was your friend, Damon. You shouldn't have done it in the first place."

"Well, sometimes…. I do things I don't have to do."

"You're going to recycle that same crap-ass apology you gave Mason Lockwood?"

"Yeah, well…. I didn't mean it with him." Damon smiled slightly and Buffy gently squeezed him with the arm she had around his waist.

Alaric nodded and smirked. "Thanks. Now where's this cave?"

"Through there." Damon motioned towards a hole in the wall.

"You take me to the craziest places, Damon." Buffy said.

"Ladies first." Alaric said, holding out his hand.

"Oh sure. Chicken." She smiled and ducked through the hole. Alaric and then Damon followed. Damon took Buffy's hand and led the way through the tunnel. "Why do I smell fresh blood?"

"That's still creepy." Alaric said. Buffy shrugged.

"Because the place was booby-trapped with giant wooden stakes." Damon said.  
>"Are you ok?" Buffy asked.<p>

"I'm healed." Damon stopped. "We're here." He gave Buffy the lantern he'd been carrying as she followed Alaric and his flashlight into the cave. "So, is Mason screwing with me or is there something in there? Rick? Buff?"

"Wow." Buffy said, staring at the wall.

"We found something." Alaric said.

"What is it?" Damon asked.

"I have no idea."

"They're…. cave drawings." Buffy said, moving closer to the wall.

"Cave drawings?" Damon asked. "That's it? Mason said there was a weapon to kill Klaus."

Alaric studied the drawings. "And maybe this tells us where it is."


	47. Chapter 47

_**A/N What an awesome return of Vampire Diaries. Though now that I'm really into the Buffy/Damon pairing, that ending of that episode threw me for a loop. For now, enjoy this new chapter!**_

Chapter 47

"Buffy."

Buffy rolled over and buried her face in the pillow.

"Oh, wake up already!"

The Slayer's eyes snapped open and she found herself face to face with Rebekah. Buffy groaned and she pushed her face further into the pillow. "Go away!"

"Look, I'm taking this top."

Buffy sat up and took the top from Rebekah. "Stay out of my closet."

"But you have cute clothes."

"Go shopping for your own. You're stretching mine out."

"You're not _that_ much smaller than me."

"Shut _up_!" Damon groaned on his side of the bed.

Buffy sighed and got out of bed. She pushed Rebekah out the door and into the hallway. "Stay out of my closet. I did not adopt another sister. I don't want another annoying, bratty sister to steal my clothes."

"And I don't want to be your sister. Though Nic would have it otherwise…."

Buffy gritted her teeth. "Rebekah, if you're going to stay here, then you're going to abide by my rules or I will revoke your invitation."

"Then I'll start killing people."

"Then I'll get Stefan to call your brother in and let him deal with you."

"You don't control Nic."

"No, but I can make deals with him. He likes those."

Rebekah rolled her eyes. "Fine. At least tell me where you shop so I can indulge myself."

Buffy smiled. "The internet." She turned and shut the door in Rebekah's face.

Damon wrapped an arm around Buffy as she slid back into bed. "I think she likes you."

"I think I'm going to drive a stake in your heart."

"What time is it?" He hadn't opened his eyes yet.

Buffy glanced at the clock. "Almost eight."

"What time are we meeting Elena and Rick?"

"Ten."

"Can we sleep more?"

"Yes." She curled up closer to her boyfriend and closed her eyes, letting herself drift as he played with her hair. Just as she was about to doze off, Buffy's cell phone began to ring. Damon groaned and Buffy sighed, grabbing her cell. "Yes, Elena?"

"Are you guys ready yet?" Elena asked.

Buffy looked at the clock. "It's not even nine."

"Rick and I are up and ready."

"We said ten."

"Can't we go earlier? I want to see this."

Buffy sighed. "Give us thirty minutes and we'll meet you there."

"You know," Damon said as Buffy hung up. "I could've sworn that you weren't her legal guardian anymore."

"It's not like I could stop her from seeing me as her guardian even if I wanted her to."

"You're more than just her big sister." Damon sat up and leaned over, kissing Buffy's shoulder. "You're like a mother to her. The closest thing she and Jeremy have to one."

"Does that make you their father figure?" Buffy asked playfully.

Damon let out a loud. "Ha! They wish."

"You'd be the coolest dad around."

"And the hottest."

Buffy rolled her eyes and shook her head. "You and I are so not cut out for the whole parenting thing."

Damon looked surprised. "I think you are."

"Not hardly. Even if I could have kids…. I don't want them."

"Have you ever wanted them?"

Buffy had to think about it for a moment. "Actually, no. When I became the Slayer I was 15 years old. 15 year olds don't really think about kids unless they're babysitting them…. Or being forced to take home one of those robot babies. By the time I got old enough to actually contemplate kids, I knew that my life wasn't meant for them and I was actually ok with that. Did you ever want kids…. Before you became a vampire?"

Damon shrugged. "I always just assumed it was inevitable for me. That's what you did back then. You married and had kids."

"But did you want them?"

He looked at Buffy and smiled slightly. "Actually, I did…. Eventually. But then Katherine came along. Opened my eyes to a whole new world and, well…. You know the rest. But you're right. I'm not cut out for parenting. My life wasn't meant for children."

"Oh, destiny talk."

"You're the expert."

"Unfortunately. And right now, our destiny is getting dressed and going back down to that cave."

"And eventually checking on Stefan."

"That too."

"You know…. I think destiny has something else in store for us."

"What's that?"

Damon grabbed her waist and threw her back onto the bed. He pinned her down and grinned. Buffy smiled and pulled his lips down to hers.

* * *

><p>Angel, Alaric, and Elena made their way through the caves with Alaric in the lead. Buffy and Damon were running late. No surprise there with all the noise they were making before Angel left the house.<p>

"So the Lockwoods really have no idea that these tunnels are under their property?" Elena asked.

"Careful where you shine that thing." Alaric said. "Bats hate the light."

"Wait…. What?" Elena stopped and Angel nearly bumped into her. He moved around her to avoid that and went to stand with Alaric.

"Elena!" A loud whisper came from behind her and Elena turned, obviously startled. "Boo!" Damon said with a grin. Buffy stood next to him laughing.

Elena smacked Damon's arm. "God Damon!"

"Scardy cat." Damon taunted.

"Just ignore him." Alaric said. "That's what I do."

"So you really can't get in?" Elena asked Damon.

"No. Seems even the ancient Lockwoods were anti-vampire." Damon said, moving around Elena with Buffy.

"What do you mean 'ancient'?"

"See for yourself." Buffy said, taking Elena's free hand. Damon took the lead and Angel fell back behind Buffy and Elena. Alaric stayed just behind Damon with his flashlight pointed ahead.

"Well, this is as far as I go." Damon said, stopping. He looked at Angel. "You too."

"Too bad." Angel said. He obviously meant that it was too bad he had to stay behind with Damon. Buffy rolled her eyes as she and Elena followed Alaric into the cave. "Buffy." Angel tossed her his flashlight when she turned.

"Thanks." Buffy shined the light ahead of her, illuminating the cave drawings.

"What is all this?" Elena asked.

"Well, as far as I can tell…. It's a story." Alaric said. "In simple, archeological terms…. It's a really, really old story." He set the flashlights's beam on a drawing of three crescent moons in different phases. "That right there is a moon cycle." He moved to another drawing. "A man. A wolf."

"A werewolf." Buffy said.

"Yeah. It's the Lockwood diaries…. Pictionary style." Damon said.

"I don't understand." Elena said. "I thought the Lockwoods came here with the Founders in the 1860s."

"Well, maybe the Lockwoods did, but according to this wall these werewolves have been here a lot longer than that." Alaric said.

"How long?"

"Long." Damon said. "It gets better. Show her Rick."

"Names." Alaric said, moving to a different wall and shining his flashlight beam on them. "They're not native. They're written in Runic. Viking script."

"Vikings?"

"This name here…. Translated, it reads…. Nicklaus."

"Klaus."

Alaric shined his beam to the next name. "Elijah." And the next name. "And Rebekah."

"These are the names of the Original family?"

"Carved into a cave that's been here way before the founding of Mystic Falls." Buffy said.

"Or even the entire New World for that matter." Alaric added.

"This has gotta be one of Klaus's fakes." Elena said.

"That's what I said." Buffy said.

"That could be true except the last name up here made us think otherwise." Alaric moved his flashlight beam to the last name.

"What's the name?" Elena asked.

"Mikael."

"Mikael? Mikael as in the vampire hunter that knows how to kill Klaus?"

"Yup." Damon said. "And I like to call him Papa Original."

"He's their father?"

"As far as I can tell." Alaric said, setting his bag down.

"What are you doing?"

"I'm going to take pictures of every symbol carved into these walls so we can take them back to my place and start translating."

"It's kind of hard to see down here." Buffy said. "No natural light and all."

"What do I do?" Elena asked.

"Come on. Let's go get lunch for everybody."

"Eat without me." Alaric said. "I brought a sandwich down here. I don't want to hold you guys up."

* * *

><p>Later that afternoon, Alaric had all the pictures arrayed on his island counter. Elena had begged Buffy to train her some more, so she and the Slayer were play-sparring behind Alaric. Angel interjected every now and then, showing Elena certain moves with Buffy, which annoyed Damon. So Damon moved in on the action to volunteer his services as a fake punching bag for his girlfriend and her teenage ward.<p>

"These images tell a story." Alaric said, seemingly oblivious to the fighting going on behind him. "To learn the story, you have to decipher these images."

"Sloppy." Buffy said, pushing Elena down and taking her stake.

"Shut up." Elena said. "I'm new at this."

Buffy smiled and let Elena attack her again.

"The ghost of Christmas past, Mason Lockwood, said the cave would lead us to a weapon to kill Klaus." Damon said.

"Yeah, doesn't Mikael have a weapon?" Elena asked.

Buffy gently smacked Elena's arm and took her stake again. "Focus, Elena."

"Sorry."

"Yes, he has a weapon." Damon said as he watched Elena try to stake Buffy. The Slayer was just holding Elena's wrist while it was obvious Elena was using all her strength to try and stab Buffy. "Which probably means the wall will lead us to Mikael."

"Who we've already found and lost." Buffy said. She bent Elena's wrist and twirled Elena into her. "And you're dead again."

"I'm in heels." Elena said with a smile.

"Hey, I fight in heels all the time."

"You should've seen her when she was your age, Elena." Angel joked. "Giles once said that if a fashion magazine told her to, she'd wear a cat strapped to her feet."

Elena laughed and Buffy shook her head. "No one said you couldn't be a Slayer and stylish at the same time."

"Some of those shoes should've broken your ankles."

"Mostly those shoes ended up broken themselves. Or ruined." Buffy looked at Elena. "Just a tip: Suede shoes do not mesh well with killing demons and vampires. Or walking in dew covered cemetery grass."

Elena laughed. "I'll remember that."

"These images, at the very least, might tell us what that weapon that Mikael uses is." Alaric said. He was still oblivious. It was like dealing with Giles. And that thought sent a sad pang through Buffy's heart. Damon saw the sad look cross her face and he took her hand, kissing her palm gently with a smile.

"Then all we have to do is find out what they mean." Elena said.

Damon sighed, "If I'm being irritatingly optimistic like you two…. How do you suppose we do that?"

"Actually, I may have a plan for that." Buffy said. "If the story is about the Original family living here, then we should go straight to the source."

"You are not calling Klaus back here." Damon protested.

"Not Klaus, you fool." Buffy said, rolling her eyes playfully at her boyfriend.

"Oh. His Barbie doll sister."

Buffy shrugged. "She likes me…. I think. Or maybe it's just my clothes she likes. She keeps stealing them."

"Bribe her with your clothes." Angel said.

Buffy shot him a glare and waved the stake at him. "One more suggestion like that and I'm shoving this through your heart."

Angel smiled slightly. "It's not like you're never going to buy new ones. A package seems to show up on your doorstep at least once a week."

"So I have a shopping addiction. Big whoop. I'm a girl."

"There you go. Take her shopping."

"Ugh! I wish I hadn't have thought of this idea." Buffy grabbed her purse and headed for the door.

"I'll keep working on this." Alaric said.

"I'm going to check on Stefan." Damon said, following Buffy.

"Buffy, do you mind if I stick with you?" Elena asked.

"Be my guest." Buffy said. "You can remind me not to kill her when she gets on my nerves. Cause gods know that will be before she gets her story out."

"I'll see if I can be of any help." Angel said to Alaric as Buffy, Damon, and Elena walked out.

* * *

><p>Buffy and Elena headed towards the school. For a Saturday, it was pretty busy. They spotted Rebekah with the cheerleaders. Buffy rolled her eyes as Rebekah set up for and executed a round off and two back handsprings. When she stopped, she came face to face with Buffy.<p>

"You." Rebekah said. "Goody."

"I was hoping we could talk." Buffy said.

"About what? Stefan? Don't worry, Elena. I'm off of him until he starts treating me better. In fact, you should probably take a page out of my book if I'm being honest."

"Actually, I'd rather talk about this." Buffy took the photograph from Elena and showed Rebekah. It was her name carved into the cave wall. "I'm curious as to why you and Klaus have spent a thousand years running from your father."  
>Rebekah looked a little spooked. "I should get back to the girls. Homecoming is right around the corner."<p>

"Well, then maybe I'll ask Mikael when we wake him."

Rebekah stopped and turned around. "You're bluffing. You don't know where he is. No one does."

"So then who's rotting in that old cemetery in Charlotte?"

"If you wake Mikael, then we are all doomed."

"So then tell me."

"Why do you want to know?"

"Why don't you want me to wake him?"

"I need to get back to the girls." Rebekah turned and all but ran back to the cheerleaders.

Buffy rolled her eyes and turned away. "What now?" Elena asked, following.

"Now I'm going to meet up with Damon and fill him in on everything." Buffy said.

"What about me?"

"Will you head back to Rick's and help him and Angel out?"

"Yeah, sure."

"I'll meet up with you in a little while. Here," Buffy tossed Elena her keys. "I'll walk."

* * *

><p>Buffy sat on a park bench in the square with her eyes closed and her face turned towards the sun. Damon said he would meet her there. He'd gone by the house to get Stefan a change of clothes since he was probably a little rank by now.<p>

A shadow fell over her sun, but it didn't stop Buffy from smiling. She felt Damon's arms brace him on either side of her on the back of the bench and his lips gently touched hers. "Hi honey." He said.

She opened her eyes. "Hi."

Damon sat down next to her. "How'd it go with Rebekah?"

"Well, it kind of didn't."

"What do you mean?"

"She wigged out when I threatened her with Mikael and went back to cheerleading practice. She'll come around though."

"What makes you so sure?"

"She's going to tell me. She's scared of him. We're just going to engage in a little Power Girl power struggle first."

"Just make sure she doesn't power struggle you into a wheelchair."

Buffy's eyebrow lifted. "I can take her."

"Only when you've got my blood in your system."

"Which I do." Buffy sighed. "Willow's worried about the effects its having on me."

"Why? We're both a hell of a lot more powerful."

"I guess cause a vampire and a Slayer haven't ever done this kind of thing before and definitely not on a regular basis. She's just worried."

"Are you?"

"I can move Originals against their will."

"So…. not worried?"

"Not in the least."

"So how are you going to get Rebekah to come around?"

"She's a thousand year old vampire who's joined the cheerleading squad. There's a whole new set of rules in play." Buffy's cell phone chirped.

"So you think she'll be bored enough to tell you?"

"I'm thinking yes." She showed Damon her phone. There was a text from Rebekah that said she wanted Buffy to come home for a chat. "I better get over there before she changes her mind. You don't need any help with Stefan, do you?"

"Please." Damon stood up and pulled Buffy to her feet. "My brother isn't going anywhere. He's drying out and weak as a newborn puppy."

"Yeah."

"Are you confident in this plan of Lexi's?"

"It's worked before."

"But he wasn't compelled by an Original to be this way before."

Buffy nodded, knowing that he was right. "I don't know what else to try."

He smoothed her hair back and kissed her gently. "We'll figure it out. Go talk to Rebekah." Damon looked around for her car to walk her to.

"Oh…. I gave it to Elena." Buffy sighed. "I'll go pick her up. She'll want to hear this too."

"Are you sure she's safe with Rebekah?"

"I'm sure she's safe with me."

"Good point. Have fun."

"You too." Buffy kissed her boyfriend and laughed as he smacked her backside as she walked away.

* * *

><p>Elena followed Buffy into the Slayer's house where loud music was blaring from the living room. Rebekah stood in the center of the room holding two filled champagne glasses. The bottle was in the champagne cooler on the end table. She smiled at Buffy like they were old friends and handed her one of the glasses. She was also in the green top that Buffy had taken back from her this morning.<p>

"Hey! What's up?" Rebekah asked.

"You wanted to talk." Buffy said, setting the glass down and crossing her arms.

"You brought Elena."

"Yes."

"Good. Three heads are better than two."

"What are you talking about?"

"All right girls!" Rebekah called. "Have at it." Six girls from the cheerleading squad walked in all dressed in formal wear. "Ok, now twirl please." The girls did as they were told.

"You compelled your own private runway show?" Elena asked.

"I need a homecoming dress." Rebekah said like they should realize that. "So what do you think? Pick one."

Buffy rolled her eyes. "We're not here to help you shop. We're here to talk about why you don't want me to wake up Mikael."

Rebekah was suddenly across the room and threatening to bite the girl in the blue dress. "I said pick one."

Buffy bit her lip to keep from saying something that would get the girl killed. "The red one." Elena said.

"Ok. Buffy?"

The Slayer turned her angry eyes back to Rebekah. "Go for the red one."

"You didn't even look."

"You have till the count of three before I come over there and turn your head so it faces the other way. I'm sure you won't be healed from that before homecoming."

Rebekah debated for a moment and then let the girl go. "Go away. Remember nothing." The girls all walked out. Rebekah picked up her champagne glass and walked over to Buffy. "You do not threaten me."

"My house."

Rebekah was obviously irritated that Buffy wasn't fazed by her. "You will learn what I allow you to learn."

Buffy rolled her eyes. "We're getting nowhere with this pissing contest."

"Then do as I say."

"How about you tell me everything you know and if I feel like you're not lying to me, then I'll let you…. Raid my closet."

Rebekah raised an eyebrow. "You hate me stealing your clothes."

"Operative word there? Stealing. But if you tell me everything you know, then you get an all access pass for today only to pick out clothes to borrow."

"Keep."

"Borrow or nothing."

Rebekah sighed. "Fine." She moved around Buffy and Elena and headed for the stairs.

"Where are you going?"

"To look through your closet, of course."

"I said after you tell me!" Buffy said, following after her. Elena fell into step behind Buffy.

"We can talk while I shop." Rebekah threw open the doors to Buffy's room and marched over to the walk in closet.

"So are you going to start talking?"

"What do you want to know?"

"Elijah said that your father was a landowner in Europe." Elena said. "How did you guys end up here?"

"My parents had just started a family when a plague struck their homeland. They lost a child to it. They wanted to escape and protect their future family from the same fate."

"So how did you end up here?" Buffy asked. "This part of the world hadn't even been discovered yet."

"Not by anyone in your history books. But my mother knew the witch Ayana who heard from the spirits of a mystical land where everyone was healthy. Blessed by the gifts of speed and strength. That led my family here where we lived amongst those people."

Buffy and Elena exchanged glances. "The werewolves?" Elena asked.

"To us they were just our neighbors. My family lived in peace with them for over twenty years. During which time my family had more children. Including me."

"You make it sound so normal."

"It was. Though once a month, our family retreated to the caves below our village. The wolves would howl through the night and by morning we would return home. One full moon, Klaus and my youngest brother Henrick snuck out to watch the men turn into beasts. That was forbidden. Henrick paid the price. And that was the beginning of the end of peace with our neighbors. And one of the last moments my family had together as humans."

Buffy's cell phone started ringing and she cleared her throat. "Sorry."

"You better get that. That'll be Damon checking up on you."

Buffy grabbed it and saw that Rebekah was right. "Hi babe." On the other end was loud music.

"Hey!" Damon said over the music.

"Damon? Where are you?"

"No idea, but I'm pretty sure I'm overdressed. Are you still standing?"  
>"Elena and I are fine, but I can't talk right now."<p>

"I'll be at the bar." Buffy heard Stefan say in the background.

"Was that Stefan?" Elena's head whipped around to look at Buffy.

"Yeah…. I kinda went off the book, but don't worry. I know what I'm doing."

"Damon, why did you let him out?"

"We talked about this earlier."

"We never said anything about letting him out."

"Would you just trust me? I've got this."

"Let me talk to him."

"Buff…."

"Let me talk to him."

Damon sighed and after a moment, Stefan came on the line. "Hello, Buffy."

"Are you guys at a bar?"

"As a matter of fact we are."

"Don't do anything stupid."

"Take all my fun away."

"Of course. And keep an eye on Damon."

"Don't worry. I won't let him stray. Bye, Buffy." Stefan hung up.

"Stefan's not locked up?" Elena asked. "How could Damon let him out!"

"He says he's got a plan." Buffy said, putting her phone back in her pocket.

"And those always work out so well!"

"Chill, Elena. I trust Damon." Buffy turned back to Rebekah. "Keep talking."

Rebekah found a picture of Stefan and Elena standing with Buffy and Damon at the Grill on the dresser inside Buffy's closet. She shook her head. "Honestly, Elena, I don't get you two as a couple."

"Well why would you?" Elena shot back. "You don't know anything about who he really is."

"I know exactly who he is. He's a vampire. We're a predatory species. We don't have time to care about humans and their silly little lives."

Buffy smirked. "Is that why you did that runway show earlier? Cause you don't care about the homecoming dance?"

"Don't even get me started on your relationship with Damon."

Buffy laughed slightly. "Go ahead."

"You're a Vampire Slayer in love with a vampire. You're sworn to kill my kind, yet you're shacking up and making friends with them instead of killing them. Angel, Spike, Lexi, Stefan, Caroline, Damon…. Your Watcher must be so disappointed."

Buffy growled and Rebekah was suddenly pinned to a wall, clothes falling off the racks around her. "Don't you ever talk about him again. Giles was a father to me. He was proud to be my Watcher. And your brother had him killed just to distract me."

Rebekah didn't fight Buffy. She just nodded. "Sorry."

Buffy let Rebekah go and walked out of the closet. "Whatever."

Rebekah followed her. "I didn't know Nic had him killed. And obviously he meant a lot to you."

"Why do you care?"

"Because honestly…. You're the closest thing to a friend I've got in this miserable place and even though I do purposely try to annoy you, I will admit that you're not half bad. Plus you have amazing fashion sense."

"Rebekah, please just continue the story."

The blonde vampire nodded. "The necklace wasn't Stefan's to give. It belonged to the Original Witch."

"The one who put the hybrid curse on Klaus?" Elena asked.

"Not just the hybrid curse. She's the one who turned us into vampires."

"Why?"

"She'd heard of beings…. Warrior women like werewolves, but they didn't change. They were fast and strong and immortal, but still like humans."

"Slayers?" Buffy asked incredulously. "Your kind of vampire was based on…. Slayers?"

"They weren't called that back then. They weren't called that until the Watcher's Council actually formed about 100 years later. My father and mother asked Ayana to call on the spirits to tell them how to make us like them. To protect us." Rebekah paused. "I'm thirsty. Do you want a drink?"

"I think I might need one." Buffy turned and walked out.

Rebekah and Elena followed. "So your type of vampirism was a form of protection?" Elena asked.

"What else would it be?" Rebekah asked.

"A curse."

"My parents only saw a way of keeping their children alive."

"Yeah, but…. Why stay? If they were so afraid of the werewolves, why not leave?"

"Pride. My father didn't want to run anymore. He wanted to fight and be superior to the wolves. Where they could bite, we had to bite harder. Where they had speed, we had to be faster. Agility…. Strength…. Senses."

"So Ayana did a spell to turn you into vampires?"

"Not Ayana. She refused to do the spell. So my father turned to my mother. He left it in her hands."

"In her hands? How could she do anything?"

"Because my mother was also a witch."

"What?"

"The witch of the Original family. The Original witch." Rebekah walked into the library behind Buffy. "Where do they keep their best vintage?" Buffy sighed and went over to the liquor cabinet. She pulled out one of the bottles, not even caring what it was, and poured some in a glass.

Elena walked over to Rebekah. "But if your mother was a witch, then…."

"Am I? No. A witch is nature's servant. A vampire is an abomination of nature. You can either be one or the other. Never bother. My mother did this for us. She did not turn."

"How did you turn?"

"She called upon the sun for life and the ancient white oak tree…. One of nature's eternal objects…. For immortality. That night, our father offered us wine laced with blood…. And then he drove his sword through our hearts."

"He killed you?"

"And he wasn't delicate about it either. When Nic and I woke up, there was blood everywhere. Our blood. We were confused, but then our father walked in with one of the village girls. He said that we must finish what they'd started. He shoved the girl down and cut her arm open. We had to drink more blood to complete the ritual. Nic tried to fight our father, but he wasn't strong enough. My father forced my mouth to the girl's wound and I had my first real taste of blood. It was euphoric. The feeling of power was indescribable. But the witch Ayana was right about the consequences. The spirits turned on us and nature fought back. For every strength, there would be a weakness. The sun became our enemy. It kept us indoors for weeks. And though my mother found a solution, there were other problems. Neighbors who had opened their homes to us could now keep us out. The flowers at the base of the white oak burned and prevented compulsion. And the spell decreed that the tree that gave us life could also take it away. So we burned it to the ground. But the darkest consequence was something my parents never anticipated."

"Instead of making you like Slayers, they made you like what Slayers hunted." Buffy said.

"Yes. To punish us for what we'd done."

"Nature's funny like that."

"Blood had made us reborn and it was blood that we craved above all else. We could not control it. The new predatory species was born."

Buffy stood up. "I need to check on Damon and Stefan." She set her drink down and walked out.

Damon answered on the third ring. "Hi honey."

"Please tell me you're coming home soon."

"What's wrong?"

"Information overload. I'm getting a headache."

"Have you learned anything?"

"Yes. And no. I do know that you're based on me."

"You stopped making sense."

"I'll tell you when you get home."

"I'll wrap this up soon."

"Thank you."

"Hey."

"Yeah?"

"I love you."

Buffy smiled. "I love you too." She hung up and walked back into the library. "So why did Mikael start hunting Klaus?"

"When Nic made his first human kill, it triggered his werewolf gene. With that, he became my father's greatest shame."

"Yeah. Elijah told me this part of the story." Elena said. "Your mother had had an affair with one of the werewolf villagers. Klaus wasn't his son."

"She tried to make it right. She put the hybrid curse on Nic to suppress his werewolf side and then she turned her back on him. But Mikael's greatest weakness as a human was his pride. As a vampire, that was magnified. He went on a rampage and killed half the village. Then he came home and killed her."

"Mikael killed your mother?"

"He said she broke his heart, so he would break hers. He tore it from her chest as Nic watched. Afterwards, my father took off in a rage and the rest of my family scattered. Nic stayed so he could help me bury her. He knew I had to say goodbye to my mother. Elijah came back and we made a pact. We would stick together…. Always and forever."

Buffy snorted. "Always and forever. So what happened to that when he locked you in a coffin for 90 years?"

"We're vampires. Our emotions are heightened. I'm stubborn. Elijah moral. And Nic…. Nic has no tolerance for those who disappoint him. Over a thousand years as a family, we've all made that mistake at least once. I've made it several times."

"But you still love him?" Elena asked.

"He's my brother. And I'm immortal. Should I spend an eternity alone instead?" Rebekah seemed to panic a little bit. "The story's over. I think it's time for you to leave."

"Uh, my house." Buffy said, standing up.

"I don't know what you're up to, but I am no longer playing along."

"I'm just looking for one good reason for why we shouldn't wake Mikael."

"And I've given you a thousand! But you will anyway. I know you want him to help you kill my brother. I'm not stupid."

"It's no secret that I want Klaus dead. Elena and I both do. He killed my Watcher. He has a hold over Stefan's life. And over Elena's. And over mine."

"Do what you need. Wake Mikael at your own peril. But make no mistake, if you come after my brother I will tear you apart. And I get my temper from my father."

Buffy rolled her eyes. "Is that how you speak to all your friends?" She looked at Elena. "Come on. Let's get you home."

* * *

><p>Buffy walked into the cave and found Alaric, Angel, and Bonnie there. She'd dropped Elena off at home and called Alaric to see where he was at on the cave drawings. Angel heard her and turned around. "Hey."<p>

"Hey. What's everybody doing down here?" Buffy asked, walking up to him at the entrance to the cave.

"Labeling everything and making sure nothing was missed. How'd it go with Rebekah?"

"She told us everything. Mikael is her father. And, oh yeah, her type of vampire is based on Slayers."

"What?"

"Yeah. Her mother is the Original Witch and she'd heard stories about Slayers. She turned her family into vampires on accident. It was Nature's way of punishing her for the spell."

"Wow."

"Hey, Buffy!" Alaric called.

"Hey, Rick. Bonnie." Buffy stepped past Angel and into the cave. "How's it going down here?"

"We, uh…. We filled in what we could. We got vampire, werewolf, slaughter, mayhem, etcetera, etcetera…."

Buffy walked over to a wall and touched a drawing of a tree. "That's the white oak tree used in the spell to create the vampires. Which means," She moved to a drawing of a tree and fire below it. "That was when they burned down the tree and destroying the only way that they could be killed."

"Ok, so tree equals weapon. Sort of…. But we already knew that." Alaric shined his flashlight beam on a drawing of a woman holding the symbol on Elena's necklace over her head and a heart drawn on her chest. Next to it were the symbols for vampire and werewolf combined together and an upside down person next to that. "What we're not sure about is this. We've got the witch symbol and what looks like a bleeding heart. Upside down figures usually signify death of some kind."

"Mikael killed the witch by ripping out her heart. But why is that one connected to the witch's death?"

"I don't know." Bonnie said. "We haven't gotten that far."

"Figures."

"Hey!"

"Not you. Sorry. No…. I just realized something."

"What?" Alaric asked.

"Rebekah doesn't know the real story."

"What are you talking about?"

"That's the symbol for hybrid. Mikael didn't kill the Original Witch. Klaus did. Klaus killed their mother." She looked at Alaric and took some of the pictures of the figures off the table. "I think I can get an Original on our side."

"By telling her?" Angel asked. "She'll probably just kill you for even suggesting it."

Buffy shook her head. "No. I think she'll believe it. She said it herself that Klaus doesn't tolerate those who disappoint him. Their mother cursed him and turned her back on him. That's got to be disappointing as hell." She headed for the cave entrance.

"I'm coming with you." Angel said.

"I'll be fine."

"I'd feel better if you had backup."

Buffy sighed. "Fine."

* * *

><p>Buffy and Angel walked in the door and found Rebekah pouring herself a glass. "Back so soon?" She asked. "And with your pet vampire. Won't Damon be jealous?"<p>

"How do you know that Mikael killed you mother?" Buffy asked, ignoring the comment.

"Nic was there. He told me."

"Do you always believe what your brother tells you?"

"What are you talking about?"

"The cave where you carved your family's names is covered in symbols." Rebekah noticed the photographs Buffy was holding. Buffy started to lay the pictures down. "The story of your family…. How your parents arrived…. How they made peace…. The spell that turned them into vampires…. And this." Buffy laid down the picture of the werewolf and vampire symbols intertwined. "This is the symbol for hybrid. It's a combination of the werewolf and the vampire symbol. And this is the one for your mother." She laid down the circle symbol.

"Her necklace…."

Buffy glanced at Angel as she laid the last photograph down. "And this is the story of her death. The hybrid killed the Original Witch. Not Mikael. Klaus."

"No." Rebekah shook her head angrily. "No he wouldn't."

"She put the curse on him so that he would be the only one of his kind and then she rejected him. With the werewolf gene comes aggression and violence. When he turned, all of that was heightened. He killed her. He killed your mother. And then made up this lie about your father so that he wouldn't lose you."

Rebekah exploded. "These mean nothing! They're just stupid drawings!" She picked up the photographs and threw them into the fire in the fireplace. "They're done by stupid people who had no idea who my family was!"

Buffy crossed her arms. "Then why are you so upset?"

"Why are you doing this to me? I've done nothing to you! I've called you a friend!"

"And friends always tell the truth. Klaus killed your mother. He has a hold on you. On me…. On Elena….. On everyone! He has for a thousand years. We have to make it stop."

Rebekah clapped her hands to her ears and her face changed. "Shut up! Shut up! Shut up! Don't talk anymore!" She started to attack, but Buffy held her back. Angel moved to step in, but Buffy shook her head at him. "I'm sorry, Rebekah. I know what it's like to lose your mother so suddenly to something so senseless." Rebekah's anger started to crack. She closed her eyes and a sob escaped from her mouth as tears started to fall. Buffy hesitated a moment before wrapping her arms around Rebekah. The vampire started to sob into Buffy's shoulder as she hugged her back. "I'm sorry."

* * *

><p>Later that night, Buffy slipped into Damon's bed and laid her head on his pillow. She was exhausted from all the emotional drama of Rebekah's story. After crying for what seemed like hours, Rebekah had retreated up to her room, thanking Buffy for her kindness towards her. Angel had gone back to check on Alaric and Buffy had decided to go to bed.<p>

The bed shifted and a cool arm wrapped around her waist. "Hi, sweetheart." Damon whispered in her ear.

Buffy smiled. "Hi."

"We got Mikael."

"What? How?"

"No idea. I guess Katherine came through. The plan's in motion."

"Wow." Buffy turned around in his grasp and ran her hand up his chest and neck to tangle in his hair. "What about Stefan?" She started kissing his chest and neck where she could reach.

"I know you're probably pissed at me for breaking him out of jail, and Elena is probably seething, but you know what? It backfired. He's an even bigger dick than ever. It's just that he's a dick that's on our side."

"Did Mikael mention anything about a weapon?"

"I think it's a stake."

Buffy nipped at his ear before saying, "It was probably carved from the white oak tree before they burned it down."

Damon made an almost purring sound in his chest. "I was right, then. After all that, the wall led us to Mikael."

"It led us to more than just that." Buffy smiled as he rolled on top of her. "I think I got Rebekah on our side, too."

"Really?" He pulled back from her neck to look at her. "How?"

"She's just a girl who lost her mom too young. I can relate." Buffy ran her hand down Damon's cheek. "And she loves blindly and recklessly, even if it consumes her."

"Can you relate?"

"Yes." She gently wrapped her arms around his neck. "You know, when all is said and done, there's nothing more important than the bond of family."

Damon smiled. "You should tell that to my brother."

Buffy's face turned serious. "I think you'll be the one to save him from himself."

"Why do you think that?"

"Because he loves you more than anything." Buffy rolled them over so she was on top. "I'll tell you the rest tomorrow."

"I missed you today." Damon said, playing with her hair.

"I missed you, too."

He pulled her down to him as she pulled the covers over their heads.


	48. Chapter 48

_**A/N We're catching up to the show now, so it's about to be only one update a week after the next chapter. This chapter is kind of explosive (just like the show was). I hope you all enjoy it. :)**_

Chapter 48

Buffy, Elena, Angel, and Damon followed Stefan into the library. They'd come up with a plan to kill Klaus. "So, we'll say that Mikael followed Elena in here," Stefan said. "And he tried to grab her so he could use her as bait."

"And you what?" Elena asked. "Vervained him?"

"No." Damon said. "We vervained him."

"Try again, boys." Buffy said. "_I _vervained him. After all, the guy's an Original. Let's try to make this a little more realistic."

"Fine." Stefan said. "Buffy vervained him and in the process, she discovered that he had a dagger."

"Which he planned to use on Rebekah, but instead…." Elena said.

"You drove it through his heart." Buffy finished for her.

"What?"

"No supernatural being can use the dagger."

"I'm supernatural."

"You're still human. I'm not."

"What happens when Klaus asks to see Mikael's body?" Angel asked.

"Good point." Damon conceded. "You, my brother, have been compelled to do what Klaus says. So, the idea is to lure him back here and kill him. Last thing we need is you getting tripped up and tongue tied."

"Well, don't look at me." Stefan said. "I'm just in charge of getting him back here."

"Klaus is smart." Angel said. "If you tell him that Mikael's dead…. He'll want proof."

"Then I shall be dead." Mikael said, walking in carrying a cloth containing a vile of ash and dagger.

"What if he wants to see you in person?" Elena asked, walking over to Mikael with Stefan and Angel. Buffy and Damon stayed on the landing by the door.

"Then that means our plan is working. Klaus will absolutely want to see my body. You lure him here and I will kill him."

"With what?" Buffy asked. "Those daggers won't work on him."

"Oh, I'm in possession of a stake fashioned from the wood of the ancient white oak tree. The one that left these ashes when it burned." Mikael held up the vial of ashes.

"Where is it?" Damon asked.

"Not here. You see, knowing its location is my insurance policy." Mikael dipped the dagger tip in the ashes.

"Against what?" Stefan asked.

"You leaving this in my heart. You see, a vampire…. or Slayer…. can't dagger an Original without dying. So, Buffy's right." Mikael held the dagger out to Elena. "It falls to you."

"You want me to actually dagger you?" Elena asked, obviously stunned.

"Klaus will leave nothing to chance. Especially when it comes to trust."

Elena looked at Buffy as Stefan moved away to sit down. Angel moved back, but stayed close to Elena. Buffy shrugged at Elena. "Ok." Elena said. "Are you sure I'm not going to die too?"

"Buffy was right. You're human. She's not."

"Right. Here goes…." Elena shoved the dagger into Mikael's heart. He started to wither and decay as he fell to the ground. Within seconds, he was dead.

Rebekah walked into the room just then. "How did…."

"It's all part of the plan." Buffy said. The blonde vampire had been almost attached to Buffy's hip. She wasn't happy with what was going on, but her anger at Klaus was overpowering. "Stefan, it's your turn."

Stefan sighed and pulled out his cell phone. Klaus answered on the second ring. "Portland is fantastic. Once you get over all the whiny music and healthy looking people, it's virtually a breeding ground for werewolves."

"You're father's dead." Stefan said.

"What did you say to me?"

"Well, my mistake. Not your actual father. And not dead. Mikael. Daggered. What do you want me to do with the body?"

"Well first, I want you to explain to me exactly what happened."

Stefan sighed. "He came here looking for Elena. Apparently he wanted to use her as bait to lure you back. Buffy came to the rescue and vervained the hell out of him."

"Buffy?"

"Yes. She really didn't like him."

"I knew I liked her for a reason. Daddy issues and all…."

"He had a dagger and some of the white oak ash on him. Buffy figured that he was going to use it on Rebekah, but we turned the tables."

"Really?" Klaus sounded shocked and saddened. "Why would she sacrifice herself like that?"

"She didn't."

"She can't use the dagger, Stefan. Not without dying herself."

"While he was down, Elena daggered him."  
>There was a long pause before Klaus said, "I want to see him. I want to see his rotting body for myself."<p>

"Well he's here." Stefan said, standing up. "Come by whenever."

"If you're lying to me, Stefan, your compulsion will expose you. So answer with your life…. Is what you're saying the truth?"

"It's true. I saw it with my own eyes."

"I want to talk to Rebekah."

"Well, that's not a problem. She's right here." Stefan walked over and handed Rebekah the phone.

She stared at it for a moment before putting it to her ear. "Hello, Nic."

"Rebekah, love. What's this I hear about Mikael's tragic run in with a dagger?"  
>"It's true. He's finally out of our lives for good. I miss you. I'm miserable here."<p>

"I'll be home soon."

"Good. I'll see you then, brother." Rebekah sighed and hung up, handing the phone back to Stefan. "He bought it. He's coming home."

"Now, was that easy or what?" Damon asked.

"Let's just get this over with." Elena said. They all nodded and she knelt down to pull the dagger out of Mikael.

* * *

><p>Buffy opened Damon's bedroom door and let Elena in. Mikael had woken up and Rebekah had been there waiting. After she'd given him a piece of her mind, she'd alerted Buffy before going up to her room to start preparing for the homecoming dance.<p>

"You called?" Elena asked. "Whoa." She eyed the array of weapons on Damon's bed. Damon was in the bathroom mixing wolfsbane water in the sink for the grenades.

"Yeah. I have something for you." Buffy went over to Damon's closet.

"What is it?"

"I'm pretty sure this will fit you. You're about the same size I was back then." Buffy came out with her white dress from her sophomore year of high school. "My mom got this for me for the spring dance as a surprise. She didn't know I was a Slayer back then, and she didn't know that I had just found out about a prophecy saying that I was going to die. She just knew that I was feeling kind of depressed."

"It's beautiful."

"This dress…. It means a lot to me. I managed to save it before Sunnydale went to hell. This dress represents a horrible time in my life that I overcame. Just like you are now."

"Buffy, I can't take this…. It's yours."

"It's a loaner." Buffy held the dress up to Elena so she could look at it in the mirror and Elena started to play with the fabric. "And the cleaning bill was outrageous."

"Are you sure?"

"I'm sure that you're going to look beautiful in it. The only thing is…."

"What?"

"Well, I died in this dress. Drowned."

Elena pulled her hand back slightly. "What?"

"I know that's weird, but…. It's pretty."

Elena looked back at her reflection, still admiring the dress. "You died and came back."

"White's really fitting for that sort of thing." Damon said from the bathroom.

Buffy and Elena rolled their eyes. Elena turned to Buffy. "It _is_ kind of weird that you died in this dress, but…. You came back better than ever and you defeated the Master. Maybe it's good luck." She hugged Buffy tightly. "Thank you."

"If you're really lucky, then maybe I'll loan you my purple prom dress from _my_ Senior year."

"Did you die in it?"

Buffy laughed. "No, but I won the Class Protector award in it. So it's still pretty special."

Elena smiled. "So, what are you guys doing?"

"Oh, just…. Sorting through my weapons and getting things ready for Klaus's arrival." Buffy held up a grenade. "I've gotta fill these up with wolfsbane."

"Need some help?"

"Sure. Why not?"

Elena picked up a grenade and started cleaning it. "You know…. We can't trust Rebekah not to turn on us."

"Oh really?" Damon said sarcastically. "Cause Original vampires are usually so reliable."

"Bonnie was right."

"What do you mean?" Buffy asked.

"Rebekah may be mad at Klaus now, but he is her brother."

"Her lying, killing, dagger happy brother." Damon said. "Wolfsbane's ready."

"There are too many things that can go wrong with this plan. Too many people that can make it go wrong."

"That's why Buffy and I are forming a secret contingency plan."

"Really? What is it?"

"Well if we told you, it wouldn't be a secret." Buffy said, motioning with her head to the world outside the bathroom.

Just then, Stefan walked in. "I need to borrow a tie."

"You have your own ties." Damon said.

"I'm 162 years old and I'm going to a homecoming dance. I need better ties."

"You could not go." Elena suggested.

"I'm compelled to protect you. And if I look at your track record at high school dances, it's pretty tragic. It'd be my luck, you'd go and get yourself murdered by the homecoming queen." Stefan wandered over to check out Damon's closet. "Nice dress." He called over his shoulder.

"Ah!" Damon looked over and smacked Elena's hand. She was trying to load a grenade. "No."

"I know how to do it. Alaric taught me." Elena said.

"Elena. If this thing blows up in our faces, just remember: Only two of us heal quickly."

Buffy smiled slightly as Damon took the grenade from Elena. He made a face at her, but Stefan walked back in. "Oh, please tell me that you have a better plan than wolfsbane grenades."

"Never you mind, brother. The less you know, the better." Damon shot back.

"My freedom from Klaus rests entirely upon you three executing your plan perfectly. So, excuse me if I'm a bit cynical."

"Honestly Stefan, you're the one we should be worried about." Buffy said, crossing her arms and following him into the bedroom. "If Klaus asks you one wrong question…. Just one…. The whole thing falls apart."

"You do have reason to worry, but if I look back at our history of epic plan failures…. It's usually because one of us let our humanity get in our way. So if I'm taking odds on how this thing goes down? It's certainly not going to be me who screws it up." Stefan looked at Elena. "I'll see you at homecoming. I can't wait."

Angel walked in with a knock on the door a few seconds later. "Hey, did I hear something about a homecoming queen murdering someone a minute ago?"

"Just Stefan being funny." Buffy said.

"Good. I thought maybe you were going to run again."

"Aren't you a riot?" Buffy said sarcastically.

Elena smiled and looked at Buffy as she put together another grenade. "Whoa, whoa, whoa…. You ran for homecoming queen? And someone please tell me why you would murder someone for it."

"There was no murder." Buffy said. "Angel's just being overdramatic. As usual."

"You were seconds away from killing Cordelia for that crown."

"Oh, what do you remember? You were still recovering from your 100 year stint in hell."

"Someone please tell me what happened." Elena said. "I love dirt on Buffy."

"She didn't kill Cordelia, but there was killing though." Angel said.

"They were assassins hired by the Mayor's freaky vampire sidekick for some stupid game." Buffy said.

"Assassins? Seriously?" Elena asked.

"They had this game called Slayer Fest where they hired some of the best supernatural assassins to take out Buffy and Faith. They mistook Cordelia for Faith, though."

"And what about the homecoming queen thing? You ran for homecoming queen?"

"I'm not proud of it." Buffy said defensively. "I just wanted a nice, normal-ish Senior year. But everything kind of crapped out on me. My boyfriend dumped me…. Then spread rumors that I was gay and that's why _I'd_ broken up with _him_. Turns out, though, that he was gay." Damon laughed and Buffy elbowed him in the ribs. "Then Cordelia didn't tell me about Senior picture day, so I didn't even get a picture in my Senior yearbook…."

"Not that that mattered." Damon said. "You blew the school up and then blew up the town."

"Every girl wants a picture in her Senior yearbook." Elena said. "So…. Why'd you run for homecoming queen? That doesn't seem like you at all."

"I got pissed at Cordelia and wanted to reclaim a little bit of my old life back in LA." Buffy said with a shrug. Elena looked confused.

"She used to be the Cordelia of her old high school. Or the Caroline of yours." Angel explained. "The most popular girl. A star cheerleader. Took every crown there was to have…."

"So, I ran against Cordy." Buffy said.

Angel leaned in to Elena and whispered loudly. "She resorted to bribing the student body."

"My girl!" Damon said proudly, nudging her with his shoulder.

Buffy rolled her eyes. "It didn't help. There was a tie, but it was the other two girls running that won." She glanced towards the door. "Speaking of homecoming queens, where's Rebekah? I haven't heard from her since Mikael woke up."

"I'll go find her." Elena said. "Since I'm no use here." She smiled playfully and walked out.

"She's a good kid." Angel said.

"I like to think so." Buffy said.

"You're doing good with her." Buffy smiled at him, but continued working on her grenade. "So, I wanted to talk to you about something. You got a minute?"

"Now?" Damon asked. "We're in the middle of something."

"It's fine. We're as alone as we're ever going to be." Buffy said.

"I was hoping to speak with you privately." Angel said, looking at Buffy and ignoring Damon.

Buffy sighed. "Fine." She handed the grenade to Damon. Angel led her out to the gardens. "What's up?"

"I, uh…." Angel stopped walking and turned to her. "I'm going to leave."

"What?"

"I've got a flight out of Richmond tomorrow to head back to LA."

"Why? I thought you liked Mystic Falls."

"I do. But I don't like Damon. And since he obviously comes with the Mystic Falls package…."

"That's a little unfair of you. You don't even know him."

"I don't need to. I just know what I see."

Buffy crossed her arms. "Think what you like, but just because you don't like him and you're leaving Mystic Falls to prove a point or whatever this is for…. I love Damon. He's a good man. And I'm not going to just dump him because you're jealous."

"Come with me."

"What?"

"Come with me, Buffy. Get out of this place."

"Angel…."

"You once told me that it would be me."

"I told you that I sometimes thought about the future. I remember that conversation very well. But the future is funny because it changes in the blink of an eye. Things happen that we can't predict and Damon…. I would never have predicted him."

"Buffy, my soul's permanent. It's what we've always wanted. We can be together now."

"I'm sorry, Angel, but it doesn't matter."

"It does to me. I'm the right choice here, Buffy."

Buffy shook her head. "Do you hear yourself right now? Seriously?"

"Tell me you don't love me." Buffy was silent. "Then what's the problem here?"

"There's no problem."

"Obviously there is."

"There's no problem _for me_." Buffy placed a hand on his cheek. "I do love you, Angel. I always will. That will never change." She dropped her hand and took a step back. "But, I love Damon. I'm choosing Damon. And I'm sorry if that pisses you off, but right now…. He's all I want. He makes me happy. Happier than I've been in a long time. You once said that's all you wanted for me."

"I never meant with a vampire like _him_."

"I know you hate this. I do. And I almost wish that things were different for us, but I'm sorry. I'm choosing Damon." She started to walk away. "Have a nice flight back to LA."

"Buffy…. Come on! Buffy!"

Buffy ignored him and kept walking. When she made it back to the house and shut the door behind her, Elena called her name from upstairs. Her tone sounded urgent and scared. Buffy ran up the stairs and found Elena standing over a daggered Rebekah. "Oh! Wow…."

"I'm sorry. I couldn't leave anything to chance." Elena said. "Tonight can't go wrong."

"What's going…. Wow." Damon said, walking up behind Buffy. "In the back? Harsh."

Buffy threw a sheet from the bed over Rebekah's body.

"It had to be done." Elena explained. "Rebekah was never going to be completely on our side."

"Hey, I'm not judging you. It's very…. Katherine of you."

"Not the way to make me feel better about myself, Damon."

"It was a compliment." Buffy arched an eyebrow at her boyfriend. "Sort of." He amended.

"Stefan's right. Someone's going to let their humanity get in the way and screw this whole thing up. It's probably going to be me."

Buffy smiled slightly and sat down next to Elena. "You just daggered somebody. In the back. You're going to be fine."

"Yeah, but I feel bad about it. I care too much. That's the problem! I'm the weak link."

"If it makes you feel any better, she's not really dead." Damon offered.

Elena looked at Rebekah's body for a long moment before looking back at Damon and Buffy standing in front of her. "Do you guys trust him? Mikael?"

"Nope." Damon answered while Buffy shook her head.

"What about Stefan?"

"Nope."

"Not as long as he's under Klaus's control." Buffy added.  
>"Then we need a better plan." Elena said emphatically.<p>

"Oh, we know what to do." Damon said.

"You're just not going to like it." Buffy said.

"Why not?" Elena asked.

"Because when this all goes down, we don't want you having any part of it."

"What does that mean?"

"Do you trust us?"

"Yes."

"Then you have nothing to worry about." Damon said.

"Can you at least tell me the plan?"

Buffy looked at Damon and he shrugged. She nodded and said to Elena, "I'll tell you your part of it."

"Ok."

"Katherine."

Elena's forehead creased. "What?"

"She's going to go to the homecoming dance." Buffy glanced at Rebekah's sheet covered body. "And since Matt's date is now…. Not available…. She's going to go with Matt. As you."

"Are you kidding me?"

"Not at all. You're going to go home where Bonnie has put up wards to keep everyone but you, Alaric, Jeremy, myself, and Damon out."

"What about your dress?"

"Katherine's not wearing it." Buffy shook her head. "There's going to be plenty of occasions for you to wear it. I just wanted to make sure you had it. It was important to me."

"Do you guys think something could go wrong tonight? Is that what the dress was for?"

"Elena…."

"Buffy, don't do anything crazy…."

"She's not." Damon said. "You know I wouldn't let her."

"It's a just in case kind of thing, Elena." Buffy said, sitting down next to the teen. "Going up against Klaus like this is dangerous. That's why I want you as far away as possible."

Elena's phone started ringing. She thought about not answering it. "It's Caroline."

Buffy smiled encouragingly. "Answer it and make sure she knows you're going to the dance."

"Ok." Elena got up and walked out of the room.

Damon looked down at Buffy. "Everything ok?" Buffy sighed and looked up at him. After a second, she groaned and laid her head against his stomach. Damon played with her hair, stroking it slightly. "Hey, what's wrong?"

"Angel's leaving." Buffy said.

Damon sat down next to her. "He's moving out?"

"He's leaving town."

"Why?"

"Because he hates you. And he hates me being with you."

"Well that's a given."

"He asked me to leave with him." Damon didn't look too shocked. He'd noticed the looks Angel had been giving Buffy lately. And he knew the other vampire's feelings about his and Buffy's relationship. Buffy sighed, "He said that he's the better choice now that his soul is permanent."

Damon snorted. "He probably is the better choice." Buffy started to protest, but Damon silenced her with a kiss. "But I couldn't bear to let you go."

"I'm not going anywhere." Buffy took his hand. "I love you."

"I love you more."

She kissed him gently, knowing in her heart he was what she wanted. "So…. Our plan hinges on Katherine. Where is she?"

"She's in your room getting ready."

"Good." Buffy looked out the door into the hallway. She could hear Elena answering the front door. "Cause Matt's here."

* * *

><p>Later that night, Damon was pouring himself a glass of blood from a blood bag. Buffy sat on the couch and stared into the fire. Elena was safely tucked away at her house and Katherine had accompanied Matt to the dance. Angel was upstairs packing his belongings.<p>

Mikael walked into the library. "Did my daughter go to the dance?"

"Yup." Damon said. "You missed the photo op."

"Did you get the stake?" Buffy asked.

"I did." Mikael said. He made no move to show them.

"We're not going to take your word for it." Damon said. "No offence to your honor and all."

"None taken." Mikael opened his coat and pulled out an intricately carved stake.

"Fancy."

Buffy walked over and held out her hand. "May I?"

"It's the only weapon on this earth that can kill an Original, so I think I'll hold on to it. No offence."

Buffy shrugged. "I'm _only_ the Slayer. I would have _no_ idea how to use it." Mikael sighed at her sarcasm and handed it to her to inspect.

"So I'd offer you a drink, but Katherine says that you're a vampire on the rocks kind of guy." Damon said.

"Well, technically you could still offer." Buffy cleared her throat and Mikael glanced over at her. Considering she held the weapon that could kill him, he didn't press the threat on Damon.

"Why feed on vampires?" Damon asked. "Don't tell me it's for the smooth aftertaste."

"I had a hand in creating vampires, but bloodlust was never my intention. Over the centuries, I learned to feed from the predator. Not the innocent."

Stefan walked in suddenly. "Change of plans. Klaus is back, he's at the Lockwoods…. And he wants your body delivered to his doorstep."

"I'm afraid he's in for a colossal disappointment." Mikael said.

"Well, he's certainly not going to come here. Hope your plan didn't depend on that."

"It didn't depend on that." Damon said.  
>"But you do have a plan, right?"<p>

"Oh yeah. We got a plan. Right, honey?"

"Yup." Buffy said, keeping the stake behind her back. "It just doesn't involve you."

Mikael attacked Stefan and sunk his teeth into Stefan's neck. After a long moment, Mikael dropped Stefan to the ground, drained and unconscious. "You couldn't just break his neck?" Damon asked.

"Well, it certainly occurred to me." Mikael wiped his mouth and walked out.

Buffy sighed and checked on Stefan. "You ready to do this?" Damon asked her.

"As I'll ever be." Buffy took her coat from Damon and slipped it on. She slid the stake into a hidden pocket on the inside. Damon grabbed his coat and a bag of weapons and they headed out.

* * *

><p>Buffy and Damon strode across the Lockwood's front lawn and headed for the front door. There were people milling about, but Buffy could smell that they were hybrids. She leaned close to Damon and whispered it in his ear. He nodded as they kept moving. One of the hybrids stopped them.<p>

"Invite only vampire." The hybrid said to Damon. He looked at Buffy. "Slayer."

Buffy rolled her eyes as Damon said, "Here's our RSVP." The hybrid gasped as Damon tore through his chest and pulled out the thing's heart. "Hybrid."

Buffy handed Damon a towel from the bag. "Ew." He smirked as he started cleaning his hand.

They made it inside the house and ran into Tyler. Damon grabbed him and hauled him into the Mayor's office. Tyler stumbled as Damon tossed him aside. Buffy shut the doors. "As the host, you should know these hybrids don't make the first impression."

Tyler backed away from Damon. "Whatever move you're making, Klaus is going to be ready for you. He'll kill anyone at this party if he has to."

"Tell someone who cares." Damon attacked and Tyler's eyes turned yellow and his fangs dropped. He tried to bite Damon, but Buffy was suddenly there grabbing his head. She threw him back against the wall. Tyler came at her, but she kicked him in the head, knocking him down again. Before he could attack again, Buffy kicked him across the room and he slammed against the wall. Damon took the stake out of Buffy's pocket and was about to shove it in Tyler's heart.

"Damon no!" Buffy yelled. Bonnie showed up behind them and Damon and Tyler both grabbed their heads in pain. Tyler passed out as Bonnie let go of Damon and focused on him. "Hey! You're not supposed to witchy migraine Damon!"

"He wasn't supposed to kill Tyler." Bonnie said.

"Ok, I'll give you that."

"He tried to bite me!" Damon protested. He reached down and picked up the white oak stake.

"What is that?" Bonnie asked.

"Nothing." Buffy said.

"Oh my god, is that the…."

"Shh!" Buffy waved her hands to silence Bonnie. "They're everywhere." She mouthed.

"Why do you guys have it?" Bonnie whispered.

"I'm the Slayer. Who else would have it?" Buffy shrugged and walked out. Damon glanced at Tyler and went to follow Buffy, but his girlfriend had disappeared.

Buffy stared down at Damon from the top of the stairs as he walked by. She didn't call out to him because Klaus was standing behind her, his hands on her waist. He'd nabbed her and taken her upstairs just a split second after she'd walked out of the office.

Klaus yanked her into a bedroom. "Hello, Buffy!" He closed the door behind them.

"Welcome back." Buffy said, crossing her arms.

"I'm glad to see you're still alive. Where's Mikael?"

"He's supposed to be rotting down in the basement of my house." She lied.

"So I'm told. I'm very skeptical on that." Klaus moved towards her, but she stood her ground. That made him smile. "You're not dressed up for homecoming."

"I heard you were here. I came to check on Elena."

"Why don't I believe that?"

"I have no idea."

Buffy suddenly found herself pinned against the bed by her neck with Klaus on top. "Don't play games with me, little girl." That pissed her off. She hadn't had Damon's blood since the day before, but she still had most of the strength. Buffy shoved him backwards and he stumbled away. She sat up and he glared at her. After a moment, he smiled. "I liked that. The feel of you beneath me…."

"What do you want, Klaus?"

"Besides you?" Her eyebrow lifted and she crossed her arms. Klaus smiled again. "Elena's fine. I just talked to her. I did, however, leave her with a warning. One you would do well to hear yourself." He strolled over to Buffy and sat down beside her, wrapping an arm around her shoulders. He leaned in close and said into her ear, "I am always one step ahead. For a thousand years, I've made sure of that. Elena swears to me that you lot aren't trying anything tonight, but _your_ presence here just proves to me that she's a liar. So here's the deal: No matter what you try, you won't succeed."

"What are you talking about?"

"You should reign in your leash on your boyfriend. Get his manners…. And yours…. In check."

"He's not on a leash."

Klaus chuckled, obviously not believing her. "Keep a close eye on him. Because if I die, I've insured that he'll die along with me." Buffy stiffened, her eyes growing wide, for a split second. The thought of losing Damon was too much. Klaus smiled. "Like I told Elena: even in death, my hybrids have their orders. You kill me, you're killing him too. And as good as you are, pet, you're not that good. This place is crawling with my hybrids. They'll rip you to shreds." He nuzzled her neck, enjoying her scent. "Which would be a real pity." Standing up, Klaus stared into her cold, angered eyes for a long moment. With another smile, he kissed her, hard on the mouth. His hand held her head to his, forcing her to go along with the kiss for longer than she was comfortable with. And then he was gone.

Buffy shook her head, wiping fiercely at her mouth. Her mind swirled with what Klaus had said and with ideas on _any_ way around it. _Any _way to keep Damon alive and kill Klaus. But it was hopeless. Without her army of Slayers or even just Faith's help, there was no way that she could take on the band of hybrids out there alone. Bonnie's powers were severely diminished now that she'd lost contact with the witches, so she wouldn't be of any use against them. Willow wasn't here. Angel was gone. The only option to keep Damon alive…. was keeping Klaus alive.

Buffy growled and threw a vase against a wall, smashing it and just barely missing Stefan as he walked into the room. "Katherine must have told you."

"What?" Buffy asked.

"About what Klaus has done to ensure his survival."

"Klaus told me himself." Buffy eyed Stefan warily. "Why do you care?"

Stefan sighed. "Because that's my brother down there."

"Careful, Stefan. Your humanity's showing."

"Even when I've turned it off, even when I've been compelled to turn it off…. I still care about my brother. It's the bond of family. Even Klaus can't break that."

"So you're here to save Damon?"

"Yes."

Buffy was silent for a minute, thinking again. "What about Klaus? You want your freedom from him."

"I made him a deal."

Buffy crossed her arms. "What deal?"

"If I help save him, then he'll release me."

"Win, win situation for you, but what about us? Klaus still needs to be dealt with."

"Then deal with him." Buffy's eyebrows shot up incredulously. Stefan rolled his eyes at her. He gripped her shoulders, just like the old Stefan would have. "You're powerful, Buffy. And you're smart." He dropped his hands to his sides. "You can handle it."

"Why did you come to me?"

"Because I had to let you know. You would've stopped me from stopping Damon. Honestly…. You're the best. I can't really take on the best and win, now could I?"

"I guess not."

Buffy's and Stefan's heads whipped around to the entrance. They could hear Klaus fighting with Mikael at the Lockwood's front door. They heard Katherine's voice and Mikael laughing. And then Klaus screamed.

"Damon!" Buffy and Stefan said. They ran out of the room and down the stairs. Damon held the white oak stake over Klaus's heart, ready to strike.

Buffy found herself frozen to the spot, Klaus's words echoing in her mind. Stefan was suddenly down the stairs and tackling Damon away. Damon dropped the stake and it rolled away.

"What are you doing!" Damon demanded.

Buffy finally moved and rushed down the stairs. She was afraid of Klaus stopping her, but she didn't need to worry. Klaus had picked up the white oak stake and rushed Mikael, stabbing it through his heart. Mikael screamed and began to burn. Buffy watched in dismay as the stake burned with him. Suddenly, Stefan knocked Buffy's legs out from under her and she hit the marble floor just as Klaus walked back into the house.

"What the hell did you just do?" Damon demanded of his brother.

"He's earned his freedom." Klaus said. Stefan locked eyes with Buffy for a split second and she gave a subtle nod. Damon didn't miss the exchange as she pulled him to her and away from Klaus. Stefan stood up and walked over to Klaus. "Thank you, my friend. You no longer have to do as I say. You're free."

Stefan gasped and turned to look at Buffy and Damon, but they were gone. Buffy had gotten herself and Damon the hell out of the house and as far away as possible. Klaus would retaliate and she wasn't prepared for it. Not yet.

"What happened?" Damon demanded when they walked through the door of their house. "I don't understand! What happened!" He poured himself a drink as he yelled, "We thought of everything! Klaus having hybrids, Mikael turning on us, we brought in Katherine so Elena wasn't in danger! Anything that could've gone wrong, we were prepared. But Stefan! He wanted Klaus dead more than anything. I had him, Buffy! I had Klaus! This could've all been over!" He threw his glass into the fire and it flared up. "And where the hell were you?"

"Damon!" Buffy touched his shoulder, but he shrugged her off. "Hey! Damon, listen to me. Damon!" He stopped and looked at her. "You would've died."

"What?"

"Klaus…. He told his hybrids that if he died, you were to be killed too."

"You would've stopped them."

"I'm happy that you have that much faith in me, but…. I couldn't have stopped that many by myself. Klaus was right…. I may be good, but I'm not that good. There were too many of them. Even for the both of us."

"How do you know this?"

"Klaus grabbed me when I walked out of the office. He told me about what he had done to make sure he survived. Katherine told Stefan since Klaus told her too…. Thinking she was Elena."

"Stefan saved me."

"Yes. Stefan came to me with his plan. He knew I would've stopped him."

"Klaus is going to come after us. He's going to retaliate for this."

"I know."

Damon shook his head, despair in his eyes. "We can't take him on. He can't die. He'll just keep coming."

"We'll survive." Buffy took his face between her hands. "We'll survive this." Her phone started ringing and she grabbed it. "What?"

"I'm just calling to say goodbye." Katherine said on the other line.

"Are you going back into hiding?"

"At least my life's not boring. Bye, Buffy."

"Take care of yourself, Katherine." Buffy hung up and looked back at Damon. "I'm sorry."

"It's not your fault." Buffy hugged him tightly. Damon sighed against her hair. "What are we going to do now?"

"I think it's time to bring out my plan B."

"Plan B?"

"Remember what we said just before you gave Elena your blood to save her from the sacrifice?"

Damon looked down at her. He didn't have to think very hard to remember that particular conversation. "Are you serious?"

"'Making a Slayer would be like making an Original.' We can't trust any of the other Originals. But we need someone as powerful as they are." He let go of her and walked away a few steps. "What's wrong?"

"I don't know if I can do it."

"Why?"

"This was meant as a last resort."

Buffy moved up behind him and hugged his waist, laying her head against his back. "We're at our end here, Damon." He turned in her arms and held her to him. "Klaus will come for us and we need to be ready." She pulled back to look up at him. "I have to be able to protect you and Elena and Jeremy. I can't think of any other way." Damon stared at her for a long moment. "He'll take me away from you and I don't…. I _can't_ let that happen. I have to be able to fight for you. For Elena. For everyone. This is our family and we need to protect our family."

Damon nodded slightly and sliced open his wrist on his teeth. Buffy took in a few mouthfuls, refreshing the blood that was already in her system. With the most pained look Buffy had ever seen, Damon took her head between his hands. "I'll be ok." She said with a nervous, encouraging nod.

"I love you." Damon kissed her gently before looking away and twisting. He would've thrown up if he could as her body started to crumple. He caught her in his arms and looked at her, praying this would work. He couldn't stop the tears as he took her up to their room and placed her body on their bed.


	49. Chapter 49

Chapter 49

"Oh, damn it!" Buffy cried, dropping the glass shards in her hands to the floor.

Damon came rushing in. "What's wrong?"

Buffy looked up at her boyfriend with annoyed eyes. "I broke it."

Damon looked at the glass shards on the floor from the decanter she'd just shattered with her bare hands. Her shoes and the carpet around her were wet from the liquid the decanter had once held. He smiled. "Sweetheart, it's ok."

"It's not! I can't get this down! My strength isn't what I'm used to and…."

"Calm down. Breathe." Damon placed his hands gently on her cold cheeks. "Breathe."

She sighed. "I'm sorry."

"It's ok." He kissed her lightly. "You're new at this."

Buffy walked over to the couch and sat down. "It's been a week! You'd think that I would be good at this by now."

Damon sat down beside her. "Rome wasn't built in a day." He took her hand and hoped she didn't break it again.

Buffy had woken up a couple of hours after Damon had turned her. He'd been waiting with a blood bag and when she'd taken it, it had exploded everywhere. So had the glass he'd handed her right after the bag. Once she'd managed not to break anything, including his hand when he'd grabbed hers to calm her down, she'd discovered that her strength was limitless. She was now working on learning how to be gentle with things. It frustrated her because her senses were also seemingly limitless. The things she did super-fast as a Slayer now seemed so slow to her. Damon couldn't keep up with her at all.

No one knew about her transformation yet. Buffy didn't want to tell anyone until she got her powers under control. Elena, Bonnie, Alaric, Jeremy, and Caroline had all come to check on her at some point during the week, but Buffy had pretended to be asleep when they'd come over. Willow had called, but Buffy had crushed the phone in her excitement to talk to her friend. Her new phone was supposed to arrive today. Klaus was still in town, but he wasn't coming near Buffy or Damon yet. They didn't know why. Elena hadn't seen him either.

"What if I never get these stupid powers under control? How am I going to take on Klaus then?" Buffy asked as she fretted with her fingernails.

Damon squeezed the hand he held. "You will figure this out. I promise. We'll figure it out together. And then we'll find a way to take down Klaus." Buffy sighed and then was suddenly across the room. "What…."

"Elena's pulling into the driveway."

"You've gotta tell her sometime."

"I know, but…. What if she gets mad? What if she hates me? What if I accidentally hurt her?"

Damon walked over to his girlfriend. "You won't hurt her. And she won't hate you."

"But she'll be mad."

"I don't know. You should stay and find out instead of hiding." He could tell she was debating it. "Buff, she's gotta know."

Elena knocked on the door and Buffy's eyes widened. Damon gripped her hand and pulled her towards the door. She didn't budge at first. "If I keep pulling, which I will, you're going to break my arm." Buffy looked guiltily at Damon. She'd hated that she'd hurt him, so she relented and allowed Damon to pull her to the door. Damon threw open the door, careful to keep Buffy in the shadows. "Good morning sunshine."

"Buffy!" Elena smiled and stepped across the threshold to hug her friend. Buffy didn't wrap her arms around Elena and the teen pulled back. "You're so cold! Are you feeling ok? Can Slayers get sick?" Elena looked from Buffy to Damon and back. Buffy wasn't looking at her. She had turned her face away. "Is everything ok?"

"We have something to tell you." Damon said, looking at Buffy's slightly panicked face. He knew that she'd smelled Elena's blood and it was getting to her. Her eyes had darkened and her fangs were out. "You might want to sit down for this."

"What's going on?" Elena walked into the living room and sat down, facing Damon. Buffy was standing slightly behind him, looking at his back. "Is it Klaus?"

"It has something to do with him. The night of the homecoming dance…. After everything that happened…. Buffy came up with a plan B. Well, she'd already come up with it. She just didn't want to use it until it was absolutely necessary."

"What's the plan? Will it defeat Klaus?"

"Maybe."

"So what is it?"

"Me." Buffy said.

Elena looked confused. "Buffy…. You are not going up against Klaus. He'll kill you."

"Not like this, he won't." Damon said.

"What does that mean?"

"Can you get Bonnie to make another daylight ring?" Buffy asked suddenly.

"Why?"

Damon pulled a little box out of his pocket and handed it to Elena. She opened it to see a small, antique looking diamond ring. The middle stone was square and set up higher. It was surrounded by a square of tiny diamonds and the tiny diamonds continued all the way around the band. "It's for Buffy."

"It's gorgeous! Buffy…." Elena stood up. "Are you…. Are you guys getting engaged?"

"She's a vampire, Elena! I bought her the ring so Bonnie could spell it so Buffy can walk in the sun."

Elena gasped and dropped the ring and box. It was barely out of her hand before Buffy was suddenly in front of her and catching it. Elena gasped and moved back a step, startled by Buffy's sudden appearance. "Why?"

"Why what?" Buffy asked, giving the ring box back to Damon. She didn't want to put it on yet.

"Why did you let him do this to you?"

"Because it had to happen. Do you trust any of the Originals?"

Damon took Buffy's hand to calm her down. She'd been getting angry. "Making a Slayer is like making an Original." He said. "With Buffy…. We have a shot at beating Klaus. Her powers are…. They're ridiculous. She heard you drive down the road and pull in the driveway just now. I didn't hear you until you were half way down the driveway."

"What happened here?" Elena asked, gesturing to the shattered decanter and puddle of liquor on the carpet.

"I'm still trying to figure out my strength." Buffy said sheepishly.

"I just…. Buffy…. One minute you said Damon would never taste your blood. Then you let him one day and all of a sudden…."

"It wasn't all of a sudden. I planned this, Elena. Long before Damon started drinking my blood. That day Damon tried to turn you…. That's what we were talking about when you walked in. That's where he got the idea from. I said if it was ever necessary for me…. And now it is. Klaus is coming and it's not going to be pretty. I have to be able to protect my family."

"I get that, but wasn't there any other way?"

"If there was, we couldn't see it." Damon said. "Now, we're ready for Klaus."

"Almost." Buffy said.

"Well, you need the ring."

"And I need to learn to completely control myself."

"Wait, stop!" Elena said, shaking her head. "I can't seem to process this. Why didn't you talk to me about this?"

"Why did I need to?" Buffy asked.

Elena blinked. "Because…. You're one of my best friends. You're family. This affects me too. And Jeremy."

"I'm still the same Buffy. I haven't changed."

"You're a vampire Vampire Slayer now. You've changed."

"I mean personality wise." Buffy shook her head and took a breath to calm herself. Getting annoyed at Elena wasn't going to help the situation. "Elena, I was immortal before. The only thing that's changed is my powers are way more…. Powerful."

"And your diet." Damon added.

"And my diet."

"This isn't because of Angel leaving, is it?" Elena asked.

"What does he have to do with anything?"

"You were pretty annoyed by it. Are you sure you did this to beat Klaus and not to make Angel mad?"

"That was his choice to leave. I'm not mad at him for it. Just annoyed at his reasons. But he was the farthest thing from my mind when I came up with this plan. And he wasn't even a blip on my radar when everything happened with Klaus that night."

Elena nodded. "Are you sure this is what you want?"  
>Buffy laughed. "Even if it wasn't, I can't do much about it now."<p>

"I wish you wouldn't laugh about this."

"Why? I'm still me. I still find the humor in seemingly humorless situations."

"So, can you get your witchy friend to spell this ring?" Damon asked. "It's about time my girl started wearing some jewelry that I bought her."

Elena sighed. "I'll ask her. She's going to want to know who it's for."

Damon shrugged. "Then tell her."

"Why have you been hiding for the last week?"

"Because I was scared I was going to hurt someone I cared about." Buffy said. "I had to get myself under some semblance of control. My emotions are still kind of crazy and I'm getting a little better controlling my strength, but I'm still very new at this. You're the first human I've been around and I didn't rip your throat out…."

"That's progress." Damon said with a smile. "Wanna get a drink at the Grill?"

"Damon…."

"Come on, baby. You're doing so good. Elena's still alive, my hand isn't broken and you've been holding it this whole time…."

"Maybe later? It's daylight out."

Elena pulled out her cell phone and dialed a number. "Hello?" Buffy heard on the other line. It was Bonnie. "Hey Bonnie, are you busy?"

"Well, I was actually on my way to check on Buffy and talk to her about my dreams."

"What dreams?" Buffy asked.

"Is that Buffy? Are you with her? Is she ok?"

"Well…. Uh…. She's…. She's ok. Different, but ok." Elena said, looking at Buffy like she was an alien.

"Different?"

"You'll see. How far away are you?"

"She's turning onto our street." Buffy said.

"How did you hear that?" Elena asked.

"What's going on?" Bonnie asked.

"Just…. Get here soon."

"Ok." Bonnie hung up and only a few minutes later, she was knocking on the door. Elena walked over and opened it while Buffy was suddenly sitting on the couch. "Why is it so dark in here?"

"Because there's a vampire here without a daylight ring." Damon said, handing Bonnie the ring box. "Spell this so I can give it to her."

"I'm not spelling a daylight ring for anyone."

"Not even for Buffy?"

"Why would Buffy…." Bonnie stopped and walked farther into the living room. She spotted Buffy sitting on the couch staring at the fire in the fireplace. Bonnie turned on Damon. "You turned her!"

Damon moved over and was standing behind Buffy between one heartbeat and the next and avoiding the slap headed towards his face from Bonnie's hand. "I asked him to." Buffy said. She stood up and walked towards Bonnie carefully. "Klaus is coming and I'm the only one powerful enough to take him on now."

"This is…. Why?" Bonnie demanded.

"I was going to live forever anyway, why not get some power out of it? So can you spell that ring and tell me about your dreams? I'm actually pretty good at interpreting those since I have them myself." Bonnie started to protest, but Buffy held up her hand. "Bonnie, if you don't spell it, then I can't take on Klaus. He can walk in the day. I can't."

Bonnie sighed. "Fine. I'll need my grimoire. It's in the car."

* * *

><p>Damon led Buffy, Elena, and Bonnie into the Grill. Buffy looked nervously at the people around her. The pressure on Damon's hand started to turn into a vise grip. "Damon, maybe I shouldn't be here."<p>

"Sweetheart, you're doing fine." Damon said, squeezing her hand. She relaxed her grip.

"I'm _hungry_."

"Come on, let's get something to drink then."

"Damon!" Elena said, smacking his arm.

"Not blood. An actual drink." He motioned to the bar.

"Oh."

"We'll get a table." Bonnie said, pulling Elena away.

Buffy watched them go and then turned towards the bar with Damon. "Oh god…. Alaric's up there."

"Yeah, he's probably going to lose his marbles." Damon said cheerily.

"I may have to hurt you."

Damon leaned down and gently kissed Buffy. "It'll be ok." He liked that his kisses still had an effect on her. He'd been scared that she wouldn't like him the same way once she'd changed. The tension eased out of her for a moment, but she spotted Alaric walking up to them with a smile and the tension came right back. "Be calm. Breathe."

"Buffy! You're ok." Alaric came over and hugged her. She barely touched him. "What's wrong?"

"Wrong? Nothing. Now." Buffy said nervously as Alaric held her hands in a friendly grip.

"Nice ring." He examined the beautiful antique diamond ring. "Damon finally spent some money on you?"

"Yeah."

"Good job." Alaric said to Damon. He looked back at Buffy. "So have you been sick or something this last week or just hiding?"

"Uh…. Hiding." Buffy eased around Alaric and headed for the bar. Damon stayed right behind her and Alaric followed them. Damon ordered them two doubles of whiskey.

"Since when do you drink whiskey straight?" Alaric asked Buffy.

"Since I needed to start curbing my cravings."

Alaric's entire face turned dark. "What?"

"I had to do something to protect you guys. I came up with this emergency plan B a while ago…."

"You let him turn you?"

"Yes."

"Why! What is the matter with you!"

"Nothing is the matter with me. Thanks." Buffy took a sip of her whiskey after the bartender gave her a glass. "Klaus is coming. He's pissed off at us because we tried to kill him. There was no other option. I'm stronger than a normal vampire."

"Original strong." Damon interjected.

"I can fight Klaus now."

"You could fight him before." Alaric said.

Buffy laughed slightly. "I wished. I moved him a little…. But only with Damon's blood in me."

"This is extreme."

"Extreme is what's coming. What have you been doing to prepare for it?" Buffy plucked at the papers in front of Alaric. "Homework?"

Alaric sighed. "While you've been turning yourself into a vampire and hiding from your friends, Jeremy has been failing school."

"What?"

"I was supposed to meet him here an hour ago at the beginning of his shift, but he's late." Alaric slid one of the packets of paper over to her. It had the title _American History 201_ with Jeremy Gilbert written under it. Next to that was an F written in red ink. "That's his midterm paper. Copied it straight off the internet. He didn't even try to hide it."

"Somebody's getting grounded." Damon said, sipping his drink.

"This isn't funny, Damon." Buffy said, looking at the paper.

"Did you say you're waiting for Jeremy?" The bartender asked. "As in Jeremy Gilbert?"

"Yeah." Alaric said.

"He was fired last week." The bartender walked off.

Buffy shook her head and pulled out her new cell phone. She searched for Jeremy's number and dialed it. Of course it went straight to voicemail. "Jeremy, the minute you get this…. Call me. I mean the absolute millisecond you hear my voice on this message." She hung up and Damon took the phone from her so she wouldn't destroy it. Buffy walked over to where Elena was sitting. "Where's Bonnie?"

"She said she'd be back. What's up?" Elena asked as Buffy sat down across from her.

"What's going on with Jeremy? Apparently he got fired."

Elena sighed. "That doesn't surprise me. Ever since Bonnie broke up with him he's moody and he's not really talking to anyone."

"Typical teenager." Damon said, standing behind Buffy.

"Who's seeing ghosts and who's lost every woman he's ever cared about." Elena looked at Buffy. "And you disappearing for a week didn't help."

Buffy sighed. "I'm sorry. I didn't know I wouldn't be able to control my powers. I've got them in check enough now and I'm back. So, we'll fix this. He hasn't lost everyone. He still has us."

"Don't mind me." Elena, Buffy, and Damon turned to find Klaus standing next to the table with a hybrid behind him.

"Klaus…." Elena breathed.  
>"You're gonna do this in the Grill?" Damon asked. "In front of everyone? That's a little bit beneath you, don't you think?"<p>

"I don't know what you're talking about. I just came down to my local pup to grab a drink with a mate." He turned to the hybrid behind him. "Get a round then, would you Tony?" The hybrid moved off to the bar. Klaus turned to Buffy. "I hear you've been hiding in your house. Have you been sick, love?"

"If I was, it was your fault." Buffy said, staying completely still.

Klaus picked up her hand and admired the ring on her finger. "Pretty. Did your boyfriend get it for you? It's not nearly big enough."

"I'm not a gaudy person." She took her hand back. "Why are you really here, Klaus?"

"My sister seems to be missing. I need to sort that out."

"Yeah? A bunch of my clothes seem to be missing, too. Think you could help me find those? I'm sure you're psycho sister won't be far behind them."

Klaus smirked. "Truth is I've grown to rather like your little town. Think I might fancy a home here." He looked at Damon and Elena. "I imagine you're wondering: How does this affect you? The answer is: Not in the slightest. As long as I get what I want and everyone behaves themselves, you can go on and live your little lives however you choose. You have my word."

"What more could you possibly want?" Elena asked.

Klaus got in Elena's face. "Well for starters, you could tell me where I might find Stefan."

Damon moved to stand next to Buffy, saying "Stefan skipped town the moment he saved your ass."

"Well, you see that is a shame. Your brother stole from me. I need him found so I can take back what's mine."

"That sounds more like a Klaus and Stefan problem." Elena said.

Klaus moved towards her threateningly, but Buffy was suddenly standing between them. He smiled and moved even closer to Buffy. "Well, this is me broadening the scope, sweetheart." His eyes flickered down her body. "Something's different about you, love." Before anyone could say anything, Klaus was gone along with his hybrid.

Buffy looked at Elena. "What was with that look you were giving the hybrid guy?"

"He was following me on my run this morning." Elena said.

"You were running?" Damon asked.

"I've been working out like Buffy told me. Well, I've been running a lot since your gym has been off limits for the last week. Did Klaus know you're a vampire now?"

"I don't think so." Buffy said. "But all this stress…. I need to go home before I grab a random bystander."

Damon nodded. "Yeah. Come on. You've done good for your first big outing."

"Elena, go straight home. And find Jeremy if you can. I need to figure out what to do with him."

"Ok." Elena said. "I'll call you if anything happens."

* * *

><p>Buffy sat on the couch in the library and watched Damon pour himself a drink. She was nursing a glass of blood that he'd warmed up for her. Damon put down the decanter and turned around when Buffy was suddenly standing next to him looking at the entrance.<p>

"I thought it was about time we had a drink, don't you?" Klaus said, standing at the top of the stairs.

"I'd say we were overdue." Damon said.

"Well, you've been so busy with all your plotting and scheming…. And turning Slayers." Klaus looked at Buffy. "I thought it was a bit funny I didn't have to knock to come in to your house. Why the sudden change, love? I liked you as a Slayer."

"Well, there's that reason." Buffy said.

"And you're doing good, I hope." Klaus grabbed a glass and tossed it to Buffy. She caught it reflexively, but it shattered in her grasp. Klaus chuckled when she hid the annoyed expression on her face. "Not quite under control yet, are we? I could help you with that."

"Thanks, but I'm more of a hands-on, learn myself kind of girl." Buffy was tensed for a fight.

"Don't worry, darling, I'm really not here to start a fight. Just a friendly chat."

"About what?" Damon asked.

"Your epic failure in killing me. Who could've guessed your own brother would betray you?"

"Well, we did have a front row seat when your sister lied to you."  
>"Yeah, well, she's fickle that one. And you say you have no idea of her whereabouts?"<p>

"That's the thing with younger siblings…. You never know what they're gonna do." Damon downed his glass. "Drink?"

"I think I'll share Buffy's." Klaus touched her hand holding the glass of blood and she let it go into his grasp, recoiling from him.

"You can have it." Buffy said. "I was finished anyway."

"Can't stomach it? It's better straight from the vein anyway."

"I'm full." Buffy turned and walked away to stare out the window. Her mind ran a mile a minute trying to figure out what to do with Klaus.

"Cheers."

"Down the hatch." Damon said.

"You know, we've actually got a lot in common, you and I."

"Really? Well, maybe we can bond over our mutual loathing of my brother."

"How about our mutual adoration of the lovely Miss Summers here?" Klaus said, reaching out to touch Buffy's hair. She was suddenly standing next to Damon and leaving Klaus a little surprised at her speed.

"Why are you so mad at Stefan?" Buffy asked. "He saved your life."

"He stole my family. The Originals. I had them daggered, boxed up, awaiting the day when I saw fit to wake them and he went in and pinched the bloody lot."

"Of course he did."

"Oh, such a buzzkill, my baby bro!" Damon said. "We'd love to find him."

"The trouble is, though," Buffy said. "I sure as hell don't want to find him for you."

"You know, your boyfriend's drink stinks of vervain." Klaus said. "So I can't compel him. But you…."

"I'm still part Slayer. You can try." Buffy said, crossing her arms and arching an eyebrow.

Klaus smirked. "Well, there'd be no point killing either of you. You're both actually the ones with the most hope of getting me what I need. Yet, it would seem a demonstration is in order. Perhaps I wasn't clear enough when I told you to find Stefan. Oh well, it seems you people respond best to displays of violence. Why don't you take this as an example of my reach?" Klaus pulled out his cell phone and hit a speed dial number. "There he is. So, that thing I told you to do…. Why don't you go ahead and get on with it?"

"What did you do to Jeremy?" Buffy asked as Klaus hung up.

"Heard that, did you?" Klaus found himself pinned against a bookcase, the books falling out around him. Buffy's eyes had changed and her fangs had dropped. "That's a good look for you, love. I like it." He shoved her back, sending her flying across the library before disappearing.

Damon rushed over to help her up. "Are you ok?"

"I actually pinned him. It took him a minute to get free." Buffy smiled. "Did you see that?" Her smile faded. "Oh god…. Jeremy!" Just then her phone started ringing. It was Elena. "Is Jeremy ok?"

"Yeah, he's fine. Rick's dead, though." Elena said. "Klaus compelled Jeremy to stand in front of a speeding car. Rick managed to shove him out of the way, but he got hit instead."

"We're coming right over." Buffy hung up and headed for the door.

Damon couldn't keep up with her. "Hey! Wait for the regular vampire!"

* * *

><p>"How is he?" Buffy asked as Damon opened the front door to Elena's house and walked in. She tried to walk over the threshold, but a barrier stopped her. "Crap…. Uh, Elena?"<p>

"Come in, Buffy." Elena said, smirking slightly. "He's dead, but he had his ring. Klaus's hybrid hit him. Now we just wait."

Buffy walked over to Jeremy sitting in the doorway. "Jeremy, why aren't you wearing vervain?" She grabbed his arm. "Where's your bracelet?"

"I don't know." Jeremy said, looking genuinely confused.

"It was Tyler." Elena said. "It had to have been. That's why he was hanging out with you. To get you off the vervain."

"Klaus is trying to send us a message." Damon said. "He wants us to find Stefan who stole his coffins full of his dead family members."

"Coffins?" Elena asked.

"Yup. So all we have to do is find four coffins and voila! No one else on your family's Christmas list needs to die."

Jeremy stood up. "Wait…. That's your big plan? To steal back four dead Originals so this evil hybrid doesn't kill me and everyone else we know?"

"You got a better idea?"

"Yeah! Let's get the hell outta here. Pack our bags and go!"

"Jeremy, calm down." Elena said.

"No! I'm not going to calm down, Elena."

"You will calm down or I'll put you down." Buffy snapped. "You're in enough trouble with me as it is."

"Buffy, this happens every time no matter what we do! You can get on my case about school and work…. Who cares? None of us are gonna make it out of this town alive." Jeremy grabbed his jacket and ran upstairs.

"He said he wants his family back." Elena said.

Buffy looked at Elena. "No. No! I know what you're thinking. The answer is no."

"If we give him Rebekah…."

"Yeah, then Klaus un-daggers her and the first thing she does is kill you." Damon said. "Frying pan. Fire. Not an option."

"Klaus's coffins…. How many did you say there were?"

"Four. Why?" Buffy said.

"Bonnie." Elena grabbed her cell phone and headed outside.

"Where's she going?" Damon asked.

"Calling Bonnie." Buffy went over to the window and listened.

"Klaus is looking for four coffins." Elena said. "Just like in your dream. I'm guessing it's not just stress."

"Elena, don't get involved." Bonnie said on the other line. "Whatever Klaus wants, stay as far away from it as you can."

"Klaus won't let me. Bonnie, he tried to kill Jeremy."

"What do you want me to do?"

"We need to find Stefan. Look, I know that you don't think your locater spell still works, but we have to at least try."

"You don't need a locater spell."

* * *

><p>Buffy, Damon, and Elena headed through the woods towards the old house where the witches burned. Bonnie had said that Stefan was hiding out here. "I thought Bonnie said this place lost all its mojo." Damon said.<p>

"The dead witches were angry at her for bringing Jeremy back to life." Elena said. "I guess now they have something they want her to know."

"That's why I hate witches. So fickle." Damon caught Buffy's glare and he held up his hands in defense. "Except Willow. She's actually pretty cool." Buffy raised a skeptical eyebrow. "I'm serious!" He said with a smile and Buffy smiled too. "Can you still feel the bad juju like the last time we were here?"

"Actually…. Yes, but it doesn't bother me like it did before." Buffy said. "Is that a bad sign?"

"I don't know."

Elena opened the front door. "Stefan?" She called out.

"Come on Stef!" Damon called. "Oly oly oxenfrie." He walked into a patch of sunlight and started to burn. Buffy yanked him into a dark corner with her, moving faster than even his skilled eye could track. "Really! Still?"

"What?" Elena asked.

"The witchy spirits aren't a big fan. And they used their juju to screw with my daylight ring." He looked down at Buffy pressed against him. "Thank you. Is your ring working?"

She shook her head, looking at the sunlight with distaste. "They don't like that you turned a Slayer."

"Go wait outside." Elena said calmly.

"Elena…." Buffy started.

"I'm _not_ leaving until I know if he's here." She marched off, leaving Buffy and Damon stranded in the shadows.

Buffy looked around at the house. "I asked him to change me so I could fight Klaus!" The witches stopped whispering and Buffy stuck her hand out into the sunlight. She yanked it back when it burned her. "You guys suck!" She grabbed Damon, steeled herself, and then she and Damon were standing outside the house.

"That didn't hurt so bad." Damon smiled. "You're quick."

Buffy shrugged. "I just wish I could walk in the sunlight like a real Original." Damon started to say something, but Buffy waved him to silence. She could hear Elena in the basement.

"Stefan?" Elena called.  
>"Go away." Stefan said. "You shouldn't be here, Elena."<p>

"Stefan, I need your help. Bonnie said that you would be here."

"Well, Bonnie sucks at keeping secrets."

"Listen, you need to give Klaus his family back."

"Oh really? Is that what I need to do?"

"Klaus compelled Jeremy to stand in front of a speeding car. Don't you get it? Stefan, he's not going to stop until he gets what he wants. He…."

"Elena, stop talking. I'm not giving Klaus anything."

"Are you listening to me? He's going to kill Jeremy."

"Not really my problem."

Buffy growled in anger and down in the basement, Elena slapped Stefan. "You can go to hell." Elena stormed out.

Damon looked over as Elena walked out of the house. "That didn't go over well."

"Don't even start, Damon."

"Let me talk to him."

"You can't get in. The witches won't let you. Either of you."

"I'm fast, Elena." Buffy said, walking over to her. "Here," She handed the keys to her BMW. "Take my car keys. You go deal with your brother and Damon and I will deal with his." Elena sighed, knowing she wasn't going to win an argument. She turned and walked off. As soon as she was out of sight, Buffy and Damon walked up to the entrance of the house. She looked at her boyfriend. "Ready?"

"As I'll ever be." Damon said.

Buffy took in a deep breath, grabbed Damon's jacket, and yanked. She may have been fast, but the sun's rays hurt like hell. She bumped into a wall twice and then they tumbled down the stairs into the basement. They landed in a patch of sunlight and Buffy pulled Damon to her and rolled into the shadows. "OW!" Buffy griped, looking at her healing burns.

"Wow." Stefan said behind them. "That was impressive. But the coffins aren't here, so…. You two can go away now." Buffy rolled her eyes. She was suddenly standing in front of Stefan. His eyes widened as she grabbed him and rushed up the stairs, too fast for his eyes to really take in, and out of the house. It had been easier the second time since she'd known exactly the route to take.

Damon came out growling only a few seconds behind her. "Thanks for the warning." He said.

"Sorry, sweetie. You ok?" Buffy asked.

"Fine. You?"

Buffy's eyes had changed and her fangs had dropped in her pain from the sun and the anger at Stefan. Stefan looked down at her, shocked. "What the…." He started.

"Not what you were expecting, huh?" Buffy asked with a smile. She took a deep breath and her face returned to normal. "Thanks for teaching me that trick. It's helped."

"What have you two done?"

"What was necessary." Damon said. "We need to talk."

Stefan looked at Buffy, still in a bit of shock at her transformation. She didn't miss the flicker of worry in his eyes. "Ok." Stefan said, his demeanor turned icy again. "Let's talk."

"Why did you steal Klaus's family?" Buffy asked. She saw his eyes flicker back to the house. "I'm faster than you, Stefan."

Stefan sighed. "Klaus took everything from me piece by piece. I'm doing the same to him."

Buffy growled and her eyes changed. "You're an idiot." She took a deep breath to calm herself. "He didn't take everything from you. I'm still here. Damon's still here. Elena still loves you, though you've given her every reason to hate you. You're still like this because you can't get yourself back to the old Stefan."

"I don't have you. You've let Damon turn you into a monster."

"I haven't fed on humans and I have no intention of it. I'm still me!" Buffy turned and stomped off a few paces. "Why does everybody think otherwise?"

"By the way…." Damon broke a tree limb off and stabbed Stefan in the gut with it. "Stop saving me!"

Buffy shook her head. "Damon, I was in on that plan."

"I know, but it still pisses me off that he does this crap every single time!"

"He's your brother. Did you expect differently?"

"I expect _you_ to save me because you're my girlfriend. Him being all Ripper-fied…. I don't want him to save me. Even before then I didn't want him to save me. I don't need his help!"

"Maybe sometimes you do." Stefan said, pulling the branch out of his stomach.

"I'm agreeing with Stefan on this one." Buffy said.

"Don't you gang up on me." Damon snapped.

"I'm not ganging up on you. I'm just saying. Everybody needs saving at some point."

"Well, you're much sexier riding to my rescue."

"Granted…. I won't always be there."

"Don't you two have somewhere to be?" Stefan asked.

"Deflection?" Damon said. "That's not gonna work on me. I invented that."

"We're done. Can't you guys just go away?"

"You know what? Not until you tell me why you saved me."

"I don't owe you anything."

"Fine. Next question. Why'd you steal the coffins?"

"Because Klaus's family is one weakness I can use against him."

"Use against him to do what?" Buffy asked.

"She's right." Damon said. "You're not gonna kill him. There's only one way to kill him and you blew that to save me."

"You're wrong Damon." Stefan said. "Klaus doesn't just get to live forever. There's another way. There has to be." He looked over at Buffy. "That's why you turned. Because you believe that."

Buffy shrugged. "Fair enough. Whatever you're doing, though, I want in." She looked at Damon.

"Where the blonde goes, so goes I." Damon said.

"I don't need your help." Stefan said. He turned to head back into the house, but Buffy was blocking him. He hadn't seen her move.

"Is that so?" Buffy asked. "The last time I checked you were hanging out in a haunted house."

"I'm in this alone."

"You go after Klaus, you're going to have to be cut throat and devious." Damon said. "I'm so much better at that than you."

"He's right." Buffy said. "And you don't have the strength to go up against Klaus. I do."

"Come on, brother. What do you say?" Damon slung an arm over Buffy's shoulders as they looked at Stefan. "If you're gonna keep saving my life, at least make it for a good reason."

Stefan nodded, looking at them both. "You want in, huh?"

"Yeah."

"Ok. Then it's just the three of us. Elena stays out of it."

"I was gonna suggest that." Buffy said with a smile.

"Follow me." Stefan moved around them and headed for the house.

"Uh…. We're not so welcome in there." Damon said.

"Don't you worry, Damon. We all want the same thing." Buffy and Damon exchanged glances and then followed Stefan into the house. He led them back down to the empty basement. "Have a look."

"What? Klaus is allergic to dust?" Damon said.

Stefan smirked. "Look again." Damon and Buffy looked back at the room and it was suddenly filled with coffins. "The witch spirits hate Klaus as much as we do. They're using their powers to hide the coffins."

"So even if he comes in the house…." Buffy said.

"He won't be able to find them."

Buffy smiled. "That's kind of ingenious!"

"So is changing a Slayer to give her the powers and strength of an Original."

Buffy's phone chirped and she pulled it out of her pocket. It was a text from Elena. "Rick's in the hospital."

"Why?" Damon asked.

"Apparently his ring brought him back, but it didn't heal him this time."

Damon sighed. "I guess we better get over there and heal him."

Buffy looked at Stefan. "I'm not going anywhere." Stefan said. She looked at him for a moment longer and then walked out.

"Good work, little brother." Damon said before following Buffy.

* * *

><p>Buffy walked up to Elena's porch to find her trying to clean around a headless body that was haphazardly wrapped up in a sheet. "Whoa. What happened here?"<p>

"He sent the paramedics away. He tried to kill Alaric." Elena said. She was obviously in shock.

Buffy looked at the head at the bottom of the stairs. It was Klaus's hybrid that had followed Elena. "Did you…."

"Jeremy."

"Oh. Wow." Buffy knelt down and pulled Elena to her feet and away from the body. "I've got this."

"Where's Damon?"

"He's taking care of Rick. He'll be here shortly."

"Buffy…." Elena started to crack.

"Shh." Buffy pulled her to her and hugged her. For the first time in a week, she wasn't worried about her strength. Elena's distress made her forget about being oh so careful and it all just came naturally. "Go inside. I've got this." She pushed Elena gently inside the door and shut it behind her.

As Buffy finished wrapping the corpse, head and all, Damon walked up. "Whoa."

"That's what I said." Buffy said, getting to her feet. "And no, this wasn't me. It was Jeremy."

"Jeremy did this?"

"Yeah. I think we need to send him away. He's not safe."

"How do we do that?"

"You need to have one of your talks with him."

"You're powers are stronger than mine."

"But you're more experienced. Will you take care of this body while I talk to Elena?"

Damon sighed. He knew she was right. "Yes." He kissed her gently and then scooped down to grab the body.

Buffy watched him leave before turning and walking into the house. Elena was scrubbing at her hands trying to get the blood off. "How are you?"

"I think I got most of the blood off the porch." Elena said. "Now that the body's gone, I'll have to go finish it."

"Elena." She didn't stop scrubbing. "Hey, look at me." After a moment, Elena turned to look at Buffy. "It's going to be ok."

Elena nodded. "I have to tell you something. I, uh…. I made a deal with Klaus. I gave him Rebekah."

"What? No. Elena, please tell me you did not really do that! She's going to come here and try and kill you!"

"No she won't. Klaus won't let her because he needs me."

"And suddenly you just trust him?"

"No I don't trust him! But what other choice do I have? I don't trust Stefan. Do you think he's just going to give up the coffins?"

Buffy sighed. She was not bringing Elena in on this. "Yeah…. Damon's little brother is running his own show."

"And my little brother just chopped off someone's head! It's not right. It's not fair. He's 16 years old. He shouldn't have to live like this." She went back to scrubbing in the sink. "There has to be another way. We have to fix it."

"We will." Buffy walked over and turned the water off. "Elena…." She turned the teen around and made her look at her. "I'm going to send Jeremy away."

"What?"

"Damon's going to have a special chat with him and he's going to be ok. Just tell us where you want him to go."

Elena looked at Buffy. "You mean that?"

"Yes."

* * *

><p>Buffy walked up to Jeremy's room with Elena, Alaric, and Damon right behind her. Jeremy was putting some clothes away in his dresser when Buffy knocked on the doorframe. "Hey. Can we talk?"<p>

Jeremy sighed. "What did I do now?"

Buffy smiled slightly. "I've been thinking about what you said earlier. About how we should pack up and go…."

"Buffy, I didn't meant any of that."

Buffy shrugged. "But you were right." She sat down next to him on the bed. "You shouldn't have to give up a normal life just because of the crappy things happening to the people around you."

"What's going on?"

"You and Damon are going to have one of your talks." Jeremy looked at her incredulously as Damon walked in and sat down on his other side. "It's for the best."

"Here's the thing, Jer," Damon said. Buffy got up and walked over to Elena. "You're gonna go out of town for a while. A long while. You're gonna stay with Dawn up in New York City. You're gonna be at a new school. You're gonna meet new girls. Living girls. You're gonna drink a few beers. Take an art class. Do whatever you want."

"Tell him he's going to leave Mystic Falls behind." Alaric said. "And never think twice about it."

Damon looked at Elena for confirmation and she nodded. He looked back at Jeremy. "You're gonna leave Mystic Falls and never think twice about it. You'll have a better life, Jeremy." Buffy gently squeezed Elena's shoulders as she started to cry. Elena turned and walked out of the room. Buffy glanced at Damon and Alaric and then followed her out onto the front porch. "I feel like a horrible person." Elena said.

"We just saved his life, Elena." Buffy said. "Take it from me. Strange is bad. Dead is worse."

"I just can't stop thinking about the last time I asked Damon to compel him."

"He found out and he got over it. Again…. Not dead."

"He's so lucky to have you two in his life." Damon said from the doorway.

Elena smiled slightly. "Thank you."

"No problem."

Elena turned to Buffy. "And thank you for everything. Even turning into a vampire to protect us. I honestly don't know what I would do if you weren't here."

Buffy smiled slightly. "I have something to tell you. Stefan didn't screw us over. Well…. Ok, he did, but he actually had a good reason."

"What?"

"He saved Klaus to save me." Damon said.

"And then he stole the coffins to get even." Buffy added.

"That's…. If he…. If he did it to protect Damon, why would he even do that? I mean…. What does that even mean?"

Buffy shook her head. "I don't know. So, try not to think too much into it." Buffy took Damon's hand. "We're going to leave now, though. I'm actually _really _hungry and I don't need to be around humans anymore."

"You're doing good." Elena said.

Buffy shrugged. "Well, I have a good reason to be." She kissed the side of Elena's head and followed Damon off the porch and into the darkness.


	50. Chapter 50

Chapter 50

Buffy laughed as Damon sprayed her with the shower head. She pinned him against the wall by his wrists and he smirked, kissing her hungrily. Buffy let his wrists go and he set the shower head back in its cradle before wrapping his arms around her and spinning them so she was against the wall.

"We are never going to get clean this way." Buffy mumbled through their lips.

"Don't care." He moved his lips down her throat and nipped at the hollow there.

"We're, uh…. We're going to be late…."

"Don't care." Damon said again, crushing his lips to hers.

"I care." Stefan said from the doorway. Buffy let out a yelp and Damon shut the water off as she grabbed them towels from the wrack beside the shower. "We're supposed to meet Bonnie at the old witch house in ten minutes."

"It's called privacy, brother." Damon snapped.

"Would you two hurry up? We have work to do. You know, Klaus isn't going to spontaneously self-destruct."

"Stefan, your hair is going to fall out if you keep up all this worrying." Buffy said, moving past him into her and Damon's bedroom with a towel wrapped around her and her hair dripping on the floor.

* * *

><p>Twenty minutes later, Stefan, Damon, and Buffy made their way up to the old house where the witches were burned. "You two didn't say anything to Elena about the coffins, right?" Stefan asked.<p>

"No." Buffy said.

"We said we wouldn't." Damon added.

"I know what you said." Stefan retorted.

"Then why are you asking?" Buffy asked.

"Cause protecting the location of Klaus's family is my number one priority right now and the fewer people who know, the better." Buffy held up her hands and stopped Damon and Stefan in their tracks. "What?"

"Shh…." Buffy looked around the property. "Someone's here."

"Yeah. Bonnie."

Buffy gave Stefan an annoyed look and moved towards the house. "Damon…."

"I'll cover the back door." Damon said, moving off.

Buffy moved into the house, leaving Stefan to cover the front door. She moved quietly through the house, still slightly amazed at her skills as a Slayer turned vampire. She couldn't even hear herself moving. Instead of searching for the intruder, she made her way towards Bonnie's smell. She wanted to make sure the young witch was ok first.

Of course Bonnie was startled when Buffy appeared on the stairs, but Buffy shushed her. She mouthed "stay" at Bonnie before moving off and following the new smell. It led her right back to the front door where a hybrid was making his way outside. Stefan blocked his path and Damon appeared on the other side of him. The hybrid started to turn, but Buffy grabbed his hair with one hand and pushed down on his shoulder with the other. There was barely time for him to scream before his head was ripped off his shoulders.

Stefan shot Buffy, standing a few feet away, a seriously annoyed look. She'd moved out of the way of the spray, but some of the blood had gotten on Stefan. "Show off." He threw at her, kicking the head in her direction.

Buffy shrugged, easily dodging the head. "These hybrids are really bringing down the neighborhood." Bonnie came out onto the porch and gasped at the grisly sight. "I told you to stay."

"I know, but I heard the yell and…. Did you do this?" Bonnie asked.

"Yeah." Buffy looked at her watch. "You need to be at school."

"I know."

"Any luck with getting that coffin open?" Damon asked as Bonnie edged around the blood pool and dead body.

"No. I tried a couple of different spells this morning, but nothing worked. I'm sorry."

"That's ok." Buffy said.

"Oh, don't forget that it's Caroline's birthday today."

Buffy smacked her forehead. "Crap! I completely forgot."

"Well, you've been a little…. Busy."

"No excuse. I'll pick you all up from school this afternoon. We'll have a little party at my house before I have to go to the Council meeting tonight."

"Cool. I'll tell Elena and Matt."

"Listen, uh…. Bonnie, there's something I need to tell you." Buffy gently took Bonnie's elbow and moved her away. "You're not going to like it."

"What happened?"

"Jeremy's going to be leaving town for a while. He'll be staying with Dawn in New York until this whole Klaus thing blows over."

Bonnie looked confused. "Jeremy wouldn't just leave Elena and you to deal with Klaus on your own."

"No. He wouldn't. But I asked Damon to compel him."

"You what?"

"It's not safe for him here anymore. Leaving will give him the chance for a better life. I know you two haven't really worked out your issues, but I thought that maybe you'd want to say goodbye. Today's his last day at school. Dawn's coming down tonight to pick him up and take him up there tomorrow morning."

Bonnie shook her head. "I don't…. This isn't fair."

"I know. But I can't think of a better way."

Bonnie turned and walked off towards her car. Buffy knew she was trying not to cry. With a sigh, she turned back to Stefan. Damon had disappeared with the body while Buffy and Bonnie had been talking.

"It's for the best." Stefan said.

"I know." Buffy said without a hint of doubt. "He'll be safe." She marched past him and headed back into the house. Down in the basement, she grabbed the coffin's lid and started to yank on it with all her strength. The thing didn't budge. She smashed her fist into it, but it only hurt her hand.

"You're wasting your time." Stefan said behind her. "It won't open."

"I'm getting that." Buffy looked at Damon as he walked in with a shovel. "Did you bury the body?"

"Yeah." Damon said. "Any sign of our little hybrid buddies?"

"Nope." Stefan said. "Just the dead one."

Buffy jumped up and sat on the coffin. "So, Klaus's six siblings. Rebekah is now with Klaus. There was one dead kid in the old world and one dead kid in the new world. Which leaves Elijah and two others. Three sleeping Originals. Four coffins." She patted the coffin under her. "Who's in the locked box, then?"

"No idea." Stefan said, walking up to the coffin. "But Bonnie seems to think that whatever's in here will kill Klaus. So the sooner she can get this thing open the sooner we'll know if she's right."

"Well, you'd think that the spirits of a bunch of dead witches that can make a coffin invisible that they'd figure out how to open one!" Damon said. He looked around him expectantly and then shook his head. "Fine. Don't help."

"You know none of this is going to do us any good if Klaus's hybrid friends find our hiding spot, right? They need to go away."

"Oh, yeah. That's a great idea, Stefan. Let's just ask him to pack a bag and take a long vacation while we're at it. How about you keep the peace? Don't draw attention to the very things we're trying to hide."

"No. I'm not going to play defense. When I have what Klaus wants, he does what I say or I dump his family to the bottom of the ocean."

"And he kills you and everyone you know. Like, I don't know, me and my girlfriend!"

"No. He's bluffing. His family means more to him than anyone else."

"You sure about that?"

"Well, I don't know, Damon. I guess there's only one way to find out, right? Call his bluff."

"Whoa, whoa, whoa…. The only way to call someone's bluff, Stefan, is to be willing to lose everything if you're wrong." Stefan smirked and started to walk out.

"Wait." Buffy said. "I'm coming with you."

Damon turned to his girlfriend as she hopped off the coffin. "Wait, what?"

She shrugged. "I think he's right."

"Thank you." Stefan said.

"You can't be serious." Damon said.

"Well, yeah. Klaus hasn't carted these things around with him everywhere he goes for a thousand years for nothing. It's his family. I'd do anything for you guys. Why is Klaus any different? You just have to…. Call his bluff. Besides, if I go with Stefan to pay a visit to Klaus, it will remind him just how powerful I am when I start tearing his hybrids apart with my bare hands."

"I like the way you think." Stefan said.

Buffy turned to Damon. "I'll see you later?"

Damon sighed. "I guess." Buffy kissed him gently before turning and leaving with Stefan.

* * *

><p>Buffy and Stefan strolled into the house that Klaus had claimed and saw one of his hybrids pushing a coffin away. Klaus watched her go before saying, "I'm surprised you're still in town. I gave you your freedom, you could've gone anywhere."<p>

"I live here, Klaus." Stefan said.

"Well, if we're playing this game, then, uh, I was here first." Buffy snickered slightly and Klaus looked at her. "Hello there, darling. Have a twirl and let me get a good look at you." She raised an eyebrow at him. "I'm paying you a compliment. It's something I occasionally do for people I actually like. Becoming a vampire seems to suit you." Klaus moved her hair behind her shoulder and admired the skin on her neck and shoulder. "Though I do miss that sun kissed look your skin used to have."

"Just a reminder that I'm on your level now, dear." Buffy said, crossing her arms.

"You know," Stefan said. "I don't like your hybrid friends. They're everywhere. Kinda like fleas. I want them gone. _We_ want them gone." Stefan motioned to himself and Buffy.

"Yeah, well, uh, I kind of like having them around." Klaus looked at Stefan but got no response. "You know, I'm hurt. I hoped that, uh, I'd free you and we'd pick up where we left off. But here you are, guzzling vervain like the rest of them, I'm sure. So much for friendship."

"Friends don't strip friends of their free will."

"Ok, granted…. That was a little extreme. I get a little moody. Just ask my siblings. Speaking of whom, isn't it time you handed them over?"

"Klaus," Stefan moved closer. "Get your hybrids out of Mystic Falls or I will remove them myself."

"Hmm…. You see, if you continue to threaten me, I'm going to be forced to retaliate…. Kill people…. And it'll get messy again."

"Do whatever you want. I don't really care. Or you know what? Maybe I do. Yeah, maybe I care so much that I drop Elijah in the Arctic."

"Well, maybe I'd be willing to lose one brother if it meant killing yours."

"You'd never make it past me." Buffy said, stepping up beside Stefan. Klaus looked at Buffy and Stefan, their facial expressions almost exactly alike.

The hybrid that had carted the coffin off walked in. "Is everything ok?"

"Everything's fine, Mindy. Stefan was just leaving after failing to make his point. I've invited Buffy to stay and chat." Stefan glanced at Buffy, but she was smiling.

"Oh, Klaus. I've been meaning to show you something." Buffy said brightly.

"What's that, love?"

"I learned a new trick." Mindy's head was suddenly on one side of the room while Mindy's body was on the other. Once again, Buffy was so fast that she'd dodged the blood spray and now stood on Klaus's other side. "Nifty, huh?"

Stefan chuckled. "Well, one down…. You may want to send the rest of them away before it gets messy…. Er. She really likes doing that trick. That's her second time today."

Buffy smiled and kissed Klaus's cheek before walking away with Stefan.

* * *

><p>Buffy strolled hand in hand with Damon up to Founder's Hall with Alaric walking next to them. Elena had called and told Buffy that she, Bonnie, and Matt were taking Caroline to the cemetery to hold a funeral for Caroline's birthday party. Caroline was apparently not feeling the birthday spirit this year.<br>"I thought Stefan saved your life." Alaric said to Damon.  
>"He did." Damon said.<p>

"And now he's willing to risk it just to see how far he can push Klaus?"

"Seems so."

"Well, is his humanity on or off?"

"I'm thinking there's another option here at play. A bit of a dimmer switch, which is a huge problem."

"Why?"

"Because I can't predict how far he's willing to go until somebody gets killed."

"Suddenly you care who lives or dies?"

"I have a small list."

Alaric huffed. "Talk about humanity dimmer switch."

"Screw you." Damon looked down at his girlfriend. "And what's with you? You're awfully quiet."

"Can't a Council meeting ever just be a Council meeting?" Buffy asked, looking at the sign in front of them that said Wickery Bridge Restoration Fundraiser.

"Has anybody invited you in?" Alaric asked.

"Liz did. Damon told her everything and she's not happy, but she understands." Buffy glanced at the building as they walked over the threshold. "But this isn't a dwelling. It's a public building."

"I'll get us drinks." Damon said, heading off towards the bar.

Buffy and Alaric walked over to a model of the new Wickery Bridge. Buffy gently touched a railing on the bridge. "This is the bridge where Elena and Jeremy's parents died in a car accident."

"Something's up with her." Alaric said. "Elena. Something more than usual. You know what it is?"

Buffy shook her head. "It's probably Stefan. But I'll talk to her."

"Thank you." Alaric looked down at Buffy. "Are you doing ok? Is this…. Too much?" He motioned to the crowd of people all around them.

"No. I'm good. My cravings are surprisingly easy to ignore. I was just panicking before."

"What made you stop panicking?"

"Elena. And Jeremy. I just realized that I became a vampire to protect them and it was the selfless love towards and from them that made me realize that I already knew how to keep everything in control. I was just…. thinking about it too much."

Alaric smiled. "I still think it was extreme."

"Extreme or not, Klaus was scared of me today. I don't think he realized just how strong I am." Buffy looked around the room. "Where's my boyfriend with those drinks?" She excused herself and wandered off to go find Damon. Eventually, she spotted him staring incredulously across the room. "Hey. Whatcha looking at?" She asked as she took one of the drinks out of his hands. Buffy turned to look at where he was staring and saw Klaus chatting up Carol Lockwood. "You have _got_ to be kidding me."

"Wanna go say hi?" Damon asked. He knew her answer, so he didn't even wait for it. The two of them strolled over and Damon said, "Look at what the cat dragged in."

"Nice vest." Buffy said.

"Oh, thank you very much." Klaus leaned in and kissed Buffy's cheek politely. "It's good to see you again, love. And you as well, Damon. Carol and I were just discussing whether or not you two would be tonight's other big benefactors."

"What do you say Buffy?" Carol asked. "Or should I say the future Mrs. Salvatore?"

Buffy choked on her drink. "What?"

"Klaus was also just telling me that Damon finally put a ring on your finger." Carol took Buffy's hand in hers and examined the ring.

"Isn't it lovely?" Klaus asked.

"It most certainly is."

"Damon, you're a very lucky man. I'm jealous."

"I'm sure you are." Damon said. "Carol, don't take this the wrong way, but do you realize that you've been kissing the ass of an immortal hybrid who ruined your son's life?"

"Oh come now…. Some might say that I saved it, what with all that nasty full moon business." Klaus said. He turned to Carol. "I never had to go through it more than twice, to be honest, but still…. I'm very sympathetic."

"Klaus has promised to protect Tyler, Damon." Carol said. "And our town."

"From who?" Buffy asked. "His hybrids are the ones this town needs protection from."

"Well, I'd have no use for them if your soon-to-be brother-in-law would kindly return my family." Klaus said.

"Not gonna happen." Buffy said, stone faced.

"That's what I thought. Which is why I've come to an agreement with the Mayor. You and the Council stay out of my hair and I'll stay out of yours. Your town gets protected, my hybrids get left alone, and everybody will be happy. All you have to do is stop decapitating my friends for Stefan."

"I'm not doing it for Stefan. I'm doing it because you and your hybrids keep threatening my family."

"Please, Buffy…. Damon, get Stefan under control or the Council will be forced to take action against him." Carol said.

"You've gotta be kidding me." Damon said.

"Oh, come on, mate." Klaus said. "Give peace a chance."

"We will when you will." Buffy retorted. She turned and walked off and Damon sneered at Klaus before following.

Liz caught up with them as they were about to leave. "I hear congratulations are in order."

"What?" Buffy and Damon asked.

"The whole place was buzzing that there's going to be a Salvatore wedding soon."

Buffy shook her head and Damon smirked. "The ring doesn't mean there's going to be a wedding _soon_." Damon said.

"Well, you guys just take your time. I know you're dealing with some big issues."

"Like Klaus hiding behind the Mayor's skirts?" Buffy snapped. "He's made some deal with her to keep us at bay or else the Council is going to retaliate. Pft! I don't see how. I'm a Slayer turned vampire. Do they really want to go up against me?"

"The Mayor's only looking out for Tyler. For now we have to assume Klaus has her in his pocket."

"Oh, please don't tell me you're going to drink the Klaus Kool-Aid." Damon said.  
>"I'm not going to let him hold this town hostage, but I'm also not going to let innocent people get caught in the crossfire of a pissing contest between a hybrid and a vampire."<p>

"Liz, I'm impressed. You're all strong and Sherriff-y."

"I'm not kidding, Damon. You two need to get Stefan to stand down from this one before someone gets hurt." Liz sighed. "Congratulations on the engagement." She walked off.

Buffy looked up at Damon. "When you bought this ring…. That was the last thing I expected anyone to think."

Damon shrugged. "Just go with it. It'll only make it worse to protest too much."

"Did you plan this?"

"What?"

"A sneaky engagement."

"A sneaky engagement? Buffy, I'm hurt! I would never trick you into an engagement. If I wanted to ask you to marry me, I wouldn't do it in a sneaky way."

Buffy crossed her arms. "Then how _would_ you do it?"

Damon smirked. "Like this." He dropped down to one knee and took Buffy's hand. "Buffy Summers, you are the only one for me. I love you beyond words and I want to spend eternity with you. Will you do me the honor of marrying me?" Buffy stared down at him wide eyed and he laughed, standing back up as there was a smattering of applause from the small group of people around them. "And that's the part where you would say yes. That's how I would do it." He kissed her gently and she melted.

"You're sneaky."

"Was that a yes?"

"That was a let's go find Stefan and talk to him while I think about it."

Damon thought about that for a second. "Ok." He followed her back into the Hall and let her lead the way. They found Stefan about to cut off a hybrid's head. Damon rushed over and tackled him away.

"What are you doing?" Stefan demanded.

"What are _you_ doing?" Damon hissed. "No dead hybrids at the Founders' party!"

"No. I told Klaus to get his hybrids out of town, he didn't listen, so now I'm saying it louder."

"You don't think there's ten more where that came from? And if you kill them, Klaus won't make twenty more? Have you forgot about Elena's part in all this? Or do you not care if she's a human blood bag for the rest of her life?"

"Protecting Elena is yours and Buffy's problem now. See, I'm not compelled by Klaus to do that anymore."

Buffy suddenly punched Stefan, sending him down the hallway. "Don't give us that crap." She snapped. "You can't just flip your switch. Yours is fried. I've had that figured out for a long time. So don't hand me any bull about how you don't care about Elena anymore. Or Damon or me for that matter. I'm with you on pushing Klaus, but don't you dare bring Elena any more harm. I won't go along with that. To be the villain, you've gotta be smarter and your smart gene seems fried along with your humanity switch."

Stefan stood up with a smirk. "To beat the villain, you have to be the better villain." He turned and walked away.

"That doesn't bode well, you know that right?" Damon asked.

"What's he gonna do?" Buffy asked.

"I have no clue." Damon turned to face Buffy. "Now do you get why encouraging his behavior is a bad idea?"  
>Buffy shrugged. "At least I got to see Klaus with a scared face. I better call Elena and tell her to be on her guard."<p>

"Isn't she at the cemetery right now?"

"I hope they moved the party to our house. Cemeteries at night are no places for parties."

"Why? You used to party there." Damon said playfully.

"Oh yeah. Patrolling till the wee hours on a school night was my idea of a party." Buffy pulled out her cell phone and dialed Elena's number. It took a few rings before the line was answered.

"Hello, Buffy." It was Stefan. "She's a little busy right now."

"Why the hell do you have Elena's phone?"

"Making my next move. Let me ask you something. What's Klaus gonna do when he can't make any more hybrids?"

"Stefan, leave her out of this! If you hurt her I swear to god I will kill you myself. Stefan! Stefan!" Buffy looked at her phone. He'd hung up on her. "Damn it!"

"Why does Stefan have Elena?" Damon asked.

"He's going to kill her." Buffy rushed down the stairs and found Klaus near the bridge model. She grabbed his arm and pulled him towards a side room where no one was. Damon followed close behind and shut the doors behind them.

"What now?" Klaus asked. "You just pulled me away from a fascinating conversation about landscaping the town square."

"Stefan just grabbed Elena." Buffy said.

"Well, he's getting desperate."

"Damn it, Klaus! He's going to try and use her against you. Just do what he says. Get rid of your hybrids."

"Or what? Stefan would never dream of killing her."

"Are you sure about that?" Damon asked. "He just tried to behead someone in the middle of a Council party. He's obviously running on crazy right now."

"Well, crazy or not, that kind of love never dies. He's bluffing."

"Maybe he is. Maybe he isn't. But if you don't want to believe him, believe me. I know my brother better than anyone and right now I don't have a clue how far he's willing to take this. So if he says blink, I suggest you blink."

Klaus just stared at Damon. Buffy shook her head and stepped between them. "Klaus, damn it, please! Don't let him hurt Elena. You're the only one who can stop him right now." He started to say something, but she cut him off. "This is no time to make deals. Stop him."

Klaus sighed and walked outside. Buffy glanced at Damon and then followed Klaus outside. Klaus's phone rang and he picked it up, turning to look at Buffy. "Stefan! How nice to hear your voice."

"Tell your hybrids to get out of town, Klaus." Stefan said on the other end.

"Well that's not going to happen till I get my coffins back."

"Ok. Well, then I'm going to drive your blood source off Wickery Bridge."

"I don't believe you Stefan. You won't kill her."

Elena started sputtering and choking from Stefan's end of the line and Klaus looked at Buffy. "What are you doing?" Elena gasped.

"What's going on?" Klaus asked.

"I just fed her my blood." Stefan said. "No more hybrids if she's a vampire."

"You won't do it."

"Really? Try me. Because your coffins are the next to go." Klaus looked at Buffy, actually searching her eyes for what to do.

"Klaus, stop him! Send your hybrids away!" Buffy begged. Her panic level was rising. Elena didn't want to become a vampire.

"Stefan slow down!" Elena begged. "Stefan! Stefan stop it!"

"Klaus!" Buffy demanded.

"Fine! I'll send them away." Klaus said. "You win."

"Stefan! Stefan stop!" Elena screamed. Buffy grabbed onto Klaus's arm, tears falling from her eyes as she looked at him pleadingly.

"Stop the car Stefan!" Klaus growled. There was the sound of screeching tires and Elena screamed, but Klaus sighed with relief and hung up the phone. Buffy let out a sob and covered her mouth. Klaus pulled her to him and hugged her tightly. "Shh…. She's ok." He soothed, stroking her hair gently. "She's ok."

Buffy's cell phone rang and she picked it up. "Hello?"

"It's Liz. I need your help."

"What's wrong?" Buffy sniffed and wiped her face, moving away from Klaus.

"It's Caroline. Tyler bit her." Buffy turned and looked at Klaus, her eyes hardening. "Damon had a cure…."

"It's Klaus's blood."

"What?"

"The cure is Klaus's blood. He'll be right over." Buffy hung up and stared coldly at Klaus. "Tyler bit Caroline. Did you tell him to do it?"

Klaus sighed. "I was trying to make a point to Stefan. And to you."

"This pissing contest was stupid!"

"You went along with his game!"

"I didn't know he was going to go this far! I was convinced he was still the same old Stefan deep down. That he would never, ever hurt Elena like this. I was convinced he would back down before it got this far."

Klaus nodded. "I was too. I'm sorry."

"What?"

"I said I'm sorry. I'll heal Caroline and I'll send my hybrids away."

Buffy blinked a few times before saying, "Thank you."

"I'm not all bad, Buffy." He took her hand and kissed her knuckles before disappearing into the shadows.

Damon walked over to her and hugged her tightly. "Are you ok?"

"We need to go get Elena." Buffy said, still holding onto Damon.

"Where's Klaus going?"

"To heal Caroline. He made Tyler bite her." She shook her head angrily. "This wasn't supposed to go this far."

"I know. No one expected it to. But Elena's all right, isn't she?"

"Yeah."

"And Caroline's going to be fine. And you're going to beat the crap out of Stefan the next you see him, aren't you?"

Buffy laughed. "Yeah."

"Then the world is ok again…. For now." He kissed her gently. "Come on, Mrs. Salvatore. Let's go get your kid." Buffy rolled her eyes and lightly punched Damon's arm. "Ow."

* * *

><p>"Thanks for picking me up." Elena said to Damon and Buffy as they walked her to her door.<p>

"Any time." Damon said.

Elena stopped and looked at her front door. "Are you going to be ok?" Buffy asked.

"I'll survive." Elena said. "Somehow I always do."

"You know, Stefan won this round for us today." Damon said suddenly. The two girls looked at him incredulously. "He pushed Klaus to the edge. Klaus blinked."

"Well, his method sucked."

"Still…. We needed it. Klaus has been calling all the shots and Stefan beat him at his own game. He was the better villain."

"Don't sound so impressed." Buffy said.

"Well, I can't help but be a little proud."

Buffy rolled her eyes and turned to Elena. "Damon and I will be over bright and early tomorrow with Dawn." She looked at her watch. "She should be at the house soon. We'll have a big breakfast before she takes Jeremy to New York and then the rest of the day will be just you and me. I'll take you on a shopping spree."

Elena smiled and nodded. "Ok. That sounds nice."

"I'll just cash in on the title of 'future Mrs. Salvatore'."

Elena shook her head, confused. "What?"

"I'm pretty sure Damon proposed to me tonight."

The teen looked dubiously at Damon. "Really?"

Damon shrugged, a smirk pulling at his lips. Buffy rolled her eyes and shook her head. "Now the whole town pretty much thinks there's a wedding in the very near future."

"I love a good party." Damon said, wrapping an arm around Buffy's waist.

"Come on, party boy. Let's let Elena get some sleep. Goodnight, Elena." Buffy tugged on Damon and they headed off.

* * *

><p>Elena and Buffy held tightly to Jeremy as he stood in front of the open front door the next morning. They'd just finished a huge breakfast that Damon and Alaric had cooked. Dawn had gotten in not even twenty minutes after Buffy and Damon had gotten home. Now she was helping Alaric load up her car with Jeremy's bags and boxes.<p>

"You guys are going to have to let me go eventually." Jeremy said.

Elena and Buffy pulled back reluctantly. "Be safe, ok?" Elena said.

"Yeah, ok. All right. Look, Dawn's waiting."

"She can wait a little bit longer." Buffy said. "Call us the minute you get in, ok?"

"I will."

"Promise."

"Yeah!" Jeremy laughed. "I promise."

Bonnie ran up onto the porch. "Good. You haven't left yet."

"Hey, what are you doing here?"

"I came to say goodbye." Bonnie reached out and hugged Jeremy tightly. After a long moment, she let him go and joined Buffy and Elena inside the house. Jeremy watched them for a moment before turning and heading off to Dawn's car.

Buffy followed him and Dawn shook her head. "You can't come with us." Dawn said.

"I know. I just came to say bye to you." Buffy said, hugging her sister.

"One of these days we're going to sit down and have a discussion about your decision making. Since the last time I saw you, you've pissed Angel off and run him out of town, you've turned yourself into a vampire, and you got engaged."

Buffy shrugged. "It happens."

"Only to you." Dawn shook her head. "I'll see you soon, Buffy."

"Take care of yourselves."

"I will." Dawn got in the car and she and Jeremy waved as they drove off.

* * *

><p>Buffy followed Elena out onto Wickery Bridge. As they'd come back from their shopping spree that afternoon, Elena had asked Buffy to pull over. She'd gotten out of the car and walked out to the middle of the old bridge. The teen stood there and looked down at the water below.<br>"You're not planning on jumping are you?" Buffy asked.

"No. I was just thinking about something Matt said last night." Elena said.

"What's that?"

"He said we were stuck in this life. And he was right. I do feel stuck. I feel like I've been holding on to the girl who was supposed to die here with her parents. The girl that had a normal life and didn't fall in love with vampires."

Buffy nodded. "I used to feel that way. One minute I was sitting on the steps of my high school in LA…. Popular, a cheerleader…. I was on top of the world…. And then the next minute it was all yanked out from under me. I felt completely trapped by my life as a Slayer. As a girl who falls in love with vampires and fulfilled prophecies as the Chosen One. But I learned that holding on to that old life…. It only made things worse. You're not that girl anymore and it's ok if you want to let her go."

"Is it? Because I feel like I've disappointed her a little. Like…. Like I disappointed _them_. My parents."

Buffy shook her head. "Elena, they would be so proud of you."

"How could you know that?"

"Because I'm so very proud of you." Buffy smiled. "Hold on." She disappeared for a second and reappeared holding a bouquet of wildflowers. "Here lies Elena Gilbert. The best daughter and the most amazing friend anyone could ask for." Buffy tossed all but one flower over the bridge and into the water.

She handed Elena the last flower and Elena smiled slightly, throwing the flower in with the others. "May she rest in peace."

* * *

><p>Later that evening, Buffy and Damon followed Liz through the woods. "A hiker called it in." Liz was saying. "My guys got here first."<p>

"Another hybrid?" Buffy asked.

"That's what I thought at first." They came to a stop in front of the body of a staked human. "Brian Walters. The medical examiner."

"What's with the stake? He's not a vampire."

"No. This was a murder."

Buffy and Damon looked at Liz in confusion.


	51. Chapter 51

_**A/N Sadly we have to wait another week before we get to see a new episode! Hopefully this will hold everyone over! Enjoy...**_

Chapter 51

Damon and Elena smiled at each other as they tiptoed into his and Buffy's room. Buffy was still asleep, buried under the covers. Elena had come over early with a cake that she'd made and decorated herself.

"I'm not blowing those candles out." Buffy said from under the covers.

Elena scoffed in surprise and Damon rolled his eyes. "Not all of your birthdays are bad." He protested.

"Yes they are."

Damon walked over to the bed and slipped in next to her. "They haven't had me in them."

"Or me." Elena said as she set the cake down. She walked over to the other side of the bed and joined Buffy and Damon. "You made me celebrate my 18th. I'm going to make you celebrate your 30th. They're pretty big years in a girls' life."

"Ugh!" Buffy poked her head out of the covers. "Please don't remind me that I've officially left my twenties."

"If it makes you feel any better, you're technically still 29. You did die and become a vampire a couple of weeks ago."

Buffy thought about that for a moment. "I can go for that idea."

"Well, if that's all it takes to cheer you up about your birthday, then I'm sending these presents back." Damon said, starting to get out of the bed.

Buffy stopped him. "I still enjoy presents."

Damon smiled and kissed her gently but passionately. "Good." He handed her a Pandora bag. "I had them measure Elena's wrist since hers is pretty close to yours."

"And Damon let me pick out the first bead." Elena opened the gift box that held the bracelet and pointed to the bead. "It's a little witch. It's the closest thing to something supernatural they had other than a jack-o'-lantern."

"And I picked out the airplane." Damon said, fingering the tiny airplane bead. "That was our story to everyone about how we met."

"Travelling." Buffy said.

"At LAX." Damon added.

"What're these for?" She toyed with the cupcake bead and the purse with a pink stone.  
>"Well, you love to shop."<p>

"And it's your birthday." Elena said. Damon pulled out another box and handed it to Elena. "I also got you some sparkle to go with that diamond ring Damon gave you."

Buffy pulled out a blue Tiffany's earring box. "Elena…." Inside were two small diamond studs. "They're beautiful. This is too much."

Elena shook her head. "It's not enough. After everything you've done for me and Jeremy…. And everybody…. You deserve so much more." She hugged Buffy tightly.

"Thank you." Buffy turned to her boyfriend and laid her hand on his cheek, stroking gently with her thumb. "And thank you."

"See?" Damon asked, kissing her palm. "It's not a bad birthday."

"The day's not over yet." Buffy eyed the cake with the melting candles. "So, cake for breakfast?"

* * *

><p>Buffy and Elena made their way to the old witch house where Bonnie was waiting. Stefan had pissed Buffy off, so now she was bringing Elena in on the plan. Bonnie smiled brightly when she saw Buffy. "Happy Birthday!" She hugged Buffy tightly.<p>

"Thank you." Buffy said.

"Let me see it!" Bonnie took Buffy's hand and inspected the bracelet on her wrist. "It's so pretty!"

"You knew?"

"Oh yeah. Elena and I were talking about which bead to get you. Do you like the little witch?"

"I love it."

"And the earrings?"

Buffy lifted her hair to show of the earrings. "Gorgeous. When did you guys have time to do this?"

"While you were holed up and hiding from us." Elena said.

"When Damon went out to buy the ring?"

"Yes. Though we didn't know he was buying the ring."

"Yeah. He just told us the trip to Richmond was for your birthday present." Bonnie said. "Caroline said she's going to bring you her present later."

"Oh. I still need to give her hers from me and Damon." Buffy glanced at the coffins. "So, any luck?"

"No, but I've been having more dreams."

"What are they?"

"They're always the same. I find the coffin, Klaus shows up and bites me, then I wake up inside the coffin. When I start screaming for help, this woman opens it. I've been having these dreams for days now. It's like the witches are trying to send me a message."

"I just can't believe that you guys have kept this from me this whole time." Elena said.

"Stefan thought if you knew where the coffins were, Klaus could threaten people to get the information out of you." Buffy said. "But I no longer care what Stefan thinks."

Elena nodded. "So these are the rest of his family?"

"Yeah. Elijah and two others." Buffy walked over to the locked coffin. "This one…. Is the one we can't open. We don't know who's in it or what's in it."

"Only that I think my dream's telling me that it will help kill Klaus." Bonnie added.

Buffy rolled her eyes and crossed her arms. "I owe you a serious ass beating."

Elena and Bonnie pointed to themselves in surprise, but Buffy shook her head and pointed to the stairs. Stefan was walking into the room. "What the hell are you doing?"

"She needed to know about the coffins."

"And I needed you to keep her out of it."

"Well, I stopped giving a rat's ass what you needed the minute you put her in danger."

Elena looked at Stefan. "So what are you gonna do, Stefan? Are you gonna kidnap me so that I won't tell anyone?"

"Don't tempt me, Elena." Stefan said.

"You do realize that Buffy is going to rip your head off your shoulders if you threaten me again?"

"I think I know who can open the coffin, Stefan." Bonnie said. "And I need Elena to help me find her."

"Find who?" Stefan asked. "What are you talking about?"

"I couldn't place her face at first." Bonnie said, pulling out a small photo from her pocket. "Then I realized…." She showed the photo to Elena.

"Oh my god, Bonnie…." Elena said.

Stefan started to reach out, but Buffy was suddenly in front of him. Bonnie handed Buffy the photo. "Who is this?" Buffy asked.

"It's my mom." Bonnie said.

"Her mom left when she was just a kid." Elena explained. "There's been no sign of her since."

"So let's get cracking." Buffy said. "Elena you and Bonnie go to Liz and get her help while I go get a little special help of my own."

"What are you gonna do?" Stefan asked.

"Wouldn't you like to know?" Buffy held out her arms and ushered Elena and Bonnie up the stairs.

* * *

><p>Damon glanced down at Buffy as they got out of his car in front of Elena's house. "You know, you still haven't given me an answer to my question."<p>

Buffy shook her head. "Nope."

"Are you ever going to?"

"Eventually."

Damon grabbed her hand and she stopped. "Look, I was serious about it. I love you and I want to spend the rest of eternity with you. Honestly, if it's not what you want, I get it and I won't be mad or upset. But don't leave me hanging."

Buffy smiled slightly. "I'm not the marrying type."

"Neither am I."

"So why did you ask?"

"Because it seemed natural. Even if we never actually get married…. Because, let's face it, we're both dead…. One of us longer than the other…."  
>"Yeah, you're birth certificate says 1844. That might look a little suspicious when we go to apply for a marriage license."<p>

He smirked. "It would still be…." Damon had to search for the right word. "Comforting…. To know that we have that title at least. It seems a lot more solid…. And let's face it, better than boyfriend/girlfriend."

"You make a good argument."

"And?"

Buffy thought a second. "Ok. We can upgrade our titles to fiancé." Buffy looked at a squirrel sitting on the tree. "This is my fiancé Damon."

"I like it." He wrapped an arm around her neck and pulled her to him, kissing her passionately.

"Come on. Let's go give Bonnie the good news." Buffy said after a long, breathless moment.

"Which?"

Buffy held up the folder she was holding. "That we found her mother."

"I was bound to see my mother again sooner or later." Bonnie said inside the house.

"Sooner." Damon said as he and Buffy walked in. Bonnie and Elena looked startled.

Buffy held up the folder to show them. "Abby Bennett-Wilson. Monroe, North Carolina. Born in Mystic Falls Hospital. Graduated Mystic Falls High School." She handed the folder to Bonnie.

"A little compulsion to help speed up the research process." Damon said.

"And a little witchy help from England to point us in the right direction." Buffy added. "Willow says hi."

"This is her." Bonnie said, staring at the photograph.

"You guys have a great trip. If anything goes wrong, call me."

"You're not going?" Elena asked.

"Nope." Damon said. "It's her birthday and I'm treating her to a special day, all day to prove that not all Buffy Birthdays are a bad thing."

"And something will come up to prove him wrong." Buffy said.

"You sound so sure."

"Because I am so sure."

"Have fun today." Elena said, hugging Buffy. "I'll see you when we get back. Alaric and I are making dinner for you."

"You guys don't have to."

"I know." Elena and Bonnie waved as they walked out the door.

Buffy's cell phone started ringing just as the door clicked into place. "Hey Caroline."

"Happy Birthday!" Caroline cried on the other end.

"Thank you."

"Where are you? I need to give you my present."

"I'm at Elena's, but I'm getting ready to head to the Grill with Damon for lunch."

"Stay at Elena's. I'm right down the street."

"Ok. I'll see you in a minute." Buffy hung up. "It's a good thing I have her present in my bag."

* * *

><p>Buffy and Damon walked into the Grill. Caroline had given Buffy a necklace to match Elena's earrings and Damon's ring. It was a diamond journey necklace with five diamonds that grew in size as they made a wavy line. Buffy had gotten Caroline a pearl necklace and earrings set. She'd spotted it in an antique store and knew that Caroline would love it.<p>

"So, uh…. Next time, dinner?" Alaric asked the woman he was sitting with.

"Yeah. That'd be great." The woman said.

"Take care."

"Bye." She walked off past Buffy and Damon.

Alaric smiled at Buffy. "Hey birthday girl. How's the big 3-0 going?"

"So far so good. I'm still waiting for the badness to start."

"Which it won't." Damon said.

"Yeah. Ok. So, Rick, who was that?" Buffy asked, sitting down in the chair Alaric offered her.

"That was my doctor." Alaric said.

"She's a doctor?" Damon asked, sitting down opposite from Alaric.

"Yeah."

"What's her damage?"

"No damage."

"Come on, Rick. Fact of life: Girl that hot, that smart…. Damage." Damon caught the glare Buffy was shooting him. "You're living proof."

"The bad is about to happen." Buffy threatened.

"Hey. I think you're perfect. Damage and all." He kissed her cheek and she rolled her eyes.

"I have been looking for red flags." Alaric admitted, shaking his head at the couple. "Her, uh…. Her ex called her a psycho case the other day."

"If it comes from her ex, it doesn't count." Buffy said.

"I wonder what my exes would call me?"

"Nothing. They're all dead." Damon said.

"Huh…. Well, her ex is the medical examiner, so…. He's dead adjacent."

"She dated the medical examiner?" Buffy asked.

"Mm-hmm."

"He's not dead adjacent. He's just plain dead."

"What?"

"He was murdered. The sheriff is trying to keep a lid on it because he was staked like a vampire."

"Well, Meredith didn't say anything about that."

"Red flag number two." Damon interjected.

Alaric ignored Damon and looked at Buffy. "Who do you think killed him?"

"I don't know, but if I were a cop, your lady friend would definitely be a suspect." Buffy said.

"We can always check her out for you." Damon said.

"I can handle this." Alaric said. "In fact, please let me handle it."

"Ok." Buffy said. "She's all yours, but if she tries to kill you, I hope she's supernatural so you can come back from it."

Alaric snorted. "Thanks. I'll see you guys later." He stood up and grabbed his bill.

"You know that I'm not going to let him handle it, right?" Damon said as soon as Alaric was out of earshot.

"Well, I'm staying out of it." Buffy said.

"What?"

"It's my birthday and I am relaxing today."

"You don't want to come with me to the hospital to check out Dr. Love?"

"Nope. I'm staying out of it today. I'm avoiding the bad, not looking for it."

"But if I went tomorrow…."

"Which you won't. You're too impatient."

"But if I went tomorrow, then you would go?"

"Maybe." Buffy looked down at the menu.

* * *

><p>Buffy walked into her house minus Damon and set down her purse. She'd let him go to the hospital after dropping her off at their house. He'd been itching to go talk to Alaric's doctor friend. Buffy made her way to the stairs and then sighed when a figure dislodged itself from the shadows of the library.<p>

"Maybe I should've stayed human to keep unwanted houseguests out."

Klaus shrugged. "It's a downside."

"What do you want?"

"I just came for a chat."

"I'm not telling you where the coffins are."

"I didn't think you would. And I don't fancy torturing you today. After all, it is your birthday."

"Seriously? You just came by to wish me a happy birthday?" She shook her head. "This is surreal."

"Well, I stopped by to chat with Stefan and then I decided to wait until you got home. Where's your boyfriend?"

"Snooping. Why was Stefan here?"

"He lives here, doesn't he?"

"After that stunt he pulled with Elena he's lucky I don't kick his ass out on the street."

"That was a nasty thing for him to do." Buffy didn't reply. She just stared at Klaus. He smiled. "Well, since it's your birthday, I have a present for you." He held out his hand to her and waited. She sighed and shook her head, taking his hand and letting him lead her into the library. "I know that you lost a lot when Sunnydale turned into a crater, but I managed to dig up something for you." He grabbed a beautifully wrapped present off the liquor table and handed it to her.

"It's not going to bite me, is it? A lot of things in Sunnydale did that."

"I promise. No biting." Buffy nodded and tore open the wrapping paper, purposely destroying it. She opened the box and gasped.

"Klaus…." Buffy was staring at a framed picture of her, her mother, and Dawn. It had been hanging on the wall in the living room. Underneath that was a framed picture of her, Xander, Willow, and Giles all sitting in the library at Sunnydale High School. She remembered taking that picture. It was just before they'd cleared out the library to blow up the school and the Mayor. Buffy still had her bandage on her neck from Angel's bite. "How…."

"I had some friends of mine do some digging through some photo labs in California. They managed to find these negatives at one of them. Did you know they kept copies of those things?"

"Why did you do this?"

"I told you…. Because I do actually like you and…."

"You're not all bad." Buffy shook her head, looking at the pictures. "I don't know what to say."

"'Thank you, Klaus' would suffice."

"Thank you, Klaus."

"And maybe a hug?" Buffy glared at him. "Oh well…. It was worth a shot. There's a card in there. It contains a disc with more of those lost pictures on there."

"I never thought I'd see these pictures again."

Klaus smiled slightly. "So, what did your boyfriend get you?" He fingered the bracelet and its four beads. "A charm bracelet?"

"It's a Pandora. It's expensive and it means a lot to me."

"Yes, well…. We can all get you pretty, shiny, expensive baubles, but in the end you're a sentimental girl. Presents with deeper meaning make you happiest."

"The bracelet has a deeper meaning to me. I love it."

"But you love the pictures more."

"This isn't a contest. There is no contest."

"Isn't there?"

"I love Damon. I choose Damon. Why does everyone question that?"

"Ah, Angel…. He was quite selfish in asking you to run away with him. Oh well…. One less suitor for your heart for me to contend with."

"Stop it! You're not a contender for my heart. There is only one person that I love and there is only one person that I'm choosing. And it's not you. Please leave."

Klaus smiled. "I'll see you soon, love." And with that, he was gone. Buffy shook her head angrily and took a few deep breaths. After trying to call Damon unsuccessfully, she set the pictures down on the table and marched to the front door. Grabbing her purse, she raced out the door and over to Alaric's apartment.

"Buffy…." He was surprised by her sudden appearance. "What's wrong?" He stopped pumping weights and sat up.

"Klaus. Damn him!"

"What's he done?"

"He's just…. Ugh!"

"Ok…. Calm down. Your emotions are getting crazy…."

"I know that!"

"Breathe, ok?"

Buffy took another few deep breaths and sat down. "I love this bracelet."

"Ok."

"I love Damon."

"I know."

"Why is he trying to make me question myself? My decisions?"

"We're starting to get somewhere."

Buffy sighed. "When I went home, Klaus was there. He had a birthday present for me."

"You're still alive, so it wasn't anything bad."

"It was pictures."

"Pictures?"

"Yes. Pictures that I'd lost when Sunnydale collapsed. Pictures of my mom and Giles and…. He somehow found them and gave them back to me."

Alaric shook his head. "Wow."

"Yeah."

"He's trying to get under your skin. You can't let him."

"He's trying to break Damon and me up. He wants me for himself."

Just then, Damon opened the door and walked in. "Sweetheart, what are you doing here? I thought you were at home pampering yourself till I got back."

"Well, the house was a bit infested." Buffy said with a sneer.

"What happened? Are you ok?"

"I'm fine. It was Klaus. He's a real jerk."

"Uh, yeah."

"What are you doing here?" Alaric asked.  
>"Just looking for a bunny. You're good…. For now."<p>

"You still obsessed with Meredith? I mean, don't you have an Original vampire to worry about?"

"You know, you might want to continue your work out. You're gonna want to buff up if you start dating this one. Self-defense and all…."

"What is your problem?"

"Your doctor vervained me. And then she blood-jacked me."

"What?" Buffy asked.

"When did you even see her?" Alaric asked.

"When I went to the hospital to accuse her of killing her ex-boyfriend." Damon said, sitting down next to Buffy. "Which, by the way, very sensitive subject."

"It usually is." Buffy said.

"Damon!" Alaric said. "What the hell are you doing, huh?"

"Why are you mad at me?" Damon asked.

"I told you I'd handle this!"

"I proved your theory. Diagnosed psycho case. You're welcome." Damon looked at Buffy. "What happened with Klaus?"

"He's still trying to get between us." Buffy said.

"Big surprise. When's he gonna realize that I win that battle?"

Buffy shook her head. "I think never."

"What are you going to do about the present he gave you?" Alaric asked.

"He gave you a present?" Damon asked.

"Yeah. I don't know what to do about it. I mean…. I never thought I'd see any of those pictures again. I can't just…. throw them out."

"Even though they're from Klaus?" Alaric asked.

"What pictures?" Damon asked.

"Klaus found pictures that I'd lost in Sunnydale. He had his hybrids go to a bunch of photo places in California and he actually found them. I haven't looked at the disc to see what else is on there, but he framed two of them." Buffy sighed. "I can't throw those away."

Damon groaned. "I'll hand him this: He's good. I wish I would have thought of that."

"Damon…."

"No, you know what? Put the pictures up. They're your memories. Just because Klaus gave them back to you doesn't mean that they're anything special to him. Forget that he even gave them to you."

"Are you sure?"

Damon took Buffy's hand. "Sweetheart, it would kill you to throw those pictures away. I don't care that he gave them to you because I know that what we have is stronger than anything he's offering."

Buffy smiled. "Ok. I won't get rid of them." Her cell phone chirped and when she looked at the text, her face fell.

"What's wrong?" Alaric asked.

Buffy looked at Damon. "We've got to get to the coffins. Now."

"Why?" Damon asked.

"Bonnie's mother kidnapped her and she's told one of Klaus's hybrids where the coffins are hidden."

"You're faster than me. Go. I'll catch up."

Buffy nodded and was gone in a flash.

* * *

><p>Damon walked down into the basement of the witches' house and noticed that the coffins were missing. He knew that Buffy had only gotten one out since she'd texted him on her way out of town with it. So he knew that Klaus must be waiting.<p>

"What took you so long?" Klaus dislodged himself from the shadows. "Hiding behind your witchy friends and in squalor no less." The candle flames suddenly flared and Klaus screamed, falling to his knees.

Damon looked around and smiled. "Insulting a bunch of dead witches? Not smart. I made the exact same mistake when I came in here."

"Well, you know the funny thing about witches is that living or dead, they care about their own. A hundred dead witches for the thousand living descendants…." He screamed again and grabbed his head. "And I have no problem killing every last one of them if I don't get my coffins back! As we speak, my hybrid friend is prepared to end the Bennett line." The flames died down and Klaus straightened up. "Now…. Please, show me the coffins." The coffins appeared sitting in the same positions they'd been in when Damon had last saw them with the exception of one. "Here we are." Klaus counted them and noticed that one was missing. "Where's the fourth?" Damon didn't answer. "Show me!"

"They can't." Klaus and Damon turned to see Buffy standing in the doorway. Damon smiled and moved over towards her. "It's not here."

"What did you do?" Klaus asked, moving towards Buffy.

She wasn't intimidated. "Bonnie gave me the heads up. I didn't have time to get all four…. I'm a little thing and even with limitless strength and all, my arms are still so short! But I did have time to get one."

Klaus moved closer to her and got in her face. "I will tear your boyfriend limb from limb while you watch. And only then, when he's a writhing mass of blood and flesh and you're begging me to stop, will I rip his heart from his chest."

"Threatening my fiancé?" Buffy laughed and it actually sent cold shivers down Damon's back. She moved even closer to Klaus and said in his ear, "The same rules apply here, love. It's called leverage." She moved back an inch and stared up into his eyes. "I know you want your family back, but something tells me that you want what's in that coffin a lot more." She smirked and patted his surprised face. "See you later." Buffy took Damon's hand and they walked off.

* * *

><p>Buffy sat in the living room in front of a roaring fire reading a book. Damon was upstairs taking a shower. Just then, the front door opened and Stefan walked in. "I see you're still alive. I assume Klaus didn't get his coffins."<p>

Buffy rolled her eyes. "Don't look so happy. I was only able to get the locked one out in time."

"Probably a good choice."

"I know."

"If you're banking on Bonnie's mother to open it, you're screwed. She doesn't have any powers."

"Doesn't surprise me. It's been that kind of night."

"Is Elena ok? She hasn't called."

"She's fine." Stefan started to walk out, but he turned back around. "I'm sorry."

"What?"

"For what I did to Elena…. I'm sorry."

"You should apologize to her."

"I did." Buffy looked surprised. "We talked."

"Oh."

Stefan walked over and sat down in front of Buffy. He pulled out a little box from his pocket. "Here."

"What is it?" She opened the box and found a little silver suitcase Pandora bead.

"I figured that you'd want something to remind you of Lexi. I heard that Damon got you that bracelet, so I thought this would suffice since you two liked to travel."

"Oh…. Uh…. Thank you."

"Happy Birthday, Buffy." He got up and headed for the door.

"Stefan?"

He stopped and turned. Buffy was holding up a dagger. "Where did you get that?"

"I borrowed it from Elijah." She smirked.


	52. Chapter 52

Chapter 52

Buffy was putting her hair up in a ponytail when her phone rang. She didn't recognize the number. "Hello?"

"Hello Buffy."

"Elijah. Welcome back."

"You wanted to meet with me?"

"Yes."

"Now. There's a clearing in the woods not too far from your house. It's just east of it."

"I'll be there." She hung up and turned around, heading out of her room and abandoning the ponytail. Damon was downstairs fixing them drinks. "Hey."

"You're hair's a mess." Damon said, kissing her cheek.

"Your fault."

"Had to end your birthday with a bang." He smirked.

"Yeah. Come on."

"Where are we going?"

"To meet Elijah."

"What?"

"He called. Let's go." Buffy led the way out the back door, making sure Stefan didn't hear them. Just as they walked through the tree line, Buffy's phone rang again. "Good morning, Elena."

"Hey. Sorry about dinner last night." Elena said.

"It's fine. It was a bad day."

"We'll raincheck it for another night. Listen, we've got a problem."

"When don't we?"

"Sheriff Forbes came by just now. She found fingerprints on the stake used to kill the medical examiner."

"Rick's girlfriend?"

"Nope. Mine."

Buffy stopped dead and caused Damon to run into her. He bounced off of her and fell to the ground with an annoyed look. Buffy didn't move an inch. "What do you mean?"

"The only clean prints she found on the stake were mine because the stakes are the ones that you made for Alaric and I."

"Making you the prime suspect." Buffy said as she helped Damon to his feet.

"She doesn't think that I did it. She's just trying to find out why someone used one of my family's weapons to kill a Council member."

"Just ask Rick if his dirty little doctor had access to the weapons." Damon said, leaning close to Buffy to speak into the phone. He smirked and kissed her before pulling away.

"You're on speakerphone, dick." Alaric said. Buffy held her phone out and put it on speakerphone.

"I'm just saying…. The first suspect's usually the right one. Don't get so defensive." Damon said.

"Brian Walters was killed days ago. I didn't show Meredith this stuff until last night."

"It wasn't Meredith." Elena said.

"Brian Walters was her ex-boyfriend and Rick saw them fighting that night."

"It's not Meredith, ok? I refuse to believe your love life is that tragic."

"Who else knows about your weapons stash?" Buffy asked.

"A dozen. I've got weapons here, the school, my loft, your car, Damon's car, your house…." Alaric said.

"It's Klaus." Damon said. "He's just screwing with us."

"I wonder if it was Stefan." Elena said. "He was crazy that night. You know, he was trying to get under Klaus's skin…. He was capable of pretty much anything."

"Oh…. Makes me nostalgic for the time when Stefan was a bunny snacking pacifist."

Buffy spotted Elijah. "Gotta go, guys."

"Hey, where are you?" Alaric asked.

"Tea with an old friend." Buffy hung up. "Elijah."

"My favorite Original!" Damon said. "Back from the dead. You clean up nice."

Elijah reached into his inside pocket and produced the note Buffy had left him. "You left something in my jacket pocket."

Buffy smiled slightly. "Sure did. 'Dear Elijah, let's get together and plot the destruction of your brother. Here's my number.'"

Elijah looked Buffy up and down for a moment. "You're different."

Buffy chose not to answer him. "Was I right to un-dagger you or are we going to have a problem?"

"I'm here. Let's talk."

"I'll start with an easy question: Any idea what kind of Klaus-killing weapon could be magically sealed in a mystery coffin?"

"I have no idea what you're talking about."

Buffy nodded. "Thought not. Your brother likes his secrets."

"Yes."

"Let's arrange a sit down then."

"What?" Damon asked.

"You and Klaus with Damon, Stefan, and myself."

"What are we to discuss?" Elijah asked.

"Terms of surrendering the coffin to him."

"What? Have you lost your mind, sweetheart?" Damon asked.

"Damon! Hush." Buffy turned back to Elijah. "Well?"

"I'll call you with the time." Elijah said.

"Thank you." Buffy turned and started to walk off with Damon right behind her.

"The change suits you." Elijah said, causing Buffy to turn back around. "You make an exquisite vampire." He turned and disappeared.

"We are not calling a truce!" Damon said. "Are you crazy?"

"Nope. And we're _not_ calling a truce." Buffy said.

"Then what are we doing?"

"Stalling. Bonnie and her mother are working on getting that coffin open. Willow's sent over some spells to Bonnie for them to work on. If we can get that thing open today, then we've got leverage against Klaus. We win."

"When did you become so devious?"

Buffy shrugged. "It's always been in me," She grabbed his jacket and pulled Damon to her. "I just needed a good mentor to help me hone my skills." He smirked and brought her lips to his.

* * *

><p>Buffy sat in Stefan's room waiting for him to come out of the bathroom. Elijah had called with what time Klaus had agreed to and the details of their plan. Elijah seemed to be on their side once again.<p>

Stefan jumped slightly when he saw her, but she just smiled and tossed him a shirt. "Get dressed. You, Damon, and I are going out."

"Yeah, sorry…. Not interested." Stefan tossed the shirt back to her.

"I didn't ask. Elijah and I have scheduled a very old fashioned sit down with us and Klaus." She tossed the shirt back to Stefan. "Stick with the black since you like to look all villain-y."

Stefan rolled his eyes. "Klaus won't make a deal, Buffy."

"I know. And he doesn't have to. It's called buying time to give our wicked witches a chance to pop the top off the coffin like a can of Coke."

"So, that's your plan? Stall Klaus?"

"You got a better one? Cause we're running out of options. You going all postal on his hybrids did that, by the way."

"So you release an Original to help Klaus out?"

"Un-daggering Elijah was smart, Stefan. After what Klaus did to him, he's in vengeance mode. It's perfect."

"There's nothing smart about trusting Elijah. He screwed us over the last time he helped us kill Klaus."

"The way you've been acting, I trust him about as much as I trust you." She didn't miss the flinch in his eyes. She sighed. "Look, I don't trust Elijah. But he's a lot more reliable than Klaus."

"Why don't you use your new super strength to take Klaus's head off or rip out his heart?"

"Because I'm pretty sure that it won't kill him."

"Then why did you change?"

"To protect my family. I can fight Klaus…. Probably till the cows come home…. But I need whatever's in that coffin to kill him. Now, please, get dressed and get happy. We're going to negotiate a fake truce and I don't want your attitude screwing it up." She walked out of Stefan's room and headed down to her and Damon's.

"How do I look?" Damon asked, showing off his black pants and burgundy sweater.

"Delicious." Buffy smiled.

"Is Stefan coming?"

"I didn't give him a choice." She made her way to their closet and started going through dresses. She grabbed a black dress with a white block of fabric that curved under her chest and went down just the front, creating the illusion of an hour glass figure when she put it on. She grabbed a pair of nude colored heels and left her hair up in the messy ponytail.

"You look nice." Damon said, admiring the tight dress.

Buffy shrugged. "Maybe it'll distract Klaus and make him take the fake truce."

* * *

><p>Damon, Buffy, and Stefan waited outside Klaus's house. The place looked good from the outside. The last time Buffy and Stefan had been there, the place had been under major renovations. Now it looked completed.<p>

Elijah opened the front door. "Nicklaus, our guests have arrived." He called.

Damon walked in first, followed by Buffy and then Stefan. Klaus stood off to the side of the foyer. "Damon, Stefan…." He took Buffy's hand with a smile, kissing her knuckles. "My darling." He wound her hand through his arm and held it there like a gentleman. "Elijah tells me you seek an audience. Very bold." He led them to a room just off the foyer where a table for five was elegantly set up and three girls all dressed in black skirts and gold tops stood off to the side. "Let's discuss our agreement like civilized people, shall we?" He gestured to the table, still holding Buffy's hand through his arm.

"It's better to indulge him." Elijah said.

"I didn't come here to eat, Klaus." Stefan said. "In fact, I didn't want to come here at all, but I was told I had to…." He shot a pointed look at Buffy. "Cause you wouldn't hear us out."

Klaus chuckled. "Well, we can sit and eat or I can reach down your throats and pull out your insides. Sweetheart," He held out a chair for Buffy and helped her into it. "You look ravishing tonight, by the way." Klaus looked at Damon and Stefan expectantly as he sat down to Buffy's right. "The choice is yours." Damon sat down on Buffy's left and Elijah sat down to Klaus's right, leaving the chair between Damon and Elijah empty.

"Sit down, Stefan." Buffy said, her tone leaving no room for argument. Stefan glared at her as he sat down.

Klaus smiled. "Girls." Two of the three girls moved off to start serving the food and wine. Klaus looked at Buffy. "I hope you like Cabernet sauvignon."

Buffy shrugged. "I don't mind it."

"What's your preference?"

"A good Riesling, actually."

"That's no problem. I have some down in the cellar." He motioned to the third girl and she disappeared.

"Damon is the red wine drinker of the two of us." She shot him a smile and he returned it, making Klaus glare for a second.

"I'm sure you two have fun trips to wineries."

Buffy smirked slightly. "Well, we haven't gone since I turned. Maybe my tastes have altered a bit."

"There's a lovely vineyard in Louisa with this divine dessert wine infused with chocolate."

"Sounds delightful. Damon, we'll have to go sometime."

"Can't wait." Damon said, taking her hand.

Klaus didn't miss his exclusion, but he didn't let it deter him. "I'll have one of my girls bring up a bottle of the Noche Chocolate wine for you to take home."

"That would be lovely." Buffy said. She didn't miss Elijah's smirk. She was playing along with Klaus's civility game and still snubbing him at the same time like an old pro.

The food was finally served and the five of them ate in relative silence except for Stefan. Klaus looked over at him. "You lost your appetite."

"Eat." Damon said. "I thought we agreed that we would leave the grumpy Stefan at home?"

Stefan rolled his eyes and picked up his knife and fork. "That's the spirit." Klaus said. He looked at Buffy. "Isn't this nice? The five of us dining together. It's such a treat. Is this what you had in mind when you pulled the dagger out of my brother?"

Buffy smiled. "Well, I know how he felt about you, so I figured the more the merrier."

"Well, Elijah and I have had our quarrels over the centuries, but we always make it through."

"Kind of like, uh, Rebekah, right?" Stefan asked. "Where is she, by the way? Last I checked she was still daggered because you were afraid to face her."

"If you're referring to the fact that Rebekah knows I killed our mother, I've already come clean to Elijah."

"Hey, Stef," Damon said. "You remember when you killed dad? You might want to dial down the judgment till dessert."

"We're here to make a deal, Damon. It doesn't mean we have to kiss his ass for seven courses." Stefan retorted.

"I'm just saying, we have a long evening ahead of us. Pace yourself."

Buffy's cell phone started ringing in her purse. "Oh, I thought I turned that off." She grabbed it and looked at the number. "It's Caroline."

"Don't answer it." Damon said.  
>"Oh, go ahead." Klaus said. "It may be important."<p>

Buffy shook her head and sent Caroline a text saying she'd call her back. "It's ok. My attention is here."

"Stefan, where is the lovely Elena tonight?" Elijah asked.

"I don't know." Stefan said. "Ask Buffy. She's her guardian."

"Not anymore." Buffy said. "Elena's 18 now."

"The way she acts…. You should probably keep a close eye on her. 18 or not."

"Well, if certain people would stop acting like a complete jackass towards her, then she wouldn't have to react to things the way she does."

Klaus chuckled and Elijah looked puzzled. "I'm sorry. You've missed so much. Uh, trouble in paradise."

"Well, he did try to drive her off a bridge." Buffy said, shooting a cold look at Stefan. "I think that constitutes as a category five hurricane in paradise."

"One more word about Elena and, uh, this dinner's over." Stefan said.

"One more snarky comment from you and my salad fork goes through your eye." Buffy smiled sweetly and Klaus laughed loudly at the exchange.

"You know what? It's probably best to put Elena in the 'do not discuss' pile." Damon said, trying to keep the peace. Buffy was still a new vampire, despite how good at it she was, and her emotions could still get out of control.

"You're probably right." Klaus said. "It's just…. The allure of the Petrova doppelgänger…. Still so strong! What do you say, brother? Should we tell them about Tatia?"

"Now why should we discuss matters long since resolved?" Elijah said.

"Oh, given their shared affection for Elena," Klaus motioned to Buffy and Stefan. "And Katerina," He motioned to Damon and Stefan. "Our guests might be curious to learn about the originator of the Petrova line."

"We're not going anywhere Elijah." Damon said. "Please, do tell."

"When our family first settled here, there was a girl named Tatia." Elijah said. "She was an exquisite beauty, much like the lovely Miss Summers here…. Every boy of age desired to be her suitor even though she'd had a child by another man…. And none loved her more than Nicklaus."

"Oh, I'd say there was one who loved her at least as much." Klaus said.

"Wait, so…. You both loved the same girl?" Stefan asked.

"Our mother was a very powerful witch." Elijah said. "She sought to end our feud over Tatia, so she took her. Klaus and I would later learn that it was Tatia's blood that we'd consumed on the night that our mother performed the spell which turned us into vampires. Tatia wouldn't make a decision between the two of us, so for a time Nicklaus and I grew estranged. Harsh words were traded. We even came to blows, didn't we brother?"

"Well, in the end we recognized the sacred bond of family."

"Family above all." Elijah raised his glass to toast Klaus."

Klaus followed suit. "Family above all."

The girls came back and began to clear the table off. While they worked, Buffy's cell phone vibrated. She checked the message from Bonnie saying they were close and needed just a little more time. Buffy refrained from sighing and smiled up at Klaus when he started to lean over to see what she was doing.

"So why don't we move this evening along and discuss the terms of this proposal?" Elijah suggested.

"It's very simple." Buffy said. "Klaus gets his coffin back. In exchange, he and the entire extended Original family leave Mystic Falls forever. Myself, Damon, Elena, and Stefan live happily ever after. No grudges and I'll even send you, Elijah, an invite to the wedding if I ever decide to have one."

"The deal sounds fair brother."

"I don't think you understand." Klaus said. "Elena's doppelgänger blood ensures that I will always have more hybrids to fight those that oppose me. I will never leave her behind." After a second, Klaus stood up. "Let's say I do leave her here under your protection. How long before one of you turns her into a vampire? Or worse, she gets caught in the cross fire in one of your many battles, Buffy? After all, you still wear the Slayer mantle despite your recent change. You see, each of you believe that you're the one that can protect her and that is simply a delusion. The worst thing for Elena Gilbert is the three of you."

Buffy raised an eyebrow. "Is there nothing you won't do or say to get what you want? Do you honestly believe that I would hurt Elena?"

"Not intentionally, no. But look at your track record. How many friends have you lost in your young life because they followed you into battle? May I remind you of what happened to your friend Xander? Elena would follow you anywhere. It's understandable, but she wants a normal life…. The same as you once did…. But she can never have that with you around."

Buffy stood up and moved towards Klaus. "And you honestly believe that she can have that with you around always wanting a blood donation from her?"

"Yes. I do."

"I would never ask Elena to do anything that would put her in danger."

"Like I said, not intentionally. I know you pretty well by now, Buffy. And I also know that the bad things that happen to your friends are never intended on your part, but in the end…. It's always your fault."

"That's not true."

"It's nothing but the truth."

"I need some air." Buffy said suddenly. She turned on her heel and walked out.

"Buffy…." Damon started as he followed her.

"Let me deal with this." Elijah said, following Damon out after Buffy. He found them waiting outside.

"It's not true what he said. Elena is perfectly safe with you." Damon said, holding her hand and gently rubbing her back. He looked at Elijah. "Did you un-dagger the rest of your family?"

"They should be awake any moment."

"Let's go let them in on the secret." Buffy started back into the house, but Elijah stopped her.

"Allow me. They trust me."

"Rebekah trusts me."

"That may be, but the others don't know you and though you are a vampire, you still exude a Slayer's essence. And a very powerful one at that."

"Oh."

"I'll meet you at the foot of the stairs in a few moments." Elijah disappeared up onto a second story balcony.

Buffy looked at Damon. "Klaus is right about Elena. She'll follow me anywhere and I will end up getting her killed."

"No." Damon said. "Baby, no. Elena is smart. She knows what she's doing."

Buffy shook her head. "She has no idea what she's getting deeper and deeper into. And I feel like I'm leading her by the hand sometimes." She moved away from Damon. "I want her to have a normal life more than she does."

"She'll never have it. She can't. Buffy, if you weren't here…. Elena would probably be dead by now. You've saved her so many times. And those bad things? They would happen to her anyway. She's a doppelgänger."

Buffy sighed. "I just wish I could give her the normal life she deserves. The one I never got to have." She moved towards the door. "Elijah's ready." He met them at the foot of the stairs as promised and they walked back into the dining room together.

"What do you say, Klaus?" Damon asked. "Time for you to put something on the table. We've made our offer. Now you counter."

"Ok." Klaus sat down in the chair Elijah was standing beside. "I offer Elena's future happiness. You see, what she needs right now is to be rid of you lot. And to fall in love with a human…. Maybe that nice football player. You know, the blonde one?"

"Matt Donovan?" Damon asked. "Really?"

"Yeah! Why not? They'll marry. Live a long and fruitful life and pop out a perfect family."

"And you continue the Petrova bloodline." Buffy said. "Every few hundred years you'll have a new doppelgänger to drain and never run out of hybrids. Am I right?"

"Consider it a small return on the investment of her wellbeing. See, after you hand me back the coffin, I'll ensure her safety for the rest of her natural life. You all know it's what's best for her. So," Klaus stood up and moved towards Buffy. "What do you say? Do we have a deal?"

Stefan moved towards Klaus now standing beside the fireplace. "What are you doing?" Damon asked. Stefan ignored him on his way over to Klaus. Klaus held out his hand and Stefan took it after a moment. Klaus smiled.

"Nice try, Klaus." Stefan said. "But no deal."

Klaus suddenly broke Stefan's wrist as he turned him and kicked Stefan hard in the back of the knee, knocking him to the ground. He shoved Stefan's hand into the fire as Elijah rushed Buffy and Damon. He knocked Buffy back a few feet into another room where she landed on a coffee table, destroying it. Damon found himself pinned to the wall by Elijah's hand on his throat.

"What are you doing?" Damon choked out.

Buffy flew back in, but Elijah grabbed her. "Stop this!" She demanded.

"Now bring me my coffin before I burn him alive." Klaus said.

"We'll get it." Damon said, shoving past Elijah and taking Buffy's hand. They moved off into the other room where the rest of the Original family waited to surprise Klaus. Rebekah nodded at Buffy.

"Go with him brother." Klaus said. "And when you return, I will make good on my promise to you and I will hand over our family." Elijah nodded and walked out after Buffy and Damon.

"Go ahead. Kill me." Stefan growled. "I know you'll do it when he brings the coffin."

"You really have given up, haven't you, huh?" Klaus said. "Where's the fight? Where's the ripper?" Elijah, Damon, and Buffy walked back into the room with one of Klaus's girls holding a tray. "Elijah. Why haven't you left?"

"Where are your manners brother?" Elijah asked. "We forgot dessert." He pulled the cloth off the tray and revealed two of the daggers from the Original family.

"What have you done?"

"What have _you_ done? See, I've learned not to trust your vulgar promises, Klaus. We're

doing this on my terms now."

Cole appeared behind Elijah and Klaus panicked. "Cole!"

"Long time, brother." Cole said.

Klaus tried to run, but Finn appeared in his path and grabbed one of the daggers from the tray. "Finn, don't!" Finn shoved the dagger through Klaus's hand. Klaus screamed and tried to run the other way, but Rebekah was blocking his path. "Rebekah!"

She stabbed him in the gut. "This is for our mother." Klaus stumbled back and Cole grabbed him, holding him tightly.

Elijah glanced at Buffy. "You're free to go." Buffy grabbed Stefan and followed Damon out the door. "This is family business."

As soon as the three of them were at the car, Buffy pulled out her cell phone. There was a text from Liz. "Oh my god…."

"What's wrong?" Damon asked.

"Bill Forbes is dead." Buffy held the phone up to her ear. "Liz, what's happened?"

* * *

><p>Buffy walked up the stairs at Elena's house and found her sitting next to a dead Alaric. Caroline had filled her in on what was going on with herself and with Elena and told her to go to Elena. Buffy was torn, but she did as Caroline asked.<p>

"Hey."

Elena looked up and sighed. "Buffy…."  
>"I'm sorry I haven't been around today." She sat down next to Elena. "He's still out?"<p>

Elena nodded. "Have you talked to Caroline?"

"Yeah. She told me what's going on over there and she also told me about what happened here."

"Will you stay with me until he wakes up?"

"Of course, sweetie." Buffy wrapped an arm around Elena and Elena hugged Buffy tightly, beginning to cry.

"I can't lose any more family."

Buffy closed her eyes, fighting back tears. "I'm not going anywhere." She held Elena until her tears stopped. "Was this Meredith?"

"I don't know."

"I don't smell anybody who's not supposed to be in this house. I do smell a lot of blood and bleach, though."

"Matt and I cleaned up. I guess we didn't get it all."

"It's ok." Buffy pulled out her cell phone and dialed Liz again. "Hey, I know this is a bad time, but what can you tell me about Meredith Fell?"

"I looked into it. Meredith Fell was called into surgery six hours ago. She's been in there ever since."

"She has an alibi?"

"Iron tight. There's an operating room full of witnesses."

"Then who could it be?"

"I don't know. But the attack on Alaric makes this the third member of the Founders' Council and we just cleared our only suspect."

Alaric suddenly gasped as he woke up. Buffy hung up on Liz and helped Alaric to sit up. He rested against her lap, coughing and groaning for a moment. Elena took his hand and held it tightly.

"Welcome back." Buffy said.

"How did your meeting go?" Alaric asked after a long moment.

"Better than expected."

"What meeting?" Elena asked.

"A meeting with Klaus to make a fake truce. That's where Damon, Stefan, and I have been all night. It was a stall tactic so Bonnie and her mother could get that coffin open."

"Did it work?"

Buffy grabbed her ringing cell phone and answered it after the second ring. "Damon?"

"It's open." Damon said.

"What was in it?"

"We don't know."

"What do you mean?"

"Whatever it was…. It's gone."

Buffy looked at Elena and Alaric with wide eyes.


	53. Chapter 53

Chapter 53

Buffy sat in the living room holding a glass of bourbon and staring at the fire. She, Elena, and Matt had taken Alaric to the hospital. Elena and Matt had opted to stay with Alaric. Buffy had called Caroline, but Caroline had promised she was ok and that she would see Buffy in the morning. Now Buffy was alone in the living room with nothing to do but think about Klaus's words. Damon was upstairs asleep and she was pretty sure Stefan was in his room reading.

She knew she was deep in thought because she didn't hear Stefan walk in. "You're home."

Buffy looked up at him. "Yeah."

"Everything ok at Elena's?" He sat down across from her.

"Alaric's in the hospital. His ring is…. Slow. I need to call Willow and ask her to look into it." She looked at Stefan. "What are you doing awake?"

"Can't sleep. You?"

"Same."

"Klaus was wrong." Buffy looked at him surprised. "You're not going to hurt Elena."

"Not intentionally."

"Not ever. If anything happens to Elena, it's her fault, not yours. You do everything you can to protect her, but sometimes…. You just can't."

"You used to be comforting."

"I used to be a lot of things."

Buffy looked down at her vibrating phone. It was Elena calling. "Hey."

"I can't stay at my house alone." Elena said. "Is it ok if I come over and stay with you?"

"Of course. What's going on?"

"Rebekah just attacked me."

Buffy's eyes darkened. "She did what?"

"Elijah stopped her."

Buffy sighed. "At least he's true to his word."

"He also told me something incredibly interesting. I'll tell you when I get there."

"Do you need me to come get you?"

"No. I'm in my car now. I'll be there soon."

"Ok." Buffy hung up and looked at Stefan. "Rebekah attacked Elena."  
>"That didn't take long." Stefan said.<p>

* * *

><p>The next morning, Buffy, Damon, Elena, and Stefan were all gathered in the living room. Buffy hadn't slept at all, so she'd made breakfast for everyone. Elena had told her something very interesting about the contents of the coffin. Now she was relaying the information to Damon and Stefan.<p>

"It was their mother Esther in that coffin." Elena said.

"As in the Original Witch?" Stefan asked.

"What? How is she even alive?" Damon asked. "I thought her hybrid freakshow of a son ripped her heart out a thousand years ago."

"I don't know." Elena said.

"I'm guessing she has a couple of connections in the witching community." Buffy said.

"Elijah said she wants to live in peace with her family. Including Klaus."

"She was supposed to be the weapon to help us kill Klaus." Stefan said.

"Yeah, well, not anymore. Not according to Elijah."

"That coffin was the only thing keeping Klaus from tearing us to shreds."

"Anyone else feeling a little used right now?" Damon asked. Buffy raised her hand in agreement.

"Look, Elijah promised me that his family wouldn't hurt any of us." Elena said.

Just then there was a knock on the door. Everyone looked at it in confusion. "That was slightly ominous." Buffy said, walking over to the door. She opened it, but there was no one there. On the ground was an envelope with her name written in beautiful script. She picked it up and shut the door.

"What is it?" Damon asked as she walked back into the room opening the envelope.

"It's an invitation. 'Please join the Mikaelson Family this evening at seven o'clock for dancing, cocktails, and celebration.'" Buffy read.

"Who the hell are the Mickaelsons?" Stefan asked.

"The Original Family." Elena said.

"That would be my guess." Buffy said.

"It's not bad enough they're moving into town, now they want a house warming gift?" Damon said.

Buffy shrugged and flipped the invitation over. "There's a note on the back. 'Buffy, I think it's time I finally met you and your ward, Elena. Esther.'"

"Me?" Elena asked.

"Well, we are the two women that Klaus obsesses over the most."

"Don't remind me." Damon said.

Buffy smiled. "Don't worry. You put a ring on it."

"You can't seriously be thinking about going." Stefan said.

"Why not? If Esther wants to talk with me, I think I should find out why."

"She also said to bring Elena." Damon said.

Buffy looked at Elena and felt a pang of sadness. "Yeah. I guess we should both be there."

"Well that's a dumb idea. She already tried to kill Elena once."

"No, Buffy's right." Stefan said. "Bonnie was allowed to open that coffin for a reason. I think there's more to this than some family reunion."

"Can we go back in time to the old Stefan who cared if Elena lived or died?"

"What for? Buffy's always had that covered."

Buffy rolled her eyes. "I should find out what she wants."

"You'll be surrounded by Originals and a super witch." Damon said. "There's no way you can protect yourself _and_ Elena."

"Thank you for that vote of confidence, honey." Buffy said sarcastically. "I was going to ask you to be my date to this thing, but never mind. Stefan?"

"Sure. I'll go." Stefan said.

"You pissed off enough Originals to last a lifetime." Damon said. "I'll go."

"How about we all go?" Elena asked.

"You're not going." Damon said to her. "It's too dangerous."

"Esther wants to speak with myself _and_ Elena." Buffy said with a sigh. "She's going."

"With the three of us around her, she'll be fine." Stefan said.

Buffy turned to Elena. "Let's go shopping."

* * *

><p>Elena and Buffy sat in the Grill later that afternoon holding menus for a late lunch. They'd just gotten back from Richmond with Buffy's car trunk full of dresses, shoes, makeup, and jewelry. They were going to do each other's hair and makeup before they left for the ball.<p>

"It's all so weird. The Originals are throwing a ball. An actual ball." Elena said.

"It's a twisted Cinderella fetish is what it is." Buffy said. "Caroline!" The other blonde had just walked in. She spotted Buffy and Elena and came over to join them.

"Hey." Caroline said, grabbing a menu.

"How are you doing?"

"I'm good…. Considering. What are you two talking about?"

"The Original Family's ball this evening." Elena said.  
>"They're throwing a ball?"<p>

"You didn't get an invite?"

"I haven't been home." Caroline shook her head. "I wouldn't go anyway."

"We have to." Buffy said.

"Why?"

"Esther wants to meet with us."

Caroline shook her head. "Why would the evil witch want an audience with you guys?"

"I don't know. But there's only one way to find out."

"How's Damon taking this?"

Buffy shrugged. "He's worried as usual, but he's going."  
>"Those jealousy issues are going to cause trouble."<p>

Buffy laughed. "I think it's cute. But I am secure in our relationship and nothing will come between us. Especially not Klaus."

"Careful girls." Buffy, Elena, and Caroline looked up to see Rebekah walk up to them. "It's all well and good till Elena stabs you in the back."

"What are you doing here?" Elena asked. "I know your mom's rules. No hurting the locals."

"Get over yourself Elena. It's not all about you." Rebekah walked over to Matt and handed him an invitation to the ball.

"Oh my god!" Caroline said. "She's inviting him to the ball? Why is she inviting him?"

"Probably to get this reaction from us." Elena said.

"I can't let Matt go alone. What time is this stupid dance?"

Buffy raised an eyebrow. "I thought you wouldn't go even if you were invited."

"Hello! Matt can't walk into that snake pit without protection."

Buffy smiled. "You can raid my closet."

* * *

><p>Buffy followed Elena and Caroline up the stairs and into the renovated mansion of the Original family. Damon and Stefan had gone ahead of them at Buffy's insistence. Two men opened the front doors for them and Elena looked back at Buffy nervously. Buffy smiled slightly at her in encouragement. She'd been telling herself all day that Elena was going to be fine. That Esther had to be on their side and there was no danger to either of them. But no matter what, she felt guilty for involving Elena in something dangerous once again.<p>

"Stupid Klaus." Buffy muttered to herself.

Caroline leaned forward and whispered. "Damon's just spotted you."

Buffy looked over to see Damon making his way towards her. His eyes didn't see anyone but her. "You look amazing." He said in awe.

"You say that every time I wear a formal dress." Buffy countered.

Damon smirked. "This time trumps those other times."

Buffy looked down at herself. She was in a deep purple, strapless, form-fitting, satin A-line gown with pickups all through the skirt. The top had a slash of tight ruffles that looked like flowers that had sparkles throughout them. At her hip was another set of ruffle flowers that sat atop a deep, daring slit that exposed her entire left leg. The back of the dress was laced up tightly like a corset. Her shoes were the same shade of purple, high-heeled peep toes. Elena and Caroline had curled her hair and teased it so she looked like she'd just rolled out of bed. Caroline had done her makeup very subtle, but made sure that her skin glowed and her eyes popped.

"I love the slit." Damon reached down and touched her leg, happy to note that she wasn't wearing hose.

"Well, if I need to fight, it'll come in handy."

Stefan walked up to the three girls and Damon. "Shall we?" He held his arm out to Elena. She hesitated, but sighed and slipped her arm through his. Damon did the same, making sure that Buffy's ring was on display in the black folds of his tux sleeve. Caroline sighed and followed them.

"Have you seen Klaus?" Buffy asked Damon.

"Not yet. I did meet Kol, though." Damon sneered.

"Don't like him?"

"Not in the least."

"What about Esther?"

"Haven't seen her yet, either."

"Buffy, you look absolutely stunning." Carol said, walking up to them.

"Thank you, Carol. You look pretty amazing yourself." Buffy said.

"I have someone that would like to meet you. Excuse us, Damon. Hello, Elena, Stefan, Caroline." Carol took Buffy's arm and steered her away from her friends and fiancé. "His name is William."

"And he is….?"

"He's here from out of town, but he's interested in your work here on the Council and as a Slayer."

"And he came to you instead of me?"

"Well, I've tried going to your house a few times, but you're never home." A familiar voice said in front of her. She looked up to see Spike standing there.

"Oh, you have _got_ to be kidding me." Buffy rolled her eyes. "First Angel, now you?"

"Well, from what Peaches told me, I got worried. Thought I'd come check on you."

"You two know each other?" Carol asked.

"Unfortunately." Buffy said, glaring at Spike. "Excuse us, Carol." Buffy grabbed Spike's arm and dragged him off. "What in the world are you doing here?"

"You look amazing, by the way. How come you've never dressed up like this before?"

"Stop stalling. Why are you here?"

"I told you…. Wait…. Why are your hands so cold? And your eyes are different…." He looked at her, taking a whiff of the air, and shook his head. He took a step back. "No…."

"Yeah, yeah, yeah…. I'm a vampire."

"Are you out of your sodding mind!"

"Keep it down, would you? And no, I'm not out of my mind."

"Buffy! There you are." Klaus said, walking up to her and wrapping an arm around her waist and taking her hand to kiss her knuckles.

"Just what I need!" Buffy groaned.

"Who's your friend, love?"

"Oh, I see…." Spike said. "You must be this Damon Angel keeps ranting about."

"No. He's Klaus." Buffy said, dislodging herself from Klaus's grasp. "Damon is somewhere else at this party."

"So you're the big bad, eh?"

"More like the big thorn in my side."

Klaus chuckled. "You look utterly ravishing tonight, darling. I'm so glad you could come."

"I need a drink." Buffy turned and marched off, away from the two vampires. She went to the bar and asked for a double of the stiffest drink they were offering.

"Buffy Summers, I presume." Buffy looked up to see Finn, Klaus's brother, standing next to her. "I'm Finn Mickaelson. You and Elena are here to see my mother."

"Is she here?"

"I see you've brought friends."

"Well, your mother has tried to kill Elena before and neither Stefan nor Damon would allow us to come alone."

"Well, if you want to see my mother, it needs to be just you and Elena."

"Uh, if everyone could gather please!" Elijah called from the stairs. Buffy looked over to see Kol, Rebekah, and Klaus all gathered there and Finn walked over to join them. Buffy looked around for Damon, but she didn't see them. Spike, however, was making his way towards her. "Welcome. Thank you for joining us."

"What kind of friends do you have here, pet?" Spike asked.

"Shh!" Buffy waved him off when she spotted a woman who had to be Esther walking down to join the Originals.

"You know, whenever my mother brings our family together like this, it's tradition for us to commence the evening with a dance. Tonight's pick is a century's old waltz. So if all of you could find yourselves a partner, please join us in the ballroom." Elijah moved down the stairs.

Spike held his hand out to her. "How well can you waltz?" She looked at his hand for a second, but she never got to answer.

"There you are." Damon said, walking up. He looked at Spike with wary eyes. "Who's your friend?"

"Damon, Spike. Spike, Damon." Buffy said.

"Spike? As in….?"

"Yes." Buffy looked at Esther making her way back up the stairs and spotted Elena across the room looking for her. Damon noticed her looking from Elena to Esther. "She wants to see Elena and I alone." She explained.

"Well that's not going to happen." Damon said.

"Damon…."

"You may be all-powerful, but she's an all-powerful witch."

"What am I missing?" Spike asked.

"A lot." Buffy looked up at the now empty staircase and then at the people grouping up around them and heading for the ballroom.

"It would be rude not to dance, you know." Damon said, holding out his hand.

Buffy sighed. "It is tradition." She took his hand and looked at Spike.

"Oh balls…." He turned and walked off, but Carol grabbed him and pulled him towards the ballroom to dance. Buffy had to smirk at that. She spotted Elena grabbing Stefan and pulling him towards the ballroom as well.

As they moved into formation and started to dance, Damon said, "Why do your exes keep popping up like this?"

"I have no idea." Buffy said, keeping up with the steps. If it wasn't for her heightened eyesight making everything seem clear and dream-like-slow, she probably wouldn't be able to keep up with the dance. And, she had to admit, Damon was a very good lead.

"How are we supposed to plan a wedding," Damon turned her into hold and pulled her close as they moved in the box steps around the room. "When these distractions keep appearing?"

Buffy smiled. "Who said we're planning a wedding? I thought you just wanted a more solid title."

"Well, 'husband' is a very solid title." She shook her head. "Besides, I just remembered how stunning you look in formal wear."

"You're biased."

"Maybe. But I'm not the only one in this room staring at you."

"Yeah. A good portion of them are vampires."

"You'd be surprised how many human men stare at you." He turned her and she ended up trading partners into Klaus's arms. Damon tried to come back to her, but Rebekah had him and was dancing him away.  
>"Alone at last." Klaus said. Buffy didn't say anything. "Why is your old flame crashing my mother's party?"<br>"Angel went and told him about everything that's been going on here. How much I've changed because of Damon…."

"And neither of them like it?"

"Of course not."

"And now Spike knows about your new lifestyle. How's that going?"

"He seems pretty upset."

"I could have him ejected for you."

"Please don't. I don't want any drama tonight."

"As you wish." Buffy noticed that Elena and Stefan weren't in the ballroom anymore. She sighed, knowing that Elena was off planning something. "What is it, love?"

She shook her head. "I'm just…. Overwhelmed."

"It happens to us all in the beginning. You'll get used to it."

"I meant…. I think Damon wants to actually have a wedding, Spike's suddenly in town, you're after me, and now Stefan's…." She shook her head again, trailing off.

"Stefan's what?"

"I think he's still in love with Elena. Which puts Elena in a situation because she's finally become stronger and independent from her and that makes me mad." She looked at Klaus. "Why am I even telling you all of this?"

"Well, I am a good listener."

Buffy spotted Elena and Stefan walking back in. Elena motioned to her to follow and then disappeared into the hallway. "Excuse me…." Buffy moved away from Klaus using her superspeed and followed Elena. Spike dislodged from his partner and followed as well. Damon didn't notice that Buffy was missing until she'd already disappeared.

"What's going on?" Buffy asked. She glanced at Spike as he walked in behind her.

"We need to talk to Esther." Elena said. "But Damon won't allow it."

"Oh, he's talked to you, too, huh?"

"Yes."

"Who's this?" Stefan asked, eyeballing Spike.

"He's…. Spike." Buffy said, glancing at her ex. "So, what do you have in mind?"

"You're not going to like it." Elena said.

Buffy sighed. "Guys, I don't want to hurt him just to get upstairs to see her."

"You may be able to get past Damon, but Elena won't. Not without a scene." Stefan said. "I'll just incapacitate him…."

"How? By breaking his neck?"

"That would work."

"No! We are not hurting him. I'll talk to him."

"Which will take too much time. I think this offer might be time sensitive."

"Can someone fill me in here?" Spike asked. "I'm really lost."

"It's too much to cram in a nutshell." Buffy said before looking at Stefan. "He just needs to be distracted so Elena can get past him."

Stefan looked at Spike. "Well, he could act like Angel and tell Damon to take a break from you."

"It wouldn't be acting, mate." Spike said. "From what I've heard…."

"You heard wrong." Buffy snapped. "But that plan could work."

"Wait, is what you're planning to do dangerous?"

"Maybe."

"Could it get you killed?"

Buffy shrugged. "Maybe."

Spike sighed. "Well, you've always been good with maybe situations. I'll go pick a fight with your sweetie-bear. But I bloody well better get some explanations before the night is out." He turned and marched out.

"He accepted that fast." Elena said, surprised.

"Well, that's Spike for you." Buffy grabbed her hand. "Come on." She walked out to see Spike pulling Damon outside and Damon looking royally pissed. As soon as they were out of sight, Buffy and Elena rushed up the stairs.

As they made their way down a hallway, Elijah caught up to them. "Buffy…. Elena…. I understand my mother requested to see you?"

"Yes." Buffy said. "Is something wrong?"

"Well, her ability to forgive my brother after everything he's done to destroy this family strikes me as a little…. Strange. To say the least."

"Do you think that it's an act?" Elena asked.

"It has me asking questions I never thought I'd ask. Can I depend on you two to tell me what she says?"

"Of course." Buffy lied smoothly, subtly squeezing Elena's hand. "We'll find you later, ok?" She and Elena kept moving down the hall to a closed door. Buffy knocked gently and heard someone inside say, "That would be the girl and her Slayer."

A moment later, Finn opened the door. "No protectors, I see." Finn said. "Wise choice."

Buffy eyed the burning herbs in Esther's hand. "It's only sage." Esther said.

"I know." Buffy replied. "My best friend is a witch."

"Yes. She is quite powerful."

"You know her?"

"I know of her. A witch with almost as much power as myself is very rare." Esther held up the sage. "I've spelled it so we can speak freely without being overheard. That will be all, Finn. Thank you." Finn nodded and shut the doors behind him as he left. "You two must have a million questions for me. Please."

Buffy and Elena exchanged glances as they moved to the couch and sat down, but Elena let Buffy speak. "How are you alive? Are you a ghost?"

"Are you?" Esther smiled warmly and patted Buffy's hand. "You _are_ not the Slayer who's died three times and come back by magic, are you not?"

Buffy laughed slightly. "Yes."  
>"I'm not exactly a ghost. When I died, the witch Ayana preserved my body by a spell. She was a close friend of mine. An ancestor of your friend Bonnie."<p>

"So that's why only Bonnie and her mother could open up the casket." Elena said.

"They complete the Bennett bloodline. I drew power from them and their ancestors who were on the other side."

"So you've been on the other side for a thousand years?" Buffy asked.

"Nature's way of punishing me for turning my family into vampires. But there is a way for me to undo the evil I created."

"You're going to help us kill Klaus, aren't you?"

"One thing at a time. For now I simply need Elena's help."

"Mine?" Elena asked.

"Yes." Esther got up and moved over to a table where a dagger, some candles, and other magic artifacts were laid out. "I understand Rebekah shared the story of my family. How I upset the balance of nature by turning my children into vampires."

"She said you did it to protect them from the werewolves." Buffy said.

"It's true. But in no time at all, they began to feed on human blood. They ravaged the town with no remorse. Eventually Nicklaus turned against me."

"How are you going to kill him?" Elena asked. "He's immortal."

"It will take time. Magic. And your assistance."

"What do I have to do?"

"My children believe that I'm holding this ball to celebrate our reunion, but in truth I've gathered them together to perform a ritual. The first step requires blood from the doppelgänger." Buffy growled slightly. "Only a drop. Its essence will be in the champagne toast later on this evening."

"Why did you bring me up here?" Buffy asked.

"Because I know that you're the more powerful of Elena's friends. You would never allow her anywhere near me and you have the power to make that happen. Also…. I'm very curious about you. Everything you and your friend Willow did to change the destinies of Slayers around the world…. You are a most intriguing person, Buffy."

"Oh."

"Now, will you do it?" Esther asked Elena, pulling out a dagger. "Or shall I?" Elena looked at Buffy and walked over to Esther, taking her glove off. Esther gently pricked Elena's finger and dropped a few droplets of her blood into a goblet of water. "Elijah is more suspicious than the others, so he may need more persuasion. But they must all drink of the toast to be linked as one."

"What do you mean 'linked as one'?" Elena asked.

"You said yourself that Klaus can't be killed. But tonight's spell links all my children together, so if one goes…. They all go."

"What?"

"I love my family, but they are an abomination. I betrayed nature when I created them. It's my duty to kill them."

Elena looked stunned, but Buffy just nodded. "That makes sense."

"I am very sorry for what you've had to become to protect your family, Buffy. I hope that this plan will make things right for you."

Buffy shrugged. "Don't worry about it. I was already immortal…. Now I'm just harder to kill."

"I know the strain Klaus has put on you in particular with his obsession and the releasing of Angelus last year."

"I've gotten used to the obsession thing, to tell you the truth."

"You shouldn't have had to." Esther paused and looked at the door. "You two should join your friends. I don't want anyone getting too suspicious."

"You know where to find us if you need us." Buffy led Elena out of the room. "Breathe, Elena."

"She's going to kill them all." Elena said.

"Shh. They can hear us now."

"I can't lie to Elijah."

"I can." Buffy took her hand and they walked down the stairs. Spike and Damon were nowhere to be seen and Stefan was lurking off in the corner near the stairs. "Stay close to me."

"Don't worry about that."

Buffy finally found Spike by the bar, but Damon was still missing. "Where's my fiancé?"

"He's off somewhere with a stiff drink." Spike said. "Like myself." He held up a glass of scotch.

"You didn't kill him?"

"Turns out, I actually like him."

Buffy shook her head. "Elena, this is Spike. Spike this is…."  
>"Your surrogate daughter. Yeah, Little Bits told me about her. It's nice to meet you."<p>

"Little Bits?" Elena asked.

"That's his little pet name for my sister. Careful, he might give you one before the night's out." Buffy said. "So, you like Damon?"

"He's not a bad apple like Forehead says." Spike said. "Angel just doesn't like him because he's got your heart." He took the final swig of his drink and set the glass down on the bar. "Can't say I fault him for that, though. It's the only thing I don't like about your beau."

"I'm glad you approve."

"Not sure I approve of this little change of yours, though."

Buffy shrugged. "A lot of people don't. But…."

Spike held up his hands. "It's your life. At least you're not a soulless beastie. I'd hate to have to kill you." He smiled and Buffy could remember why she had loved him once.

"The champagne toast will be given out shortly. We'd better go take up our positions." Buffy kissed Spike's cheek and headed off with Elena.

"So how is my mother?" Elijah asked, moving up beside them.

"Intense." Buffy said, taking one of the champagne glasses Elijah offered her and Elena.

"And for what reason did she need to speak with you ladies in private? Should I be concerned with my mother's intentions?"

"Not at all. She wanted to apologize to Elena for trying to have her killed and she wanted to meet me."

"So it's true then? She's forgiven Klaus?"

"It's true." Buffy smiled and Elena actually believed her.

Esther clinked a spoon to her champagne glass to get everyone's attention. "Good evening ladies and gentlemen. Waiters are coming around with glasses of champagne. I invite you all to join me in raising a glass. It provides me with no greater joy than to see my family back together as one. I'd like to thank you all for being a part of this spectacular evening. Cheers."

"Cheers!" Everyone answered back. Buffy and Elena watched as everyone, including Rebekah, Finn, Kol, and Klaus sipped their champagne. Elijah turned to Buffy and Elena. "Cheers." He clinked his glass to theirs and sipped his champagne with them.

Klaus walked up just then and took Buffy's glass. "Come. I have something I wanted to show you." He led her off with her arm linked in is. Elena looked after Buffy with slightly panicked eyes.

"Really?" Buffy asked.

"I think you'll enjoy it." He led her into a room filled with beautiful paintings. "This is one of my passions."

"Impressive." Buffy said, looking at a massive painting decorating one wall. "I take it the curators at the Louvre aren't on vervain?"

"Yeah, well…. That's their mistake." He took her hand and she felt him slip something cold onto her wrist. She looked down to see a beautiful and intricate diamond bracelet.

"Klaus…."

"It's a gift."

"I get that. And it's beautiful, but where did you steal this from?"

"Well, that's a long story. Rest assured, though, that it was worn by a princess almost as beautiful as you."

Buffy shook her head at his come on line. She was beyond letting Klaus's obsession with her get to her. Besides, with Esther's plan, Klaus would be gone and soon. She looked down and spotted some sketches on the desk in front of her. They were all signed with Klaus's name. "Did you do these?"

"Yeah. Uh, actually one of my landscapes is hanging at the Hermitage, not that anyone would notice. Have you been?"

She sighed. "No. I didn't have time to enjoy the sights until Lexi came along and she never had time for art museums. She said they were too slow for her plans for us."

"I'll take you. Wherever you want. Rome. Pairs. Tokyo."

"Wow. It must be so nice to snap your fingers and get whatever you want. Is that why you collect hybrids? A little servant army to take you places and bring you things?"  
>"You're making assumptions."<p>

"So are you."

"I don't know what you mean."

"You assume that just because you do nice things for me or give me presents or show me the things that you enjoy that I'm going to just fall at your feet and leave Damon behind. You could be the king of England and I still wouldn't love you."

"This has been a fun evening, but I think it's time for you to go."

Buffy shook her head. "I get it, Klaus. I do. Been there done that. You think that your father never loved you, so no one else ever will either. That's why you compel people or you sire them or you try to buy them off, but that's not how it works. You don't connect with people because you don't even try to understand them. If you want something real, then learn some humanity." She tore the bracelet from her wrist and handed it back to him before storming out of the room.

Damon intercepted her before she got to the front door. "Buffy. Hey."

"Damon." Buffy said.

"Are you ok?"

She wiped at the tears she didn't know she'd been shedding. "I'm just angry."

"You didn't get what you wanted out of your little chat with Esther?"

"Actually, I did. That's not what I'm mad about."

"Well I'm mad. You cut me out of your plan. You had Spike distract me."

"It was better than what Stefan wanted to do."

"You shouldn't have cut me out at all, Buffy. We're supposed to be together…."

"Do you think I liked going behind your back? I didn't. I _don't_! But Elena and I needed to be up in that room and you…."

"You could've been killed."

"It was a risk I was willing to take."

"Well, I'm not!"

"Calm down, Damon. You're overreacting."

"What if that had been me up there?"

"I would've worried, but I trust you. Why can't you trust me?"

"I do."

"Obviously you don't. I'm not a fragile little human anymore."

"Have you guys seen Matt?" Caroline asked, walking up to them.

"I'll go find him." Buffy said, moving away from Damon. He went in another direction, still upset with Buffy. A few moments later, she heard a scuffle outside. Stefan caught up to her as she rushed outside to see Damon snap Kol's neck. "Damon!" She cried.

"What are you, crazy?" Stefan demanded.

"Maybe a little." Damon said. "Far be it for me to cause a problem." He turned and walked off. Buffy growled and shook her head angrily. Spike walked over to her from the small group of people gathered on the front stairs and ushered her back inside.

"Let him cool down." He said.

"No. I need to talk to him." Buffy sighed. "I need to sort this out. I'll find you later, Spike. Stefan, get Elena home please." She walked past Spike and Stefan and headed after Damon.

* * *

><p>Damon poured himself another drink at the liquor counter in the library. He was still angry with Buffy for cutting him out of her plan like she had. That's where Buffy found him. "Can I buy you an apology drink?"<p>

"I only take written apologies." Damon said.  
>Buffy sighed. "Verbal is all I've got."<p>

"Gonna take a lot more than that. I've suddenly become the guy who cares too much."

"No, you haven't."  
>"Then explain this evening to me."<p>

"Damon, I am so happy that you care enough about me to want to protect me, but I don't need protecting. I need you to trust that I know what I'm doing."

"I can't just stand by and watch you walk into these dangerous situations."

"Sometimes you'll just have to."

"I can't accept that. We're supposed to be a team, Buffy. If you put your life on the line, then I should be right alongside you."

"Sometimes you can't be. Like tonight with Esther."

"I should've gone with you. What you and Elena did tonight was stupid and reckless." Buffy's eyes darkened in anger and Damon realized that he'd pushed her too far. Her emotions were still heightened. He found himself pinned against a wall across the room.

"What you did tonight with Kol was stupid and reckless. You're lucky that Esther didn't have your head for it."

Damon grabbed the back of her neck, pulling her to him to kiss her passionately. He wanted to turn her anger into something else so she didn't accidentally kill him.

It worked.

She kissed him back eagerly and he heard buttons rip as she yanked open his shirt. He felt her fangs graze his tongue and he shoved her backwards onto the sofa. She bounced once before he was on top of her, ripping her dress at the slit all the way to the top of the dress. She flipped him and he suddenly found himself on the stairs. He moved behind her, kissing and nipping at her neck as she raked her nails across his pants, leaving them in strips. They quickly made their way into their room, nearly taking the door off its hinges when they closed it.

* * *

><p><em><strong>AN This was a pretty awesome episode. I can't wait to see what happens next! And if you want to check out Buffy's dress, here's the link for it: **_

_**www. new york dress .com /Maggie _ Sottero / P1602 .html **_

_**(Just erase the spaces. It was the only way to put the link in.)**_


	54. Chapter 54

_**A/N I can't believe we have to wait until March 5th to continue! Stupid cliffhangers...**_

Chapter 54

Buffy heard movement coming from somewhere in the house and she opened her eyes. The sun was streaming in and she groaned, covering her face with her pillow for a second. Then she realized she wasn't holding a pillow to her face, but a pile of clothes that had been pulled off the racks above her. The mattress she was laying on was a pile of more clothes.

"Morning sleepy head." Damon said.

Buffy turned her head and gasped. "Oh!" There was a big purple and black bruise healing on Damon's shoulder. "Did I do that?"

He looked down at his shoulder. "At some point."

"I'm sorry."

"I'm not. Why don't we ever get that crazy on a regular basis?"

"I have no idea what came over me." Buffy sat up and realized they were in the closet of their room.

"Pissed off makeup sex?"

Buffy shook her head. "I almost killed you last night."

"Lucky for me, I know how to channel your emotions into something more…. Productive."

"You're not mad?"

"Why would I be?"

"Uh…. I almost killed you last night."

Damon shrugged. "Wouldn't be the first time. Probably won't be the last. At least I hope."

"I hope _not_! I don't even want to hurt you, let alone kill you." Buffy glanced out into the bedroom and realized the room was trashed. One of the bed posts was broken off. "This is going to take forever to clean."

"Well, it's a good thing we've both got forever." Damon kissed her lightly and stood up. He held out his hand to help her stand up. "Drink?"

"I'm going to need something more than a stiff drink. I'm hungry."

"Got that covered." Damon searched around for a pair of pants and pulled them on. "Be right back." He walked out and Buffy looked around for something to wear. She grabbed a pair of jeans and a simple blue spaghetti strapped tank top. By the time she had her hair brushed, Damon walked back in with two glasses filled with blood.

"Thank you." She said, taking one and going to sit on the bed. "Is that even repairable?"

Damon fingered the broken bed post. "Probably. I'll just have to make a call."

"When did that happen?"

"Somewhere between the third time and the sixth."

"Wow." Buffy shook her head.

"So, what happened with Esther last night?"

"She's got a plan." She took a sip of her blood and looked out the window.

"What's the plan?"

"She's going to kill Klaus…. And the rest of the family. The champagne toast last night was spiked with a spell using a little bit of Elena's blood. It bound all of the Originals together so that what happens to one happens to all of them."

"That's great. Klaus will finally be dead. We win."

"I don't think Elena's too happy with that plan."

"Why?"

"Because of Elijah. He's been a help to us. And I admit, that's really the only downside to this whole plan…. But if it gets rid of Klaus…."

"Then it's a win/win for everyone."

"I just get the feeling that she's going to find a way to stop it."

"So…. Stop her. Lock her down in the basement if you have to." Buffy shot him a glare. "What? I love Elena, you know I do, but she just has a way of screwing things up one way or another."

"Be nice." Buffy stood up and stretched. "I should probably find Spike and apologize for leaving him high and dry last night."

"Yeah…. Spike…."

"He actually had good things to say about you, you know."

"Did he?"

"The only thing he doesn't like about you is that I love you."

"Really?"

"Really, really." Buffy finished her glass and looked around at the mess. "What are we going to do about this?"

"Don't worry about it. I'll compel us a maid and a carpenter." Buffy rolled her eyes. "What?"

"I got on to Klaus about that last night."

"When were you with Klaus?"

"Just after the toast. He walked up and showed me his art collection."

"He's into art?"

"Yeah." Buffy shook her head. "He's actually pretty good at it, too. He had these beautiful sketches…."

"Stop. Please stop."

"I'm just saying: He's got talent. Doesn't make me like him, though." She sighed. "I'm still hungry."

"I'll get you some more." Damon took her glass and stood up.

"I'll come with. Stefan's downstairs and I'd like to bring him up to speed if Elena hasn't already." Buffy followed Damon down the stairs and headed into the library where Stefan was staring into a fire. "Hey."

"Good morning." Stefan said.

"Did you get Elena home safely?"

"Of course. She filled me in on the meeting between you, her, and Esther."

"Good. I was just filling Damon in."

"She's not happy with it."

"Nope." Buffy sat down and Stefan walked over to join her. "But this is the way to get rid of Klaus."

"I agree. She wasn't too happy with me when I told her that."

"Me either." Buffy shrugged. "If this is the way to be rid of Klaus and the Originals, then so be it. I know Elijah has helped us, but he's also double crossed us."

Damon walked in carrying three crystal glasses filled with blood. "Good morning, Stefan. Care to join in a little victory drink?"

"We should wait until Klaus is dead." Stefan said.

"Why are you so extra broody?"

"I'm not." Stefan looked at Buffy. "Spike said to give you this." He handed Buffy a piece of paper and walked out of the room, ignoring the glass of blood Damon set in front of him.

Buffy glanced after him. "There's the old Stefan." She said once he was out of the house.

"What do you mean?" Damon asked. "He's still all dark and pissy."

"Never mind." She opened the paper from Spike.

_I'm glad you're safe and happy. Tell Damon I'll stake his ass if he hurts you. I'll tell Angel to back off. He's not happy with you and he's really going to have a Kracknir demon when he finds out you've joined the ranks of the undead. I look forward to being the one to piss him off that bad. Stay safe. I'll see you around._

_-Spike._

"What's he say?" Damon asked.

"He's left town." She folded the paper. "But he's not mad."

"He'll tell Angel."

"Yeah. But he's going to keep Angel off my case."

"That's the last thing we need is to have _him_ come back into town."

"Damon…."

"Sorry, but the guy just gets under my skin."

"What about Spike?"

"Spike…. Is interesting. I'll give him this, though: He knows when he's beat."

"He's a good guy." Buffy sighed. "I'm gonna call Elena and make sure she's not doing anything crazy." She headed back upstairs to grab her phone and was back downstairs in barely two seconds. Damon moved behind her to fix himself a bourbon as Buffy waited for Elena to pick up. She didn't answer her house phone or her cell phone. After a few minutes, she dialed another number. "Have you talked to Elena today?"

"I haven't seen Elena since this morning." Alaric said.

"She's not answering her phone." Buffy sighed. "Did she at least tell you about Esther's plan?"

"Yes. And she doesn't sound like she wants to go through with it."

"She doesn't have a choice. It's the only way…."

"To get rid of Klaus. I know. I'm not going to judge her for having a conscience."

"I don't care if you judge her or not. She can't ruin this. Can you tie her up and lock her in her room? It's a lot nicer than our little basement dungeon over here."

"Well, I wouldn't if I could…. And I can't cause I'm busy."

"Busy? You're never busy. What are you up to?"

"Don't worry about it."

"Rick…. Are you with the psycho doctor?"

"Goodbye, Buffy."

"Rick! I still have a bad feeling about her no matter what Liz…. Hello? Rick?" Buffy looked at her phone and then up at Damon. "He hung up on me."

"I'll kill him later." Damon said. "Now what were you saying about Stefan earlier?"

"Oh come on! You've spent how many years with him? You can't tell that he's stopped drinking human blood?"

Damon glanced at the glass that Stefan had left sitting on the table. "Hmm…. You may be right."

"Of course I'm right."

"Cocky. I like it." He leaned over and kissed her neck as he plopped down on the couch next to her.

"Maybe I should try to find Elena." Buffy said.

"She's just pissy about the plan."

"I don't think so." She was suddenly gone from the room. Damon sighed and headed off to find her. He didn't have to look too hard. She'd gone up to Stefan's room.

"Yeah, she called earlier, but I didn't answer." Stefan was saying.

"This isn't like her."

"It's exactly like her." Damon said.

"Not with me."

Stefan sighed, "I'll get my coat."

"Thanks." Buffy followed him out.

"You should stay here and keep trying to call her."

"I can track her better than you."

"But if she has gone missing, whoever took her will come here."

Buffy sighed. "Fine. Damon?"

"I'll go with Stefan." Damon set down his drink and walked out with Stefan.

* * *

><p>Buffy tried calling Elena again and again with no luck. She tried Bonnie, but Bonnie wasn't answering. Buffy tried Elena again, but she still wasn't having any success. Caroline had joined the search for her with Damon and Stefan.<p>

A knock on the door almost startled Buffy out of her reverie. She stood up from the couch and rushed to the door. "Elena…." It was Elijah. "Oh. Elijah…."

"Hello Buffy. May I come in?" He pushed past her and walked into the living room.

Buffy knew something was up because he'd skipped the manners. She closed the door behind him and followed. "You're not still doing Klaus's bidding are you?"

"No." He sat down in a chair with his back facing the fire. "I'm working on a little something of my own."

"Really? Should I be worried?"

"Yes."

Buffy nodded and crossed her arms. "And why is that?"

"Because I have Elena and you will do exactly as I say or I will kill her."

"Why do you have Elena?"

"Oh, come now, Buffy. You're one of us now. You heard Elena's heartbeat speed up when you lied to me at the party."

Buffy knew he was right. Of course Elijah knew she'd lied to him. "So you know about Esther's plan."

"And here I thought we could be friends."

"Don't get me wrong, Elijah…. I do sort of like you, but I hate your brother, Klaus. If getting rid of you gets rid of him…."

"And what of your precious Elena?"

"Klaus won't allow you to kill her."

"Klaus has no idea what's going on."

"I can't find Elena anywhere." Stefan said, walking in the house. He stopped dead when he saw Elijah.

"Hello, Stefan." Elijah said.

"He has Elena." Buffy said. "Where's Damon?"

"Not far behind." Stefan said.

"Elena is actually with Rebekah." Elijah said. "As you can imagine, my sister's just dying to tear her throat out. So, if you want to save Elena's life, I want you to help me stop my mother."

Buffy smirked. "I hate to admit this…. Being the greatest Slayer of all time and all…. But when it comes to killing thousand something year old resurrected witches, I'm actually kinda rusty."

"Yes, unfortunately even when killed my mother doesn't seem to want to stay dead. She's a lot like you, Buffy."

"So what are we supposed to do?" Stefan asked.

"The witches that released my mother…. She's drawing her power from that bloodline. That line needs to be broken."

"Broken?"

"He means he wants us to kill them." Buffy said.

"You know I'd do it myself, but I have absolutely no idea where they are." Elijah said. "Besides, seeing me…. They would immediately know my intentions. They won't expect to be harmed by the likes of you." Elijah stood up. "In any case, you have until six minutes after nine."

"Specific much?"

"By 9:07, the moon will be full, my mother will have the power she needs to kill me and my family. If you do not stop her before then, Rebekah will kill Elena. So, we all have our timeline…. I suggest you get started." Elijah moved past Stefan and Buffy and walked out the door.

The two of them were silent until Damon walked in. "No sign of her." He paused in the doorway. "What'd I miss?"

"Fill him in." Stefan said. "I'll be back in a minute."

"Where are you going?" Buffy asked, but Stefan kept walking. He seemed to be headed for the basement.

"What's going on?" Damon asked.

"Elijah and Rebekah have Elena. They're going to kill her if we don't stop Esther from doing that spell tonight."

"How are we supposed to do that?"

"He wants us to kill Bonnie and her mother."

"Well, that's simple enough."

"Damon!"

"What?"

"Sometimes I wonder what happened to your compassion." She walked out and went to find Stefan. He was down by the refrigerator filled with blood bags holding one of the bags. "Clock's ticking, Stefan. Are you going to help me brainstorm a plan or are you too busy fixing a snack?"

"We need to call Bonnie." Stefan said, shutting the refrigerator. "There's gotta be a way for her to get Esther to stop channeling all that power."  
>Buffy sighed. "She's with Esther. And even if she wasn't, what if she can't cut Esther off? I don't know how any of that channeling stuff works. That's Willow's area of expertise. So unless you've got insight, then we need a better plan."<p>

"Worst case scenario…." Damon said, joining them. "It's simple mechanics. You can't draw power from a dead battery."  
>"Kill them." Stefan said.<p>

"If it comes to that."

"Damon…." Buffy started.

"Buffy." Damon mocked. "I know you hate this, but which one is it? Bonnie's mother or Elena?"

Buffy sighed and took the blood bag from Stefan. She pulled it open and downed a couple of gulps to try and calm her down. She didn't want to hurt Damon again. "There's gotta be another way."

"What if I told you I have a less diabolical plan?" Damon smirked and held up a dagger.

"You want to dagger Elijah?" Stefan asked.

"Well, they're all linked. One goes down, they all go down. The witches live, Elena's safe…. Problem solved."

"We don't know how that will affect Klaus." Buffy said.

"Ironically Klaus isn't our current problem."

"Damon, the dagger is lethal to any vampire who uses it. I'm short on human friends at the moment."

"Actually, you're not. I just so happen to know one who's crazy enough to give it a shot."

"Rick?"

"I talked to him a few minutes ago. Klaus and his brother Kol are at the Grill."

"So what's your plan there?"

Damon sighed. "This part I'm not crazy on, but…. You get to go distract Klaus."

"Wait, huh?" Buffy shook her head.

"Divide and conquer. You get Klaus out of the Grill so Rick can dagger Kol."

"Does Rick get to have a say in this? He's on a date."

"Of course he doesn't have a say. He's the only human we've got to do this. Stefan and I will hold Kol down while Rick daggers him. Boda bing, boda boom, problem solved."

Buffy sighed. "Fine. If that's the best we have."

"Just…. Don't kiss him."

She gave her fiancé a glare. "You're hilarious."

* * *

><p>Buffy walked into the Grill with skin tight jeans, knee high boots, and a midnight blue, lace, off the shoulders tunic that hugged the right curves and flowed gracefully down her arms. She spotted Alaric with Meredith over by the pool table and then saw Kol and Klaus by the bar. Alaric had said they'd made their way through most of the Grill's alcohol supply.<p>

"I remember her from last night." Kol said. "She looks like a tasty little thing."  
>"Say another word and I'll tear out your liver." Klaus said as Buffy made her way up towards the bar. "Buffy!"<p>

Buffy stopped in front of them and lifted an eyebrow. "Klaus."

"Join us for a drink?"

"Sorry, but I'm meeting my fiancé…. But thanks. I'll just wait outside for Damon." She turned and headed back towards the door.

"Isn't she stunning?" Klaus said to Kol.

"She certainly looks good walking away from you." Kol said.

"I'll take that as a challenge." Klaus put his drink down and followed Buffy outside. She laughed when he was almost hit by a car as he crossed the street. "Buffy!"

She wheeled around. "Seriously? I'm meeting my fiancé. Take a hint."

"Don't be angry, love. We had a little spat. I'm over it already."

"Well, I'm not."

"How can I acquit myself?"

Buffy sighed. "You and your expensive jewelry and your romantic drawings and your grand gestures can leave me alone."

"Oh, come on…. Take a chance, Buffy." He sat down on a bench and motioned for her to sit next to him. "Talk to me. Come on, get to know me. I dare you."

Buffy looked at him for a long moment. He was quite charming when he wanted to be. "Fine." She sat down and looked over at him. The look he was giving her was so far from any other look he'd ever given her. He seemed actually interested in her. To Buffy's annoyance, she actually genuinely smiled at him. "What do you want to talk about?"

"I want to talk about you." Buffy laughed a little. "Your hopes…. Your dreams…. Everything you want in life."

Buffy laughed a little harder. "Just to be crystal clear…. I'm too smart to be seduced by you."

"Well, that's one reason why I like you." He reached out a looped her hair behind her ear. "Oh, Buffy…. You're still so young. There's so much more to the world than what Lexi could've shown you."

"And I suppose you're the vampire to show it to me."

"I could be."

Buffy looked out at the darkened town square around them. "Why do you even try? I'm engaged to Damon. I love him."

"I know you do, but you're so very young. Have you thought about the long run? _Really_ thought about it?" He reached out and gently cupped her chin, turning her face back to him. "You're immortal now, Buffy. Really and truly immortal. I doubt even I could kill you. We're two of a kind, you and I."

"This kind of talk gets you into trouble."

Klaus smiled. "I apologize then. Let's talk about something else. If you weren't bound to this lovely little town because of your…. Obligations…. Where would you go? What would you do?"

"I'm not bound. I love Mystic Falls."

"Really?"

"Really, really. It's my home now."

Klaus smiled. "If I kissed you right now, Buffy, would you be upset with me?"

"Probably." She held up her left hand. "I made my engagement ring my daylight ring for a reason. I meant what I said when we first met…. I'm a one vampire kind of girl."

"I could change your mind. Besides, you also said I was handsome when we first met." Buffy shook her head slightly with a smile and Klaus leaned in to kiss her. Before his lips met hers, though, he grabbed his chest in pain and stood up.

"What is it?" Buffy asked.

"What did you do?"

"Nothing."

Klaus grabbed her arms. "What did you do!"

"_I_ didn't do anything."

Klaus gasped and turned towards the Grill. "Kol." He rushed away and Buffy sighed, following. He made it to the alley before she did and removed the dagger from Kol as Alaric was carrying him out of the Grill. Stefan and Alaric both went flying and Damon was left facing Klaus. "I should've killed you months ago."

"Do it." Damon said.

"Stop it." Buffy said, suddenly appearing next to Damon. "Leave him alone."

"It's not going to stop Esther from killing you."

"What did you say about my mother?" Klaus asked, taking a step forward.

"You didn't know we were friends with your mommy? Yeah, we have a lot in common. She hates you as much as I do."

Klaus started to attack, but Buffy's hand shot out and sent him flying. He jumped up and Buffy prepared for the onslaught, but Elijah appeared at the top of the stairs. "Leave them." Klaus turned to look at his brother. "We still need them Nicklaus."

"What did mother do?" Klaus asked. "What did she do Elijah?"

Elijah walked down the stairs and up to Buffy. "You tell me where the witches are or I'll tell my sister to kill Elena right now."

Buffy looked at her watch. "You told me we had until after nine."

"I'm sure Rebekah would be more than happy to start her work early.

"I don't know where they're at."

"Sure you do."

"No, Elijah, I really don't. I haven't talked to Bonnie at all today."

Elijah glanced at the clock on City Hall. "Find them now and sever the connection or I'll call Rebekah."

* * *

><p>Buffy rode shotgun in beside Damon in his car with Stefan in the backseat. Damon pulled up to the end of the lane in the woods and stopped the car. "So how do we know they're going to be at the old witch house?" He asked.<p>

"We don't." Stefan replied. "But if they're not, we have about 10 minutes until Rebekah tears Elena apart."

"You know, if we sit this out…. Esther completes the spell, Klaus dies, you get your revenge…. It's what you wanted the whole time. The only collateral damage is…."

"Elena." Buffy said.

"You know what she'd choose."

"Stop, Damon."

"She'd let herself be killed to save her friend. You know it's true. She's too much like you."

Buffy shook her head. "I already feel sick to my stomach about this plan. Don't make it any worse."

"If we do this, it'll wreck her." Stefan said.

"I know that."

"She'll hate us." Damon said.

"Damon…." Buffy started.

"The thing is…. She'll only have to hate one of us."

"What?"

"Only one of us has to do the actual deed." Damon turned and looked at Buffy. "Don't worry. It won't be you." He took her hand and kissed her palm.

"So…. Who's it gonna be, brother?" Stefan asked.

Damon took a coin out of his coat pocket. "Heads I do it, tails you do it."

"Awful lot of effort for someone who pretends not to care about her."

"Would you like to be the pot or the kettle, Stefan?" Buffy asked, getting out of the car and leaning against the hood. She knew that no matter what that coin said, Damon would be the one to kill Bonnie and her mother. She wasn't angry at him because he was doing what needed to be done. She was angry at the situation that Elijah had put them in. But no matter what, she would always choose Elena over anyone else. Elena was not only her friend, but her daughter. She would do anything to protect her.

"I won the coin toss." Damon said, getting out of the car. Stefan's face told Buffy that it wasn't true.

Buffy sighed. "The Originals are coming. I can hear them. You guys better hurry."

"You're not coming?" Damon asked.

"No."

Damon nodded. "I'll see you at home." He kissed her gently before she disappeared into the night.

* * *

><p>Buffy sat on her and Damon's bed looking at her laptop screen. Angel had called and she was talking with him via Skype, much to her amazement.<p>

"Are you sure you're ok?" He asked again.  
>"I'm fine. Just a really bad day." Buffy said. "Thank you for not blowing up at me."<p>

"I can't lie and say that I'm ok with you becoming a vampire. I'm not. I punched Spike for being the messenger of _that _news."

"Angel!"

"But…. I've been in your shoes and if I would've had a way to get more power to protect the ones I love…. I wouldn't have hesitated. I know I don't like Damon…."

"Hate is the word I think you were going for."

Angel smirked. "Yeah…. I know I hate Damon, but I believe in you. I think you'll handle this new super-powerful vampire thing pretty well."

"Well, I'm still pretty emotional. It's sometimes really hard to get that in check. And my strength still surprises me, but it's not as bad as my first week. I broke Damon's hand and we pretty much had to buy a new set of glasses because I destroyed all of ours."

Angel laughed slightly. "You'll get the hang of it in no time. You're pretty good that way."

"Thanks."

"I know what the answer is going to be, but I still have to ask…. Do you need me to come back and help with everything?"

Buffy smiled. "Thank you, but no. Things do tend to get a little crazy out here, but it's nothing I can't handle. It's definitely not any worse than Sunnydale." She looked up as Damon walked into the room. "I'll talk to you later, ok?"

"Bye, Buffy."

Buffy shut the laptop and looked at Damon expectantly. "I didn't touch Bonnie." He said.

"What?" Buffy asked.

"I changed her mother into a vampire. Stefan came up with the idea."

"Oh."

Damon moved into the bathroom and turned on the sink. He started washing his hands of the blood that was dried on them. Buffy walked up behind him and wrapped her arms around his waist, laying her head on his back. He sighed and hung his head.

"She won't hate you forever."

Damon looked up into the mirror and met her eyes. "What about you?"

"I could never hate you, Damon. I was never mad at you. I was mad at the whole situation." He turned in her arms and pulled her closer to him. "Even if you had killed Bonnie, I still wouldn't have been mad at you."

Damon sighed. "You really do have better vision than me." They stayed holding each other tightly for a long time until Stefan walked in.

"Is she safe?" Buffy asked as Damon released her but still kept one arm around her waist.

"Elijah kept his word. Rebekah let her go." Stefan said.

"Good. All's right in the world again." Damon said.

"I lost that coin toss, Damon. It should've been me who turned Abby. Why'd you do it?"

"Cause I'm not blind. I see what's going on around here. You're hanging on by a thread, Stefan. You're barely over your last Ripper binge and all you want is to be the old Stefan again."

"That part of me is gone for good."

"Oh yeah? How long has it been since you had a drop of human blood?"

"How'd you know?"

"You spend 146 years with someone, you kinda start to pick up on their tells. Even Buffy, who's only been with you barely two years caught on. So answer the question: How long has it been?"

"Since the night I threatened to drive Elena off of Wickery Bridge."

"See? You have enough to feel guilty about. Why add to the list? By the way, you're welcome. I'm better at being the bad guy anyway." Damon kissed the side of Buffy's head and walked out.

Buffy waited till he was gone before turning to Stefan. "Elena still loves you. And I know you don't feel like she should…. You're right there…. But she'll take you back in time."

Stefan looked away guiltily for a moment. "I don't want that."

"You do. I know you do. And it's ok. I've been in her shoes. I know exactly what she's feeling right now."

Stefan sighed. "If you don't want me to be near her, just tell me."

Buffy shrugged. "Elena knows what's best for her."

"You're her guardian. What do you want?"

"I want her to be happy." Stefan sighed and Buffy smiled. "Look, I'm not going to tell you no. You guys love each other. When someone told me to stay away from Angel when I was her age…. It only made me want him more. She can decide for herself and so can you. I will say, though, that if you hurt her…. I'll shove a stake through your heart." Buffy patted Stefan's cheek and went to find Damon.


	55. Chapter 55

_**A/N I'm back! Hope you all enjoy this chapter. I sure did miss these characters while I was gone.**_

Chapter 55

"I'm glad he's doing good up there." Buffy said into the phone as Damon walked into the living room. "No, the progress reports are appreciated. No sign of the compulsion wearing off?" Buffy kissed Damon quickly as he walked past to get a glass of blood that she'd left for him.

"Dawn?" He mouthed.

Buffy nodded as she said, "Tell him Elena and I say hi and we all miss him down here. Bye, Dawnie." She hung up and looked at Damon. "Good morning."

Damon wrapped his arm around her and pulled her closer. "Morning."

"Sorry I wasn't in bed. I couldn't sleep."

"Not surprising. You don't really need it."

"So, what's on the agenda today?"

"Well, with the Originals scattered like cockroaches, I thought you and I could enjoy the whole day together."

"Oh, I like that plan a lot." Buffy kissed him deeply, but her ringing cell phone put a damper on the mood. "It's Liz." She answered it. "Hey, Liz. What's up?"

"I wouldn't call if this wasn't important." Liz said. "Actually, I wouldn't call you at all in this case, but since it involves Elena…."

"Elena?"

"We brought in Alaric Saltzman last night."

"For what?"

"For the murders of Brian Walters and Bill Forbes and the attempted murder of Meredith Fell."

"Wait…. My super-hearing must be off today…. What did you say?"

"I'm not going to repeat it, Buffy. This is serious."

"Why would you arrest Alaric?"

"The evidence against him is piling up and he attacked Meredith Fell last night."

"I'm coming down there."

"That's not necessary."

"If you've arrested the man that is taking care of my ward's house…. Then yeah. It's necessary."

"Buffy…."

"I'm coming down there, Liz." Buffy hung up and looked at Damon. "They arrested Alaric last night."

"I got that." Damon said. "For what?"

"Liz says he's the murderer."

"That's ridiculous. She should be arresting doctor psycho."

"I agree."

"I'm coming too." Damon said, setting his glass down and following Buffy out.

* * *

><p>"I didn't do it!" Alaric insisted through the bars. Liz, Buffy, and Damon stood on the other side.<p>

"You're arresting him for what this nut job Dr. Fell says?" Damon asked.

"No. I'm detaining him." Liz said. "The cell is for his own good." She looked at Alaric. "You were shot. Dr. Fell used vampire blood to heal you."

"Dr. Fell is the one who shot me!" Alaric said.  
>"Because you came at her with a knife."<p>

"Yeah, with a knife I had found hidden in her things!"

"Are we just going to ignore the fact that Rick was a victim too?" Buffy asked. "He was nearly shishkabobbed to death, Liz!"

"Well, Dr. Fell suggested that his wounds could've been self-inflicted." Liz said.

"Oh my god, you think I stabbed myself?" Alaric snapped.  
>"I think I don't know what to think. I've got nothing except for murder weapons from your stash and a respected member of a Founding family pointing a very long finger."<p>

"She is setting me up! I'm being framed here!"

"Well, that may be so, but I don't have any proof of that."

"Then we'll find some." Buffy said.

"No! Buffy, just stay out of it. You getting involved is only going to make matters worse."

Buffy blinked a few times as she looked at Liz incredulously. "Liz…."

"Don't make me put you in that cell with him."

"Oh, you can try…." Buffy growled, her eyes beginning to change.

"Whoa…." Damon grabbed Buffy and moved her behind him before she could do any more damage. "Figure this out, Liz. We'll stay out of it."

"Damon!" Buffy and Alaric protested.

Damon looked at Alaric. "You're not under arrest yet…. Don't push it."

"The voice of reason doesn't become you, Damon." Buffy said.

"Well, that's your job and you're clearly not up for it right now. Let's go cool off and let Liz do her job." Buffy started to protest, but Damon lifted an eyebrow and widened his eyes at her. She growled at him and stormed out of the jail. Damon sighed, "There goes our romantic day…." And followed her upstairs.

Elena walked in just as Buffy walked up. "Buffy!"

"Hey." Buffy said, breathing deeply to get her emotions in check.

"Were you just with…."

"Rick's fine." Damon said, catching up. "The sheriff wants us to stay out of it."

"But you're not going to…. Are you?"  
>Damon took Buffy's hand and squeezed it. "It seems just as good a plan as any."<p>

"Your friend's in jail for murder! You have to do something."

"Thank you!" Buffy snapped.

"Well, I guess I could rip out Dr. False-Accusations' throat or her tongue." Damon said.

"Now there's a plan!"

"You know, I could chew it up into little tiny pieces and feed it to the squirrels."

"Damon!" Elena said.

"Guess us staying out of it suddenly sounds like a good idea, doesn't it." Damon smirked at Elena as Buffy marched out of the jail. "You know, I saved your life last night. You're welcome."

"You know, you could show a little compassion for Bonnie." Elena said, glancing at the closing door that Buffy had just disappeared through.

"I know. You're right. Her and her mom must be really hurting right now. Should I send lasagna?"

"Ok, now you're just being mean."

"I'm mean. You hate me. The Earth is back on its axis."

"You know, if you keep pushing people away, you're going to end up alone. Buffy won't be friendless forever because of you."

"She'll have me. What more will she need?"

"Family." Elena turned and walked out.

* * *

><p>Buffy walked into the house and tossed her purse on the sideboard. She heard an incessant rapping coming from upstairs and followed the sound. She found Stefan sitting at the desk in his room tapping his ring against the wood in a nervous fidget. "Hey." Buffy said, startling him. "Sorry. I forget how quiet I am."<p>

"I'm going to put a bell on you." Stefan said, standing up and moving towards her.

"Won't help. I don't move enough for it to actually ring." She was starting to see more and more of the old Stefan coming back and she realized just how much she'd missed him. It was actually enough to make her forget how angry she'd been with him.

"Where's Damon?"

Buffy shrugged. "Don't know. I left him at the jail."

"Mad at him?"

"Alaric was taken in for those Council member murders and Meredith Fell says he attacked her last night."

"Did he?"

"I don't think he did. But she wants us to stay out of it."

"And you don't want to stay out of it."

"Do I ever? But Damon, weirdly enough, _does _want to stay out of it. What do you think?"

"I think you're capable of making good decisions."

Buffy sighed and sat down in Stefan's vacated seat. "I don't know. Maybe Damon's right."  
>"How bad did those words hurt?"<p>

"Like chugging a 20oz of liquid sunshine without my ring. My emotions are still kinda wonky."

"That's to be expected. You haven't been a vampire for _that _long."

"It's a bit frustrating." Buffy poked at the journal with the blank entry. "What are you doing?"

"Nothing."

"Hey! Wanna go out on the town with me? I don't want to be cooped up in the house all day."

"I'm hurt." Damon said, walking into the room. "You're asking my little brother on a date?"

"Well, he's closer in age to me than you are." Buffy shot back as Damon went to Stefan's bookshelf.

"What are you doing?" Stefan asked.

"Hey do you remember when we came back from Zachariah's funeral?" Damon asked.

"Vaguely. Why?"

"If memory serves, he wasn't the first Founder's council member killed that year. Or even that month."

"Your point being?"

"I'm trying to remember what year it was."

"1912."

"So much for vaguely." Damon tossed Stefan the journal he'd pulled out.

"What is it exactly that you're doing?" Buffy asked.

"Well, we've got a whodunit on our hands." He smirked at her and she shook her head with a smile. Damon's apologies were always interesting. "So 1912…. Or as I like to call it: The last time Mystic Falls had a serial killer on its hands."

"Oh, I love flashbacks." Buffy said. "Who was Zachariah?"

"He was our nephew and he was one of the ones murdered by the serial killer."

"So, you guys had a sibling?"

"A half brother. Our father had a little tryst with one of the maids. Since Stefan and I were technically dead, the Salvatore name and fortune went to him and then to his son Zachariah."

"Wow."

"That was the first time I saw Damon since he'd turned." Stefan said.

"That was what? Almost 50 years later?"

"Yes."  
>"Talk about a grudge."<p>

"Well, I did promise him an eternity of misery." Damon said.  
>"Of which you still haven't owned up to."<p>

Damon rolled his eyes. "What do you say, brother? You wanna go get drunk?"

"That was your plan for today?"

"No, but it seems like a pretty good one now. Plus I was hoping he could help us solve a murder." Damon and Buffy both looked at Stefan expectantly.

* * *

><p>Stefan, Damon, and Buffy walked into the Grill. Buffy rolled her eyes as she spotted Rebekah sitting with Carol Lockwood. "Oh, She-Devil at nine o'clock." Damon said.<p>

"Do you happen to know who kept the milling ledges during that period?" Rebekah asked Carol.

"Back then all the logging mills were owned by the Salvatores." Carol replied.

Buffy looked at Damon. "My mom would be so happy that I'm marrying into old southern money."

Damon chuckled and wrapped an arm around her shoulders as they made their way to the bar. "So what does a medical examiner, Bill Forbes, and Alaric Saltzman have in common?" He asked.

Stefan started in on his nervous ticking and Buffy's hand shot out to stop him. "Sorry." He said.

"You know, quitting blood cold turkey after a ripper binge might not be the best approach." Damon said, pouring his brother a drink. "Every time you play that all or nothing game, you eventually leave a trail of bodies. So, I'm thinking, now is a good time to pay our old friend moderation a visit."

"They were all on the Founder's Council, Damon." Stefan said. "That's what they all have in common."

"But why them? Huh? Brian Walters and Alaric weren't from founding families. I mean, hey, if you're gonna slaughter Council members, go A-list. At least in 1912 they killed a Salvatore."

Rebekah walked up behind them. "Which Salvatore would that be?"

"Our nephew." Stefan said.

"You had another sibling?"

"I had that reaction too." Buffy said. "His name was Zachariah. The one that was killed. Not the half-brother."  
>"Huh. So, Zachariah Salvatore was your nephew?"<p>

"Well, our father knocked up one of the maids during the Civil War. She had a son." Damon said. "But as far as everyone else knew, Stefan and I were dead. Family name had to go somewhere."

"And, uh, your family owned the logging mills back then?"

"You're full of a lot of questions."

"I'm just researching the town history. I grew up here after all." Rebekah turned her sights on Buffy. "My brother said you two had a lovely chat and that you almost kissed."

"We did not." Buffy protested. Damon scowled at her and she shook her head. "We talked and he leaned in, but there was no kiss."

"Hence the 'almost' part. Look, if you're going to join our little family, then you should probably stop trying to kill us."

"I'm not joining your family. I don't even like Klaus."

"Sure you don't." Rebekah sent a snarky smirk Damon's way before turning back to Buffy. "I want to go on a shopping spree. Since you're the only girl in this town I actually almost consider a friend and you have impeccable taste…."

Stefan suddenly grabbed his glass and the bottle and moved from between Rebekah and Damon to Damon's right side.

"You'll have to excuse my little brother." Damon said. "He's jonesing for some O positive."

"I'm not jonesing." Stefan protested.

"So, did they ever catch the killer?" Buffy asked, avoiding answering Rebekah's question.

"Nope." Damon said. "Wrote it all off on vampires."

"Maybe it was a vampire." Rebekah suggested.

"Yeah. Yeah, maybe it was a vampire, Damon." Stefan said.

"Don't think for a second you didn't cross my mind too, brother." Damon said. "But these weren't your style, were they? Plus there were no other vampires circulating then."

"Well, there was one other vampire. Remember Sage?"

"Oh, right, Sage."

"Who's Sage?" Buffy asked.

"Yes, Damon." Stefan said. "Who was Sage?"

"Sage was…. She…." Damon said. "Sage taught me to be a vampire."

"Is that all she taught you?"

"I knew a Sage once." Rebekah said. "Trashy little thing."

"You really think it was Sage who was killing all those founders back then?" Damon asked.

"Town questioned every grown man in Mystic Falls." Stefan said. "Probably never occurred to them that a woman could have done it."

"Of course not. Women are the ultimate stealth weapon. Why do you think Slayers are all female?" Buffy said.

"So, uh, tell me more about your old relatives." Rebekah said. "I heard they tore down half the woods to build this town."

A bartender gave them a new bottle of whiskey since Rebekah had finished off the other one. She went to grab the bottle, but Damon grabbed it first. "Easy there, lushy pants. It's been a hoot and a half but it's family night and you weren't invited."

"Buffy's not your family."

"An impending wedding says differently." Damon and Stefan walked off with Buffy, taking the alcohol with them. They settled over by the dart boards and Damon picked the darts up.

"So, let's just say this Sage, who you will tell me more about later, was killing everyone in 1912." Buffy said. "Who's doing it now?"

"It's not that psycho, Dr. Fell." Damon said. "She's a woman. There's no way she could stab three grown men."

Damon threw a dart, but Rebekah caught it before it hit the board. "That's a bit sexist. A woman could easily kill a man, with the right motivation."

"I'm with her." Buffy said.

"You just don't give up, do you?" Stefan said to Rebekah.

"Why are you so grumpy?" Rebekah asked.

"He's on a master cleanse." Damon said. "Trying to be a better man and all."

"You know, you were a lot more fun in the '20s."

"Leave him alone." Buffy said.

"Yeah. He's testy when he's being self-righteous." Damon added, meriting an eye-roll from his fiancée.

"I'm not being self-righteous, Damon." Stefan said. "I'm just not interested in slaughtering innocent human beings anymore."

"Oh, ok, fair enough. My mistake." Damon pulled out Stefan's journal from 1912 that he'd brought with him. "You use to be self-righteous. 'Dear diary, Damon has lost his way, though I have pulled my own life together he continues to waste his.'"

Rebekah grabbed the journal from Damon. "Ouch. 'His bitterness consumes him. He is nothing but blackness and vile.'" She closed the journal. "Oh, judgy."

"Well, this is fun." Stefan said to Buffy, the only one on his side.

"You know, if I'm being honest, you didn't seem like much fun either, Damon." Buffy said, going over to stand with Stefan. She smirked and bumped him with her shoulder.

"I wasn't." Damon said. "The woman I was in love with was stuck in a tomb and she wasn't getting out for a hundred years. I wasn't having any fun at all."

"And where does this Sage come in to play?"

"Now, actually. She found me feeding on a girl…. And she taught me that a woman isn't just for food."

"Oh, really. Then what is she for?"

"She's for pleasure."

"Uh huh…. I'm still with Rebekah on this. That's sexist."

"I'm quoting Sage."

"Uh, who you say made you the vampire I first met when I moved here. A chauvinistic jerk. So, what other words of wisdom did the lovely Sage bestow upon you?"

Damon sighed. "She said that a lot of women are hungry for attention. I should want the ones who button themselves up because those are the women that secretly crave seduction. The game isn't winning them over, it's making them beg for it."

"That sounds like Sage alright." Rebekah said.

"How did you know her?"

"She was obsessed with my brother Finn over 900 years ago."

"What? Creepy suicidal guy?"

Buffy gently grabbed Stefan's hand. He'd started his nervous ring tapping again. "Alright, you know what? I need to…. Uh…. I gotta get out of here." Stefan moved slightly towards the door.

"Sure. First, admit you're jonesing."

"Damon, leave your brother alone." Buffy scolded.

"I'm not…." Stefan started to leave, but Damon rushed over and grabbed him.

"Admit it." Damon said.

"Ok, fine, I'm freaking out. I'm ready to eat the entire wait staff. Why do you need to hear me say it?"

"Because I'm feeling a little self-righteous too." Stefan rolled his eyes and walked out of the Grill. Buffy turned to Damon, but he held up his hand. "Nope. Don't yell."

"I'm not going to yell." Buffy protested. "I was going to say we need to help him."

Damon smirked. "Well, you could use this lesson, too. Come on."

"Where are we going? And what lesson do I need to learn?" Buffy followed Damon out after Stefan. Rebekah decided to tag along and walked out with them.

"So he doesn't want to drink human blood?" Rebekah asked.

"Ah, he's an eternally guilty conscience." Damon said.

"Funny. When I knew him in the 20s, he didn't have any conscience at all. One of the things I liked most about it. He can't possibly think he can survive without feeding."

"Oh, on the contrary, he's determined to live his life pursuing one extreme or the other. He's a stubborn one, my brother." Damon glanced at Buffy. "All right, you're up."

"What am I doing?" Buffy asked.

Damon saw a woman getting out of her car. "You're going to feed from her."

"Damon…."

"At some point in your life, you're not going to have a blood bank to rely on. Just like Stefan, you need to learn to control yourself. The only way to do that is to feed from a live human." He placed his hand gently on her cheek. "You're not going to kill her and you can use your compulsion to keep her from feeling pain."

Buffy sighed and was suddenly standing in front of the woman. "Sorry about this." She caught the woman's eye and said, "You won't feel a thing" before biting into the woman's neck. The taste of the warm blood was overpowering. This was so much better than the heated up blood bags!

Stefan stopped walking when he smelled the blood and rushed over to Buffy, pulling her off the woman. "Buffy, stop!"

Buffy growled at Stefan, angry that he'd stopped her from feeding, but she remembered herself and took a deep breath to calm herself. She willed her eyes to change back to normal and her fangs to go back up to their normal size. "Good girl." Damon said behind her.

"What are you doing?" Stefan demanded. "She's never had human blood straight from the source! She could've killed that woman."

"No, because she's willing to learn control. Just like you need to. You're not gonna survive this cold turkey thing. You never do. It's time to get that monkey off your back."

"No. No."

"Feed or I'll let Rebekah have her way with her. You know she'll kill her."

Buffy glanced at where Rebekah was now holding the unconscious woman. "Damon…."

"You know I will." Rebekah said.

"Then her blood will be on your hands." Damon said, squeezing Buffy's hand to signal her to be quiet. She hated this, but Damon was right about learning control. For both her and Stefan. The taste of that blood…. "Or you could just have a little drink, save her life. Come on, Stefan. You were the one that said you didn't want any more innocent lives slaughtered. Save her. Go on, have a bite. Buffy snatched, you eat, I'll erase. Hell, I'll even heal her for you."

"Why are you doing this?" Stefan asked. "You know what blood does to me."

"Because you let it control you. You always have. I'm just here to help you learn how to fight it."

"This is rubbish." Rebekah let her fangs extend and got ready to sink her teeth into the woman's already bleeding neck, but Stefan rushed over and pushed her out of the way. He grabbed the woman before she fell and stared at the blood running down her neck. With a pained sigh, he bit down and fed.

"We've got it from here." Damon said to Rebekah. "Go ahead."

"The night's just getting started." Rebekah protested.

"Scram. No one likes a lurker."

"You're a real ass, you know?"

"So I'm told." Rebekah huffed and walked away. Damon turned to his brother. "Alright, that's enough. Come on. You're gonna bleed her dry. You're gonna drain her. Come on." He pushed Stefan off of the woman. Stefan had blood running down his chin and he lunged back at the woman's neck, but Damon pushed him away. "I said that's enough! Hey, you wanna fight hunger or do you wanna fight me?"

Buffy pulled Stefan gently away, still waging her own small battle against the sweet smell of the fresh blood. Stefan took a deep breath, gripping Buffy's wrist tightly. She nodded at him, reassuring both of them that they were strong. That he wasn't in this alone. Damon bit his wrist to heal the woman just as Elena and Matt walked past the alleyway and stopped.

"What are you doing?" Elena demanded. Stefan turned around and Elena saw the blood on his face. Buffy quickly wiped the small trail of blood at the corner of her lips away, but Elena had already seen it. "Buffy? Stefan?"

Stefan wiped the blood off of his mouth as he stared at her. "Elena."

"What are you three doing?"

"Relax, Elena." Damon said. "Just a little experiment. There's no need to make this more dramatic than it needs to be."

"Elena, let's just go." Matt said. Elena just stood there, staring at Stefan. "Elena!" Matt forced Elena to move and she eventually did with Matt following.

"So…. that's gonna take a little time." Damon said. Stefan walked past Buffy and Damon. "Stefan, hey wait! Stefan. Wait!"

Buffy sighed. "That went a little far."

"Ok, maybe it did."

"We should apologize."

"To who?" Damon scowled for a second and then shrugged. "Hey, you did good, though."

"If Stefan hadn't of pulled me away…."

"You would've pulled away yourself. You're strong Buffy. Stronger than you give yourself credit for."

"I guess I have to be to hang around all this crazy drama." She sighed. "I don't know who I should go after. Stefan or Elena."

"Let Elena cool off. She's not a vampire and she doesn't understand fully what that means."

"I don't think Stefan does either." Buffy said as Damon gently licked away the blood she'd smeared on her hand.

* * *

><p>Stefan was sitting in front of the fireplace in the living room when Buffy and Damon walked in. On their way home, Liz had called to let Buffy know that Alaric was out of jail. Buffy looked at Stefan and then pushed Damon gently towards him. She walked over and headed up the stairs.<p>

"They let Rick go." Damon said. "Sheriff Forbes told Buffy that she's out of suspects again, but Rick is in the clear. I know it may not seem like it, but you did really well tonight. And before you know it you're gonna be the king of moderation. Elena will understand."

"Doesn't really matter what Elena thinks." Stefan retorted.

"Uh-uh, none of that. No more no humanity Stefan. There's a road called recovery and we are on it."

Stefan stood up and walked over to Damon. "Why do you even care, huh? I just wish that you and Buffy would go back to hating me. It was a lot easier."

"Buffy loves you. You're not only her friend, but you're like a brother to her. You're her Lexi. Just like she's yours. And can you for one minute actually believe that I'm trying to help you?"

"I don't need your help."

"You don't need my…. Are you kidding me? Do you remember what happened last time you said that?"

"What are you talking about?"

"1912, Stefan. The last time I convinced you to drink human blood. You lost it. Completely. The Founder's Council killer had nothing on you. By the decade's end, they were calling you the Ripper of Monterrey. I let you walk away. I watched you go over the edge and I didn't do anything to stop you."

"You couldn't have."

"Sure I could of. I just didn't want to. But I want to now. And whenever you go too far, I will be there to pull you back. Every second…. Every day…. Until you don't need me."

"Why?"

"Cause right now, you and Buffy are all I've got."

After a long moment, Stefan nodded. "Is that why you asked her to marry you? Because you're afraid she'll leave you?"

Damon glanced at the doorway. Buffy could probably hear him, but he didn't care. "I don't deserve her."

"She loves you."

"She shouldn't, but honestly…. I don't think I could live without her. So, I proposed. I keep waiting for her to wake up one day and realize…."

"She wakes up every day next to you and she knows exactly who you are. Faults and all…. And she still loves you." Stefan sighed. "Buffy Anne Summers is the best thing to happen to this family." He stared at Damon for a long moment and then walked out of the room.

* * *

><p>Later that night, Damon sat in the parlor playing the piano for Buffy. It was a talent of his that she'd recently discovered and she had pestered him to play for her. She kept saying something about it was romantic and Twilight-y. He was seriously thinking about taking her book reading rights away.<p>

Stefan walked in with a book. "So I dug into the old family archives from the 1900s." He said.

"So now you want to be helpful?" Damon asked.

"Want me to go back to being mad at you?"

Buffy smiled. "What'd you find?"

"Well, nothing from 1912. They never did arrest anyone for the Founder's murders." Stefan placed the open book in front of Buffy and Damon walked over to sit down next to her. "But, they did get a confession ten years later."

"They did?" Damon asked. "Who?"

"Jonathan Gilbert's granddaughter, Samantha. They assumed she was crazy, locked her up in an insane asylum."

"Then what?"

"Trail ends there. I mean, she was a Founder, you know how they like to look out for their own."

"Samantha Gilbert. That is very weird."

"Why?" Buffy and Stefan asked.

"Because I'm pretty sure I had already killed her."

"So you think Samantha Gilbert is still alive, running around Mystic Falls, killing Founders?" Buffy asked.

"It's not possible. If she became a vampire, we'd know about it, right? You would definitely know about it."

"Then she must have had a ring that brought her back to life." Stefan said. "I mean she was a Gilbert, right? Those rings were passed on for generations."

"Yeah, but even if she had a ring, she wouldn't be alive today. Doesn't protect her from old age."

"Jonathan Gilbert only made two of those rings. Jeremy has one of them and the other's…."

"Alaric's." Buffy finished.


	56. Chapter 56

Chapter 56

Alaric was laying down on an MRI machine in the next room as Buffy, Elena, and Meredith looked on. "What are you looking for?" Elena asked.

"I don't know." Meredith said. "A tumor, vascular anomalies, anything physical that might explain his behavior. If it's medical, I can treat it."

"And if it's not medical?" Buffy asked.

"Well, then we'll deal with that too." Meredith looked at Buffy's strained face. "Are you all right?"

"Sorry. This is the first time I've been in a hospital since I was turned. All that fresh blood mixed with death and sickness and…. Cleaning supplies…. It's a little overwhelming."

"You don't have to be here." Elena said without even looking at Buffy.

"I'm fine. Control is key." Buffy looked at Meredith again. "When did you suspect that it was Alaric who was killing all of those people?"

"It was after he told me about his ring." Meredith said. "I remembered a story my grandmother had told me about Samantha Gilbert and her secret journal. I don't know if you know this, but we Fells are notorious busy-bodies."

"But then, why did you protect him?" Elena asked.

"Because I'm a doctor. I don't like to see someone hurt by something they have no control over. And because when he and I first met I felt like…. I don't know, I…. I just kind of want to help him." Alaric's heart rate spiked for a few seconds. Meredith bent down to a microphone. "Everything alright in there?"

"Yeah. Yeah, everything's ok." Alaric said.

"I'm going to go let Damon know we're almost done." Buffy said. She turned and walked out of the room. Once she got outside, she took a deep breath of fresh air.

"You ok?" Damon asked, appearing next to her.

"You failed to mention how awful hospitals smell."

"Sorry. It's an experience and it doesn't really get any better. You just learn to ignore it." He kissed the side of her hair and wrapped an arm around her. "How's Rick?"

"Almost done." Buffy sighed and laid her head on Damon's chest. "Elena's barely said three words to me."

"She doesn't understand that as vampires, we feed on human blood. And after what happened with Stefan…."

"I get it." She was still dejected about Elena coming across her and Stefan feeding off an innocent woman.

"She does need to remember that you became a vampire to keep her safe, so the judgy act can stop in its tracks."

"Don't be so harsh." Her heart wasn't in the scold, though. Damon was right. Elena did forget sometimes that Buffy, Stefan, and Damon were vampires. Hell, Buffy herself forgot sometimes, too. It wasn't until she was around blood or emotional situations that she was reminded.

Damon kissed the side of her head again, lingering there for a long moment to bask in the sweet and sultry smell of her hair. "I'll go get Alaric. You stay out here and breath in fresh air." Damon kissed her lightly and walked into the hospital. Buffy walked over and leaned against her car, staring up at the sun. A few minutes later, Elena came out with Damon right behind her. They obviously didn't see her since they walked right past her.

"Don't worry about him." Damon was saying. "Take him out for chicken soup, get him a martini, make sure he doesn't kill anybody."

"What is wrong with you?" Elena demanded. "How could you and Buffy just go out feeding with Stefan like some vampire pub crawl?" Buffy ducked further down by her car, not wanting Elena to see her and go off on her.

"Oh right. I thought we were talking about Alaric, but of course we're talking about Stefan."

"You stood there and let him and Buffy feed on an innocent girl."

"I didn't let Stefan do anything. If you want to get nit-picky about it, I made him. As for Buffy, she did it willingly. No force necessary."

"Why would she do that?"

"Because we're vampires, Elena. We need human blood to survive. We're predators, not puppies."

"Well, Stefan found a way around it before."

"Stefan has built himself a delusional wagon which he has repeatedly fallen off of. What he needs to learn is control."

"He was able to manage when he was drinking my blood. Small amounts every single day…."

"Ah, yes, back when you two were in love and it was all rainbows and unicorns."

"I'm just saying, maybe you're not the right person to be teaching Stefan or Buffy about self-control." Elena got into her car and gave Damon another death glare before he walked over to Buffy's car. He found her sitting on the ground scowling at the pavement.

"Heard that, huh?" Damon asked, sitting down next to her.

"I know I shouldn't be mad at her reaction, but…. That really pisses me off." Buffy snapped. "You're helping Stefan. She should be happy that someone is! I mean, he's not lasting very long before his next Ripper binge without the help. Anyone can see that. And who knows! Without me learning control…. I could end up on a Ripper binge. I'm glad you're teaching me."

Damon smiled. "She'll come around. She can't stay mad forever."

* * *

><p>Construction workers were working on restoring Wickery Bridge while the townspeople milled around the road in front of it. They were there for the Restoration Fundraiser. Alaric, Meredith, Buffy, and Damon arrived and Buffy let out a groan. When Damon looked at her questioningly, Buffy pointed at Rebekah speaking to Carol Lockwood.<p>

"She's up to something." Buffy said. "She's been snooping in places she shouldn't be."

"Tell me again, why are we here?" Alaric asked.

"Rick, the world can't stop just because you're an accidental psycho killer." Damon said.

Buffy smacked his arm as Meredith said, "Do you have any tact whatsoever?"

Carol made her way towards them. "Alaric, I'm glad you're here. Did you bring the sign?" It was clear by Alaric's expression that he was confused. "The restored Wickery Bridge sign? The history department promised me you'd have it today."

"I…. I don't have the sign. Actually it slipped…. it slipped my mind. I've been….. busy."

"Well, it's not an emergency. We'll just um…. unveil it when the bridge is complete." Carol smiled brightly and walked off.

"Get me out of here." Alaric begged.

"My pleasure." Meredith said.

"I'm gonna stick around for a bit." Damon said. He threw an arm around Buffy's shoulders. "Are you with me?"

"Aren't I always?" Buffy asked, wrapping her arm around his waist.

"Taking on the Salvatore name means you're taking on some responsibilities as a Founding family member." He noticed her attention had moved on and she was staring intently across the open area. "What's wrong?"

"Who's that woman staring at you?"

Damon looked over and spotted who Buffy was talking about. "Blast from the past." He started to move, but realized Buffy had tightened her grip and he risked breaking a hip and some ribs if he continued. "That's Sage."

"Sage? As in trashy vamprie who taught you to be a chauvinist, Sage?" The distaste was evident in Buffy's tone. "What is she doing here?"

"Let's go found out." He started to walk again and this time Buffy reluctantly followed. Buffy had imagined Sage looking like a trashy Valley girl, but that was really far from the truth. Sage was beautiful. She was tall with big green eyes and silky red hair. And she looked incredibly sophisticated. No sign of trashy anywhere. It was easy to see why Damon had stuck with her for a while. The pang of jealousy was hard to suppress.

"Damon Salvatore, my favorite student." Sage said.

"Sage, my hottest teacher. What are you doing here?"

"I'm just passing through."

"Oh, come on, nobody just passes through Mystic Falls."

Sage smirked and looked at Buffy. "Damon seems to have forgotten his manners. I'm Sage."

"Sage, this Buffy." Damon said. "She's my fiancée."

"Fiancée? Wow. The Damon I knew wouldn't even think about actually loving another woman."

"That's old news."

"Well, it's nice to meet you Buffy."

"Yeah." Buffy said. "You too."

Rebekah walked up to them saying, "Look what the cat dragged in."

"Easy there, Rebekah. You know she use to beat men for sport." Damon said.

"She always was quite common."

"Rebekah." Sage said. "What a happy surprise."

"What are you doing here Sage?"

"Well, I heard Finn was finally freed from that casket your rageaholic brother Klaus carted him around in."

"Mmm, Finn…. You just missed him. He left town and didn't tell a soul where he was going."

"He probably went looking for me."

"Or quite possibly he forgot all about you."

"I doubt that."

"No? Cause he didn't seem to mention you. Sorry you came all this way for nothing. Have a nice life." Rebekah turned on her heel and walked off.  
>Sage's polite expression melted away. "God, I hate that elitist Original bitch."<p>

"Let's take a walk." Damon suggested.

"All right." Sage allowed Buffy and Damon to lead the way.

"Finn, really?" Damon asked.

"He's my one true love. He turned me so we could be together forever. Then Klaus daggered him and locked him away and I've been waiting ever since. Please don't tell me that you and Rebekah are friends."

"Not in the slightest. Though her brother wants Buffy all to himself."

"Klaus?" Sage asked.

"Unfortunately." Buffy said. "Rebekah's been trying to get me to be friends because she's convinced I'm going to be 'part of the family'."

"Rebekah and Klaus always treated me like some peasant whore. You should watch out for them."

"Ah, she's just lurking around because she wants something from us." Damon said. "Can't figure out what it is though."

"Why don't you get inside her head and find out?"

"Cause it's impossible. She's too strong."

"I bet I could get in there."

"Sage, she's an Original. It's not gonna happen."

"Have you forgotten everything I taught you? Rebekah may be an Original, but she's a girl. You find her weakness and exploit it and I'll walk right in. That is if you want my help."

"Actually…." Buffy said. "I wouldn't hate learning that trick."

"Are you a…."

"Slayer turned vampire."

"Damon!"

"What!" Damon protested. "With Originals crawling all around this town, we had to do something to protect ourselves."

Sage looked at Buffy. "You did this willingly?"

"Uh…. Yeah." Buffy said. "I haven't had a knockdown, drag out fight with any of them, but I'm looking forward to it."

"Buffy was already powerful before she became a vampire. Longest living Slayer and all…. Now that she's a vampire, she's…."

"Original strong." Sage finished. "So, you're _that_ Slayer."

Buffy shrugged. "That would be me."

"And I think that would be you who has the best shot at exploiting Rebekah." Damon said.

"Why me?"

"Because she actually likes you." Buffy blinked at him for a long moment. "You should take her up on that shopping spree. Wear her out. Invite her back to the house. Hell, compel the staff of a spa to come to the house and have a whole girls' day in."

"How in the world will that do any good?"

"Because her guard will be down. She won't expect you to try anything." Sage said. "And I can show you how to get inside her head."

Buffy sighed. "Ok. But she needs to suggest the shopping spree again. It'll be suspicious if I just walk up to her and ask her."

"Pick a fight with me." Damon said.

"What?"

"You can storm off and Rebekah loves it when we're at odds. She didn't bring up the shopping spree until she knew I was upset about you almost kissing Klaus."

"I did not almost kiss Klaus!" Buffy realized her voice was louder than she'd intended and people were staring. Including Rebekah. "Shut up, Damon!" She turned and stormed off, heading for the refreshment table.

Rebekah slid up next to her. "Trouble in paradise?"

"Oh, he's still pissy about Klaus trying to kiss me."

"Well, he's got to realize that Nic always gets what he wants."

"Not helping." Buffy looked around, her eyes coming to rest on Damon and Sage. "I need to get out of here."

"You never answered my question."

"What question?"

"I asked if you wanted to go on a shopping spree with me."

"Oh." Buffy glanced at Damon talking with Sage. "Yes. Let's go now."

"Now?"

"Yes. Now."

Rebekah shot a smug smirk Damon's way as she and Buffy walked off.

* * *

><p>Buffy walked into the house loaded down with shopping bags. Rebekah was dropping her bags off at her house before coming over to meet Buffy. She had actually had a really great time shopping with Rebekah. Their tastes were very similar. When Buffy had suggested the spa day at her house, Rebekah hadn't hesitated. She'd gone and compelled an entire spa and beauty parlor to come over at a certain time with all their equipment.<p>

Damon and Sage were sitting in the living room. "Welcome home." Damon said, coming over to help Buffy with her bags.

"You guys need to leave." Buffy said. "Becks is coming over soon and you can't be here. She'll know something's up."

"I'm being kicked out of my own house?"

"This was your idea."

"And did you seriously just call her 'Becks'?"

Buffy rolled her eyes. "I'll text you when it's safe to come back." She looked over at Sage. "Quick. Show me how to do that mind reading trick thing."

"It's not a quick lesson." Sage said.

"Make it one. I catch on quick."

Twenty minutes later, Rebeckah rang the doorbell and then walked right on in. "Buffy!" She called.

Buffy appeared in the living room holding a bottle of wine and two glasses. "The spa people are upstairs getting set up. The beauty salon is right here in the living room. And…. More alcohol." She shook the wine bottle and glasses. They'd been drinking champagne and wine all day long with a small break for very large margaritas around lunch time.

"Beautify, drinks, and then relaxation…. I like the plan." Rebekah held up her own bottle. "I stole it from Nik who stole it from a Queen. Not sure which one."

Buffy inspected the bottle. It was seriously vintage scotch. "Yum."

"Let's finish the wine first, then move on to the harder stuff." Rebekah set the scotch down and took one of the offered glasses.

While the manicurist was working on their nails and the stylists were working on their hair, Buffy said, "Hey, Becks?"

"Yes?" Rebeckah said, glancing over at Buffy.

"Have you ever had a sleepover?"

"What's that?"

"Well…. It's a girls' night in. We watch movies and gorge on popcorn and candy and pizza and stay up all night."

"Sounds like fun. What movies are we watching?"

"There's a ton of them in mine and Damon's room. Sometimes we like to curl up and watch old movies."

"Can we not talk about Damon…. Or men in general?"

"Works for me."

"And if we order pizza, Ginos has the best tasting delivery boys."

Buffy smiled slightly. "Oh…. Sure."

"It's ok, Buffy. I know you just started on the control thing, but it's really not that hard. Stefan's just being dramatic. You should come live with Nic and I. We could teach you better than the Salvatores."

"Maybe if things with Damon don't work out."

"Which they won't."

"Why do you say that?"

"Because you're too powerful now. Eventually he won't be enough for you."

Buffy looked down at her nails for a second. "I thought we weren't talking about men?"

"We're not." Rebekah waggled her finger at one of the girls standing around and ordered her to turn on some music.

* * *

><p>Buffy and Rebekah were sprawled on Buffy and Damon's bed. The movie was still playing, but Rebekah was sleeping. The mixture of massages, facials, all out pampering, blood, and booze had gotten to her. Buffy was fighting off sleep herself, but once she noticed that Rebekah was out, her adrenaline…. Or whatever passed for it in her now dead body…. Started pumping. She had to go about this carefully.<p>

Slowly, Buffy gently laid her fingers on Rebekah's cheek and concentrated. She hadn't been perfect when Sage and Damon had left, but Sage had been a good enough teacher. It took a moment, but finally images flashed behind Buffy's eyelids. She concentrated harder and the flashes started coming with sound.

Buffy pulled her hand back quickly and shook her head. Rebekah stirred a little, but stayed asleep. After a long moment of figuring out exactly what this meant, Buffy pulled out her cell phone and texted Damon. She grabbed her robe and rushed downstairs.

"You look extra beautiful." Damon said behind her. "Love the hair."

Buffy spun around to find Sage and Damon standing near the door to the basement. "You guys were down there the whole time?"

"Damon didn't want to venture too far." Sage said.

"Well, are you gonna torture me or are you gonna tell me what she's up to?" Damon asked. Buffy glanced back at the stairs and then moved towards Damon and Sage. She pointed down towards the basement and the three of them descended. "Well?"

"There's another tree." Buffy said.

"What tree?" Sage asked as Damon asked, "A white oak tree?"

"That's what she's been hunting for, but apparently it was chopped down a long time ago."

"That's why she's been hanging around." Damon said.

"Why?" Sage asked. "What's so special about a white oak tree?"

"It's the only thing out there that can kill an Original." Buffy said. Her head suddenly whipped around and she looked up the stairs. "Rebekah's awake." She disappeared up the stairs and opened the door to her and Damon's room.

"Where were you?" Rebekah asked, standing up.

"Hungry." Buffy said. "Turns out that pizza isn't as satisfying as it used to be."

"Well, you should've had the delivery boy."

Buffy shrugged. "Wasn't interested."

"You've got to learn sometime."

"I will. Just…. Not with a teenager."

"You and your morals."

"Are you leaving?"

"It's been fun, but I hear your boyfriend downstairs with his little tramp." Buffy heard Damon and Sage downstairs laughing. "I'd rather not stay."

"Oh. Ok."

"But feel free to come over any time for a sleepover at my house. I'm sure Nic would love that." And with that, Rebekah was gone. Buffy heard the front door shut and she made her way to the library where Sage and Damon were.

"Rebekah just left." Buffy said.

Damon was looking for the logging mill records. "Milling records?" Sage asked.

"Our family made one of its many fortunes selling lumber." Damon explained. "It's why Rebekah's been digging around about this stuff. That tree was on our land and milled by our yard. The ledgers will tell me where it was shipped. Business archives should be around here somewhere." He continued looking for the archives and finally pulled out the one from 1912. He flipped through it and found where the tree was shipped to. "You've gotta be kidding me."

"What?" Buffy asked.

"1912. The Salvatore Milling Company chopped down a forest, its most valuable wood came from an old white oak tree that was used to make Wickery Bridge."

"Wow." Buffy suddenly grabbed the book and threw it into the fire. "These aren't public records, so Rebekah's gonna have to chase her tail for a long time."

"So all the wood stripped from the underside of that bridge is basically a weapon that could kill an Original?" Sage asked.

"Yep." Damon said.  
>"You see how this could be a problem for me, right?"<p>

"Why? Because of your true love Finn? Let me tell you something, I met the guy. You're not gonna miss him."

Sage rushed over to Damon and pinned him against the wall. Buffy was suddenly there, grabbing Sage by the back of the neck and tossing her across the room like a rag doll. Her eyes had changed and her fangs had dropped. Sage got up, but Buffy growled at her, "I will rip your head off if you take one more step. I've been dying to test out my strength against someone your age."

Damon stepped between the two women. "Alright, let's just take a deep breath and calm down. How about we make a deal? You let us kill Rebekah, we consider Finn untouchable, you guys walk into the sunset together."

"Is that a promise?" Sage asked, keeping an eye on Buffy.

"Yes. It's a promise."

"I accept. Now tell your girlfriend to back down."

Buffy took a deep breath and straightened up from her crouch. "Fine. Damon, let's go gather some tools and head out to Wickery Bridge." She marched out with Damon right behind her.

A few minutes later they came back into the library with Damon saying, "Sage, let's go. We have Originals to kill." Sage wasn't in the library. "Sage?"

"Where'd she go?" Buffy asked.

Damon sighed. "We need to hurry."

* * *

><p>Damon drove up to Wickery Bridge where a bonfire was in full blaze. Rebekah stood in front of the bonfire and Buffy and Damon knew it was the wood from the white oak tree. Damon stopped the car and they got out, slamming their doors in frustration.<p>

"Your grand plans always seem to get ruined, don't they?" Rebekah said. "Sorry to disappoint you. Again." Rebekah walked away.

Damon turned around and saw Sage by his car. "You set us up."

"No. I'm just looking out for myself."

"I told you we'd save your creepy boyfriend!"

"And you lied to me, Damon! The Originals are linked. If one dies they all die. If I can get inside her head, don't you think I'd be able to get inside yours?"

Buffy suddenly had Sage by the throat and slammed her against Damon's car. Sage hit back, knocking Buffy back a few feet. Buffy growled, eyes changing and fangs dropping, and attacked Sage. Sage was good, all those years of boxing showing, but Buffy was better trained and in multiple styles of fighting. She quickly had Sage pinned to the ground.

"I'm going to let you in on a little secret." Buffy said. "Your long lost love has a death wish. When Esther linked them together in that spell, he was the one that volunteered to die."

"He wouldn't do that." Sage said.

"He didn't want to live. Not for you. Not for anyone. He doesn't love you, Sage." Buffy smiled cruelly as she hauled Sage to her feet. "When I do find a way to kill the Originals, I think I'll start with Finn. Now get out of my town." Sage, realizing she was strong enough to fight Buffy, but not skilled enough, took off into the woods. Damon walked up to Buffy and she turned on him, still enraged. He held up his hands and Buffy's eyes widened as they changed back to normal. "I'm sorry!"

"It's ok." Damon said, taking her face gently between his hands. "Do you realize you just fought someone who is almost an Original and won?"

Buffy smiled slightly, but it quickly faded. "Well, she's _not_ an Original. That fight wasn't as easy as it may have looked."

"It doesn't matter. She's had training. Rebekah, Finn, Kol, Elijah…. They've never needed the training."

"What about Klaus?"

"I don't know. He's…. unpredictable."

Before Buffy could answer, her cell phone started ringing. "It's Elena." She said, surprised.

* * *

><p>Alaric was asleep in his bed the next morning while Buffy sat watch in a chair next to him. Damon was moving around Alaric's kitchen fixing himself and Buffy a drink. She was watching him move around when Alaric said behind her, "What the hell are you doing here?"<p>

Buffy turned around. "Oh, just making sure Bonnie didn't accidentally turn you into a toad or a block of salt or anything like that." Alaric looked confused, so Buffy elaborated. "Bonnie did a spell…. It's really nothing to worry about…. It was just something to keep the, uh…. The psycho killer in you at bay."

Alaric flexed his injured hand and looked at it. "Did something happen?"

"Let's just say you've got an alter ego hell bent on killing Council members." Damon said, walking over with Buffy's drink.

"The plan is," Buffy said gently. "We've packed up some of your stuff and moved you back to your loft. Just for a little bit."

"You know it's like house arrest. Polite."

"Wait, where's Meredith?" Alaric asked.

"She'll be fine, Rick." Buffy said, gripping Alaric's hand as she stood up. "Promise."

"Where are you going?"

"Uh…. I've got to run home really quick and talk to Stefan. Damon will fill you in."

* * *

><p>Stefan was in the library having a drink of what smelled like whiskey. Buffy walked in carrying her new weapon. "Little early in the day, isn't it?" She shrugged with a slight smile as she set her package down. "Well, it's five o'clock somewhere, right?"<p>

"Just having a little toast." Stefan said.

"Oh? To what?"

"Control." Buffy nodded proudly. "Why are you in such a good mood? Sage double-crossed you and Damon, the tree's a pile of ash, Alaric's got a psychopathic alter ego…."

"You know, Stefan…. As a Slayer, I make the world a better place by fighting evil. And since I've joined the Salvatore family, that's also extended to a little bit of some philanthropy. You know…. Restoring bridges, landmarks, and…." Buffy smiled brightly as she pulled the cover off her package. It was the Wickery Bridge sign. "Historical signs made of the same white oak as Wickery Bridge."

Stefan got up and looked at the sign. "They think all the wood burned."

"I sold my rage…. Mostly cause I actually couldn't control it once I full on released it…. But you should have seen me! I fought Sage and won! She's, like, 900 years old and I won!"

Stefan smiled slightly at her enthusiasm. He had to admit that he was pretty excited that she could take on someone as old as Klaus and win. He was also excited about the sign. "We have a weapon."

"As Damon would say: The game's back on. Let's go kill us some Originals." Buffy smiled, leaning against the sign.


	57. Chapter 57

Chapter 57

Elena walked up the stairs to Alaric's loft with breakfast for him. She raised her hand to knock on the door, but Buffy opened it before her knuckles made contact with the door. "Morning." Buffy said, walking out into the hall and shutting the door behind her.

"Hey, how's Alaric?" Elena asked.

"Uh…. Indecent. But fine."

"So then, does that mean there were no issues last night?"

"Nope. He slept like a baby and woke up the old Alaric."

"Then why do I feel like you're hiding something from me?"

"You're paranoid and control freaky?" Elena glared at her. "Ok, look…. I know you're mad about the other night, but I think it's time to get over that."

"What?" Elena looked astounded. "You were feeding off an innocent woman!"

"Who ended up asleep in her bed and is still alive. Yes, Elena, I can survive on blood bags, but those won't always be around. I don't want to end up going on a Ripper binge like Stefan because I didn't take the time to learn how to control myself. So, please…. Ease up on me and Stefan." Buffy glanced at the bag and coffees in Elena's hands. "What did you bring?" She sniffed the air. "Chocolate muffins. What? No blueberry?"

"They're not for you."

"I know. They're for Rick. Otherwise there would be blueberry. I'll make sure he gets the muffins." Buffy plucked the coffees and muffins out of Elena's hands. "But with Rick being on lockdown and all…. He's going have to miss out on seeing you today."

"Just take it and give it to him and tell him that I miss him, ok?"

"Of course."

"Please."

"I will." Buffy opened the door and disappeared inside the loft. She leaned against the door for a second and then walked over to where Alaric, Damon, and Stefan were standing by a table saw.

"Walking down the stairs, opening the front door, and she's gone." Damon said. Alaric turned the saw on and began to saw the Wickery Bridge sign.

About an hour later, Damon, Buffy, and Stefan were whittling stakes. Buffy, being the old pro at it, was showing Damon how to do it. "This needs to have a sharper point." Buffy said, pointing at Damon's stake.

"You got it." Damon said, catching her hand and kissing her fingertips.

"We finally have our own stakes to kill an Original." Stefan said. "I'm not gonna miss because you can't whittle."

"I said I got it. Stop micromanaging."

Alaric walked into the room as he put on his jacket. "Looks like you guys have got this under control. I'm gonna call the Sheriff. I want to turn myself in."

"No you don't."

"I have a homicidal alter ego. Unlike some people in this room, I would like to take responsibility for the people I've killed."

"If you wanted to turn yourself in, you wouldn't be saying it out loud. Just saying."

"Hey, listen, out of all people, _you_ cannot psychoanalyze me. I killed Caroline's father. I nearly killed Meredith. Everything's changed."

"You're not turning yourself in." Buffy said, standing up and walking over to Alaric. "Bonnie's herbs are working and we kinda have some Originals to kill. Klaus needs to be dealt with and we finally have the chance to get rid of him once and for all. You are not turning yourself in." She reached into her pocket and pulled out Alaric's ring. "And here. Put it on."

"That ring is the reason I've killed people."

"It's also the reason you're walking and talking right now. You're going Original Vampire hunting, Rick. Please wear it."

Alaric sighed and took the ring, placing it on his finger.

* * *

><p>Buffy, Damon, and Stefan made their way through the woods to the meeting point Stefan had set up. As they got closer, Buffy could hear Caroline and Elena talking.<p>

"Alaric Saltzman killed my father?" Caroline asked.

"I can't expect you to be ok with this. But at least these herbs that Bonnie's giving him, they're healing him and they're keeping the dark side buried."

"Yeah, and that's supposed to make everything ok?"

"No, Caroline, it's not ok. It's horrible and I feel horrible about it, but he's a victim of something supernatural. He didn't ask for this. It just happened to him. Just like Bonnie's mom. I mean, she didn't ask to become a vampire. And neither did Stefan or Tyler."

"Or me."

"Or you. None of you asked for this, but who would I be if I just turned my back on any of you?"

"Oh, Elena Gilbert, savior of the cursed and the damned!"

"Hey. What's with the cryptic secret meeting text?" Matt asked.

"I don't know." Elena said. "Stefan just said to meet here."

Stefan, Buffy, and Damon appeared behind the three teenagers. "Where's Bonnie? I texted her too." Stefan said.

"Um, Bonnie's mom bailed on her." Caroline said. "Again. So, I think we should leave her out of this one."

"What are we doing here?" Matt asked.

"We found some more white oak." Damon said. "Long story, wait for the movie."

"Hang on. White oak?" Elena asked. "You have a weapon that can kill Klaus?"

"Nope." Buffy lifted her old Slayer bag filled with the white oak stakes and dropped in on the ground. "We all have a weapon."

"Where did you get these?"

"Wickery Bridge."  
>"Klaus has always been one step ahead of us, but now we have the advantage." Stefan said. "We're all armed and they are all linked. Meaning we only need to kill one of them. We need to seize the best opportunity, which means we need to prepare for every opportunity."<p>

"Scenario number one." Damon grabbed Elena and moved her over. "You get to play Klaus."

"Ok." Elena said, looking at Buffy with a confused expression.

"Rebekah is our target, here, so we need distract her and catch her off guard." Buffy said. "To do that we need to keep Klaus separate and occupied."

"Which is where you come in, sweetheart." Damon said.

Buffy rolled her eyes. "I still don't see why I always have to be Klaus bait."

"Because he's obsessed with you." Damon turned to Caroline. "You're going to play Rebekah. We use the quarterback to distract her. Just keep her talking."

"How?" Matt asked.

"Act interested." Buffy said. "She's lonely and kinda desperate."

"Beefcake holds bombshell." Damon said. "I come up from behind her." Damon moved up behind Caroline and grabbed her arms, pinning them behind her back. "Grab her arms like this."

"Ow!" Caroline complained.

Buffy suddenly appeared in front of Caroline with a stake and jabbed it at Caroline's heart, stopping just before it penetrated. "And I finish it in one shot." Damon let go of Caroline.

"Got it?" Stefan asked, handing out the stakes. "Good. So we all have one stake, we keep it hidden, and we look out for any opportunity we have."

"No last minute attacks of pity for any of them." Damon said pointedly to Elena.

"Don't worry about me." She assured them. "Not after what happened to Bonnie's mom."

"Barbie?"

"Oh, I'm ready." Caroline said. "Anything that will free Tyler from his sire bond to Klaus."

"Busboy?"

"Do I have a choice?" Matt asked.

"Good point."

"We have 12 stakes." Stefan said. "12 shots at killing one Original. We can do this."

Buffy grabbed another bag of hers she'd stashed behind a tree. "Alright, let's try another scenario. Elena grab a crossbow." She tossed Elena the crossbow out of the bag. "Matt, you play Klaus."

* * *

><p>Buffy and Stefan walked into their house where they were meeting Damon and Alaric at. Damon had left to go get Alaric while Stefan and Buffy went over a few more battle strategies. Just as they walked in the door, Buffy's phone started ringing. It was Elena.<p>

"Hey!" Buffy said.

"Hey. Where are you?" Elena asked.

"Stefan and I just got home. Why?"

"Klaus's brother, Finn, is in the town square and he's with some ex-girlfriend or something."

"Sage."

"We have an opportunity. So how do we do this?"

"Listen to me, Elena, do not do anything, ok? Sage is very old and very strong. You don't stand a chance against her."

"Then get Damon and get down here."

Stefan saw Alaric laying on the staircase. There was blood on the air and both vampires realized Alaric was injured. "What the hell happened to you?" Stefan asked.

"Buffy?" Elena asked on the line.

"Rebekah happened." Alaric said.

"I think we have a problem." Stefan said.

"I'll call you back, Elena." Buffy hung up before Elena could say anything. "Where's Damon?"

"Rebekah got him."

"Why?"

"She's pissed at you for betraying her, so she's taking it out on Damon."

Buffy started to leave, but Stefan grabbed her arm. "We need to go after Finn. He's our best option."

"You can go after Finn. I need to save Damon."

"Buffy, you're our best shot at this. You've taken Sage on and won. Remember, divide and conquer. It still applies." Buffy glanced towards the door. "If he even knew, for one second, that we were talking about missing a chance to kill these people he would lose his mind."

"If the roles were reversed he would stop everything to save you."

"I know what my brother would want."

"So do I, but what he would want and what we should do are two completely different things."

"You gonna help me with this or not?"  
>"It's Damon, Stefan…."<p>

"I know, but if we kill Finn, then we kill Rebekah, and we save Damon."

* * *

><p>Elena spotted Buffy and Stefan walking up to the Grill. Caroline had agreed to watch over Alaric and make sure he took his herbs. Matt had texted Buffy to let her know that Finn and Sage were inside the Grill.<p>

"Hey. How is he?" Elena asked.

"Hey. He's just banged up." Stefan said. "Caroline's gonna stay with him and make sure Alaric stays Alaric. Matt texted Buffy and said Finn is still in the Grill. We need to plan our next move."

"Wait, wait! Rebekah has Damon. Our next move should be finding him."

"No, we need to stay on point. See an Original, kill an Original. That's the plan."

"Yeah, that was the plan before Damon's life was hanging in the balance." Elena looked at Buffy for support, but Buffy was looking away. "Buffy! It's Damon!"

Buffy sighed. "With Sage in the picture, you guys need my help. Stefan's right. Killing Finn will kill Rebekah and then I can go save Damon."

Elena scowled for a minute, but then nodded. "So, what's the plan?"

* * *

><p>Buffy and Stefan sat at the bar while Sage and Finn occupied a table further away. Buffy could hear every bit of their conversation. "You've never had tequila before?" Sage asked.<p>

"Mm-mm. Finn said as Sage poured salt on his wrist.

"That's embarrassing. Seriously, I'm embarrassed for you." Sage licked the salt off her wrist and shot back the tequila. Finn did the same after a second.

"Happy now?" Sage handed him a lime and he sucked on it. "I'm truly awed by the evolution of mankind."

Sage laughed as a man approached their table. "Hey Sage." The man said.

"Hey Troy." Sage said. Troy nodded at Finn and left.

"You know him?" Finn asked.

"I turned him."

"You turned him? Why?"

"Because I'm in enemy territory. When your brother and sister called, I thought I might need a little back up. You can't trust anyone here."

Matt walked up to their table and Sage grabbed his wrist. Buffy tensed, ready to jump to Matt's rescue, but Sage said, "Two more tequilas?"

"Yeah, cool. I'll let your waitress know." Matt said. He turned and made his way to the bar. Stefan pushed a tiny bottle of vervain to his side and Matt grabbed it along with a coffee cup.

"How many people have you turned?" Finn asked.

"I don't know. A lot. Don't judge me. Finn, you turned me."

"Exactly Sage, I turned you. My passion overtook my morals."

"My passions overtake my morals on a daily basis. It's called living life to the fullest."

Stefan pulled out his cell phone and sent out a text saying _Get ready_.

A waitress walked over to Sage and Finn's table and placed two tequila shots in front of them. "Finally!" Sage said. Buffy and Stefan got up from the bar and headed for the back exit. "Oh, thanks." Sage raised her shot glass. "To living life to the fullest."

Finn raised his shot glass and clinked it against hers. "To living life."

Sage laughed and they drank their shots. Suddenly, they both spit them back up and started choking. "Oh, what the hell?"

"Vervain."

Finn turned his head and saw Buffy and Stefan leaving. Stefan stopped and stared at him, then walked out the door behind Buffy. Sage and Finn got up to go after them. Stefan hid around the corner as Buffy moved on top of the awning. Finn and Sage exited the Grill and Stefan went to stab Finn, but Sage grabbed him and threw him down on the ground. The stake fell down the stairwell.

Buffy rolled her eyes as Sage yelled, "Finn, the stake!"

Finn ran down the stairs to grab the stake and Buffy jumped up to the roof, swinging around, and then falling gracefully to land behind Finn with her own stake at the ready. Elena and Matt burst out a back door. Elena didn't get to shoot the crossbow because Buffy grabbed Finn by the hair and tossed him on the stairs, staking him through the heart in one smooth motion.

"No!" Sage rushed down the stairs to Finn's side and began sobbing as she watched Finn die. Buffy was suddenly standing in front of Elena and Matt and herding them back into the Grill. They hustled out another exit and met Stefan by the car a block away.

"She's going to retaliate." Buffy said to Stefan, low enough so Elena and Matt couldn't hear.

"Then you better save Damon fast." Stefan said.

After dropping Matt off at his house, Buffy, Stefan, and Elena walked into the Salvatore house. "Hey. How's Alaric?" Elena asked Caroline.

"He'll be ok. I gave him a bottle of Bonnie's herbs and he went home. Oh, did you guys kill Finn? Did it work?"

"Nothing worked until I see Klaus' dead body myself." Stefan said.

"Of which I will send you a picture." Buffy said, heading for the front door again after sticking another stake in her back pocket as a just-in-case.

Elena's phone rang before Buffy made it out of the house. "Bonnie. Where have you been?"

"Klaus has Damon." Bonnie said on the other line, causing Buffy to stop in her tracks.

"Klaus should be dead. They should all be dead. We just killed Finn."

"No, Elena, he forced me to do a spell that unlinked all the siblings. He's still alive."

Buffy took the phone from Elena. "Bonnie, where's Damon?"

"At Klaus's mansion. It's bad, Buffy. He threatened Jeremy. And my mom." Bonnie started to choke up.

"Are you ok?"

"I don't know. I'm sorry, I have to go. I just…. I have to…. I have to go." She hung up.

"Buffy…." Elena started.

"I can't leave him there." Buffy said, grabbing her weapons' bag again. "Stay with Caroline. I'll call you when it's over."

"Buffy, stop! Stefan! We need another plan."

"What we need is for Klaus to be dead." Stefan snapped.

Elena grabbed Stefan and turned him around. "Stefan, stop it! You're both acting on anger!"

"Anger gets things done, Elena!"

"Or it'll get you killed! It'll get Damon killed along with you."

"Klaus does not get to survive this. Not after everything he took from me." Stefan walked out and slammed the door behind him and Buffy.

"I miss well-adjusted Stefan." Caroline said.

Suddenly, the door flew open and Stefan was thrown through it. Sage entered the house, saying, "Ding dong." Caroline went to attack her, but Sage threw her to the ground. "I'm not here for you. I'm here for Buffy."

Just then, Buffy showed up in the doorway kicking Troy down to the ground. "Then here I am." Buffy said.

Sage rounded on her, but Buffy took a step back. She looked…. Sick. Come to think of it, so did Troy. Just as Sage started to attack, she started to cough and her nose started to bleed. She tried to throw a punch at Buffy, but Buffy easily grabbed her fist and tossed her to the ground.

"Troy, help me!" Sage cried. He moved towards her, trying to crawl, but he started to cough and drip blood too. "What is happening to me?" As Buffy, Stefan, Elena, and Caroline watched, Sage and Troy withered and died.

"She just…. died." Elena said.

"So, Sage and this Troy guy die within an hour of Finn." Caroline said.

"But why? Were they bitten by a hybrid or…."

"Hybrid bites don't look like that. Maybe Sage was so in love with Finn she just died of sadness."

"No, that doesn't explain Troy." Buffy said, poking the body with the toe of her shoe.

"It's the blood." Stefan said. "The bloodline. It has to be. Think about it: Finn turned Sage, Sage turned Troy. They're all part of the same vampire bloodline that originated with Finn."

"Wait, so when an Original dies every vampire turned from their bloodline dies along with them?" Buffy asked. "Because that would mean…."

"If the Originals die, so do all of you." Elena said. "The entire vampire species would…. It'd just be dead."

* * *

><p>Buffy and Stefan walked into the mansion and Buffy followed the scent of Damon's blood. They found him chained up to the ceiling by bear traps through his wrists. Buffy gasped and moved towards him, but Stefan stopped her. "Klaus! Let's do this." He yelled.<p>

Klaus and Rebekah walked in. "Oh good, a hero and a beauty. Hello, sweetheart." Klaus smiled at Buffy before turning to Stefan with a scowl. "Thank you for bringing the lovely Miss Summers by, it's always appreciated, but what do you want?"

Stefan dropped the duffel bag with the stakes at Klaus's feet. "I'm here to make a deal."

"Stefan, what are you doing?" Damon demanded.

"Eight stakes made of white oak. The part of Wickery Bridge that you forgot to burn."

Klaus looked at Rebekah. "That's impossible." She insisted.

"Actually it's not. Finn is dead."

"You killed my brother?"

"Actually, I did." Buffy said, her eyes not leaving Damon's pained ones.

"Damon in exchange for the last eight weapons that can kill you." Stefan said.

"And how do I know there aren't any more left?" Klaus asked.

"Because there aren't."

"Let's be certain, shall we?" Klaus walked over to Damon, smiling at Buffy the whole time. "Leave."

"No." Damon growled.

"Go on. Leave."

"Nic, he's my play thing not yours." Rebekah pouted. Buffy growled at her, eyes beginning to change.

Klaus grabbed Damon by the throat and Buffy lost it. She attacked Klaus, sending them both rolling across the floor. "Buffy!" Stefan and Damon cried. Klaus fought back, but was taken off guard by Buffy's ferociousness. The fight lasted for a few more minutes before Klaus managed to get away and grab a stake, holding it to Damon's heart.

Buffy froze.

"There's a good girl." Klaus said, wiping away the blood from a gash on his cheek where Buffy's engagement ring had gotten him. "Now," He looked at Damon, still holding the stake. "I said, go home." Damon started to pull his wrists out from the snares, peeling the flesh off of them in the process. He screamed in pain. Klaus glanced at Buffy and saw she was tensing to spring again. "Alright, stop, stop, stop, before you hurt yourself. Well, seeing that he can finally be compelled. Now…." Klaus grabbed Damon by the throat again, still holding the stake to his heart, and compelled him again. "Minus the stake that's in my brother, how many more stakes are out there that can kill me?"

"Eleven." Damon said with a pained look at Buffy.

"Eleven! Really? So, not eight then."

"You really shouldn't have lied." Rebekah said to Stefan.

"I'll get you the other three." Stefan said, pulling Buffy towards him.

"Yeah, that'll be nice. Or since you lied, maybe I'll just compel your brother to chew out his own tongue." Klaus said.

"What is wrong with you?" Buffy demanded.

"What is wrong with you? I offer you the world and you turn it down for this!" Klaus jabbed Damon with the stake. Thankfully it didn't penetrate any deeper than a few layers of skin. "What more do I have to do to make you see that I want you more than anything and that you actually _do_ have feelings for me!"

"It's fairly obvious." Rebekah said.

"And you, Stefan! Do you really have no appreciation for me? I have given you someone to hate, to loathe, a target for all of your anger…. So you don't have to turn it on yourself. I have given your life purpose, as your friend. I really think you should be thanking me." Stefan rushed at Klaus with a white oak stake in hand, but Klaus grabbed his wrist. "Step down, or you all die." Stefan released the stake and Klaus took it. "There. Now you only have to get me the other two."

"This is ridiculous." Rebekah said, walking over to Damon. She reached up and released him from the traps. Buffy rushed over and caught Damon before he hit the floor.

"What are you doing?" Klaus demanded.

"I brought him here. I get to release him. My rules now. Bring us the stakes and you three live. Take Damon as a sign of good faith." Rebekah picked up the duffel bag with the stakes and left.

Klaus looked at Stefan. "Bring us the stakes. All of them. Or I will wage a war against everyone you love. I hope I'm being clear."

* * *

><p>Buffy stood in the shower with Damon, checking over every inch of his chest and arms. He was completely healed, especially after Buffy had forced him to take some of her blood before the blood bags. She'd also forced some vervain into his system. He was quiet as she cleaned the blood off his skin.<p>

"Damon…." Buffy started.

"I'm fine." Damon said.

"You're not fine. Rebekah tortured you because I two-timed her."

"It was my idea."

"I did all the work. I broke into her thoughts. She was pissed at me and took it out on you. I'm so sorry."

"Is what he said true?"

"Who?"

"Klaus."

"What did he say?"

Damon stopped her hands from cleaning his shoulders. "Don't play like that, Buffy. You know what I'm talking about."

Buffy looked Damon in the eyes. "No. I don't have feelings for him."

"Why does he think you do?"

"Because I keep ending up as his bait! It's not my fault that he's obsessed with me and we probably should never have exploited that."

"So you don't have any feelings whatsoever for him?"

"Damon, I love you. I've agreed to marry you. I'm not the marrying type and I'm going to marry you." Buffy took a step back. "Why do you doubt my feelings for you?"

"I…."

"Don't say you don't, because you do. You doubted me with Angel. You started to doubt me with Spike. And you're doubting me with Klaus! Just because he has some sick, twisted fantasy about him and me does not mean that I share those feelings."

"I told you this once. I can't see straight when it comes to you. You make me crazy." He stepped towards her. "I feel like I don't deserve you. What Rebekah said is true. One day…. I won't be enough for you."

"Rebekah is wrong. You're wrong. If I felt that you didn't deserve me, then I wouldn't be here. And I don't care about who's more powerful. All I care about is that you're happy."

"And that's what I feel about you. I just want you to be happy." He looked down at her engagement ring shining in the dim light of the bathroom. "What if Klaus made you happy?"

Buffy rolled her eyes with a groan. She turned and stormed out of the shower. She dressed before Damon got out of the shower, not caring that her clothes had wet patches. By the time he'd wrapped a towel around himself, she'd left the house. She made her way through the woods to town and headed for Alaric's loft.

"Is Damon ok?" Alaric asked, after he'd let her in, eyeing her wet hair and the wet patches on her clothes.

"For now." Buffy said.

"Trouble with Damon? How shocked I am."

Buffy just glared at him for a moment, her bad mood evident, before saying, "I need your stake."

Alaric went over to a shelf and pulled back some books. "It's right behind these books here." Alaric began to search harder. "Where the hell is it?"

"Look harder."

"It's not here, Buffy."

Buffy walked over to the shelf and started pulling books out so fast, Alaric couldn't track them. "Maybe you just forgot which shelf you put it on."

"No, I didn't forget. It's…. I…. I put it right here! A stake doesn't just vanish into thin air!"

"Who else did you tell, Rick?"

"I didn't tell anybody! I'm the only…." Alaric trailed off, a look of knowing in his eyes.

"What?"

"I'm the only one who knew about it, Buffy."

Buffy blinked a few times. "Are you telling me that your vampire hating alter ego has a stake that can kill an entire line of vampires? Which, by the way, includes mine, Damon, and Stefan's?"

Alaric looked back at her worried and annoyed expression. "That's exactly what I'm telling you."


	58. Chapter 58

_**A/N Sorry it took me so long to get this chapter up. I couldn't get the ending right. I think I've got it now.**_

Chapter 58

Buffy shook her head as she folded her clothes and stuffed them in her bag. "No, Elena. You don't need to go with me."

"But it's Jeremy." Elena protested.

"And you will see him when I bring him back."

"I'm safer with you."

Buffy sighed. "How is that even possible? Bad seems to follow me everywhere."

"Klaus is here. He could figure out you're gone and come after me."

"He's not going to do that."

"What about Rebekah?" Elena had her there. Rebekah was unpredictable. Elena smiled, knowing she had won.  
>"Fine."<p>

"Thank you. I'll go give Rick his stuff while you finish packing." Elena smiled wider and walked out.

"You know, she's just like you." Damon said, coming out of the bathroom.

"I still don't know why you're even coming." Buffy said.

"It's been two days! Can't you forgive me?"

Buffy didn't answer. She just zipped her bag and walked out. Downstairs, Stefan was staring at a roaring fire in the living room. "Hey. Have you heard anything from Klaus?" She set her bag down at the top of the stairs and walked towards Stefan.

"Not yet. I'm sure I will soon though." Stefan said. "He's expecting me to deliver two stakes. I only have one."

"So sad for him."

Stefan walked over to Buffy. "Hey, you can't stay mad at him forever."

"Why do people keep saying that? I _have_ forever."

He gently squeezed her arm. "You love him. Insecurities and all."

"I'll stop being mad when he realizes that fact." Buffy sighed. "What about Rick?"

"I'll get it out of him. I just need some time."

"I like that confidence Stefan." Damon said, walking in and setting his bag down next to Buffy's. "I don't share it, but I like it."

"You don't think I can do what it takes?"

"Well, you're good Stefan again. You're in control. So you might get the girl but you'll lose the edge. Speaking of…." Elena walked in the room. "Have you ever flown first class?"

"Who'd you have to compel for that?" Elena asked.

"Pft! Please. I used miles." Damon grabbed his and Buffy's bag and headed out the door.

"Be safe." Stefan said to Elena. Elena nodded and walked out after Damon. Buffy looked at Stefan and he smiled. "Try not to kill him."

"No promises." Buffy said.

"At least you'll get to see your sister."

That made the blonde Slayer vampire smile. "Yeah."

* * *

><p>Buffy knocked on Dawn's door and waited. She could hear her sister moving around inside, but she didn't hear Jeremy. "Buffy?" Dawn squealed when she opened the door. She grabbed her sister in a tight hug.<p>

"Surprise." Buffy said.

"What are you guys doing here?"

"Wish I could say a social call, but no such luck. We're here for Jeremy."

"What's wrong?" Dawn stepped out of the way to let them in, but Damon and Buffy were stuck outside. Dawn looked at them, confused, but then remembered. "Oh, sorry! Come in."

Buffy and Damon stepped inside and Dawn shut the door. "So, it's kind of a long story."

"Isn't it always?"

"Nutshell: We need Jeremy to contact Rose so we can find out who made her so we can find out which Original started our bloodline so we don't die when we kill the Original family." Damon said.

"Ok, I guess it is a long story if that's the nutshell. Well, Jeremy's not here. He went out to the batting cages to hang out with one of his new friends."

"Jeremy's made friends?" Elena asked.

"Yeah. He really likes it up here."

"Do you have the address?" Buffy asked.

"I'll take you there. I was just getting ready to head out anyway."

"Where were you going?"

"I have a hair appointment before my date tonight."

Buffy's eyebrow lifted. "A date? And how long have you been seeing this guy?"

"A couple of weeks now. And no, you don't get to meet him because I don't want to be embarrassed."

"I wouldn't embarrass you."

"Please! You're pretty scary and you're still Miss Emotional Newbie." Damon and Elena tried to stifle laughs. "I actually like this guy, so I'd like him to stick around longer than the last few."

"Fine. Whatever. Can we go?"

* * *

><p>Dawn led Damon, Elena, and Buffy through the batting cages to where Jeremy was swinging his bat. He missed the ball and Damon shook his head. "Next time we compel him, I'm going to make him better at baseball."<p>

Elena and Buffy rolled their eyes. "Hey Jer!" Elena called.

Jeremy turned around. "Elena? Buffy?"

"Hey." Buffy said.

Jeremy looked between Buffy, Elena, and Damon. "What's wrong?"

"Aren't you the smart one?" Damon said.

"Is everything all right?" Jeremy came out of the cage and hugged Buffy and Elena.

"Well…." Buffy started.

"We need you to save our lives." Damon said, tossing his arm over Buffy's shoulders. She rolled her eyes, but didn't move his arm.

"We need you to contact a dead friend of mine so she can give us information." Buffy said.

"I thought you could see and talk to ghosts." Jeremy said.

"I can, but I can't summon them."

"What kind of information are you looking for?"

"I sired Buffy, Katherine sired Stefan and myself, Rose sired Katherine…." Damon said. "All we need to do is find out who sired Rose."

"So, you guys travelled all the way up here to New York to get me to talk to a dead vampire?"

"Dead vampire is redundant."

"I can't. I talked to Anna and Vicki because I knew them. I never even met Rose."

"What good is you dying and coming back to life if you can't talk to a ghost when I need you to?"

"Shut up, Damon." Buffy snapped. She moved away from him and followed Jeremy as he went to put his gear up. "Rose spent a long time running from Klaus as well. She and I were close, so we thought you could use me as the connection."

"Fine. Fine. But can we do this later? My friend just got here and yes, Damon, I actually have some. I'll call you when I'm done." Jeremy leaned down and kissed Elena on the cheek and then kissed Buffy on her cheek.

"Jer…." Elena turned and froze when she saw Jeremy's friend. "Buffy…. It's Kol."

Buffy moved Elena and Dawn out of the way, but Damon wasn't fast enough. Kol hit Damon in the face with a wooden baseball bat, breaking it in two.

"What the hell are you doing?" Jeremy demanded as Dawn yelled, "Kol, what the hell!"

Buffy looked at Dawn. "Please tell me this isn't the guy you're seeing!"

"Jeremy, get back. He's an Original." Elena said.

"What?" Jeremy said.  
>"No hard feelings, mate." Kol said, strutting over to grab another bat. "But we're not buds."<p>

"You lied to me!" Dawn demanded.

"Sorry, Dawnie." Kol said, plucking a bat out of the box. "I really did enjoy your company. It's too bad I didn't get to turn you before your sister showed up." Buffy knelt down next to Damon to check on him, keeping her eye on Kol. "You know, I'll never get used to aluminum. But hey, at least it won't break." He swung at Damon again, but Buffy caught the bat with one hand while scooping up the broken shard of bat with her other. Before Kol knew what was happening, Buffy shoved the bat through his chest and he fell to the ground, dead.

"Did you kill him?" Jeremy asked.  
>"No, but it'll give us a head start." Buffy helped Damon to his feet and grabbed Elena with her free hand. "Come on."<p>

Dawn kicked Kol in the head. "Jerk!"

"Come on, Dawn." Buffy demanded.

* * *

><p>Damon parked the car outside their building and got out. He started handing out bags to everyone. Buffy had made Dawn and Jeremy pack a bag and quickly and they'd hit the road. They were at a motel now where Damon had paid for a room with two queen beds.<p>

"So where are we?" Jeremy asked.

"We're somewhere and nowhere so Kol can't find us." Damon said.

"I can't believe Kol was a vampire."

"Didn't you find it weird that you made a friend so fast? Have you met you?"

"Damon." Buffy warned.

"Well, _I_ can believe he was a vampire." Dawn said.

"Why?" Elena asked.

"Cause that's just my luck with Buffy as a sister. I think I've found someone decent, he turns out to be a murdering psycho vampire."

"Wouldn't be the first time." Buffy said. "I'm just glad I didn't catch you making out with that psycho vampire this time around."

"Shut up." Dawn said, rolling her eyes.

Elena laughed and opened the door to room 236. "Well, this should work? Right Jer?"

"Yeah." Jeremy said. "It doesn't really matter."

"All right, Whoopi." Damon said, shutting the curtains. "What do you need? Candles, incense…. Pottery wheel?"

"That's not how it works."

"I know. I know. They push from the other side, you pull from this one."

Jeremy looked at Buffy. "You got a picture of her?"

"Uh…. No." Buffy said.

"All right, uh…. Tell me something about her."

"Ok. Uh…. She loved humanity more than anything. She really believed in the beauty of human nature…. And love. She really rooted for love." Buffy looked at Damon for a moment before movement behind him caught her eye. "Oh. Hey."

"Hey yourself." Rose said.

"She's here." Jeremy clarified when Damon looked at everyone, confused.

"So, you became a vampire, huh?"

Buffy shrugged. "Extreme measures and all."

"I get it."

"How are you? On the other side?"

"I was running so much when I was alive, now I have the freedom to do whatever I want. I really enjoy it."

Buffy smiled. "I'm happy for you."

"And I agree with Stefan."

"On what?"

"That you shouldn't be mad at Damon."

"Oh, not you too."

"You're mad at Damon?" Jeremy asked.  
>"Has been for a couple of days." Damon said.<br>"What'd you do?"

"Nothing!"

"He keeps throwing Klaus's feelings for Buffy at her and doesn't believe that she doesn't have feelings for Klaus." Elena said.  
>"Wait, Klaus has feelings for you?" Dawn asked Buffy. "Like, <em>feelings<em> feelings?"

Buffy looked at Rose. "See what you started?"

"Sorry." Rose said. "But you can't blame Damon for being jealous. He loves you."

"Can we just skip this part of the catch up and get down to business?"

Rose smiled slightly. "I wish I had more news on the siring thing, but Klaus didn't sire me. No Original did. It was Mary Porter."

"Thank you." Buffy looked at Damon. "She was sired by Mary Porter."

Damon groaned. "Scary Mary. Well, where is she Rose?"

"I didn't keep track of her when I was alive, much less now." Rose said. "You guys sit tight. Relax. I'll see what I can find out."

* * *

><p>Buffy stood outside and stared out into the night. Rose still hadn't come back yet. Damon had decided to take a shower and get freshened up while Jeremy, Elena, and Dawn stayed in the room to get some sleep. Buffy had wanted some time to herself, so she'd escaped outside to drink a bottle of water and clear her head.<p>

Her cell phone started vibrating and she pulled it out of her jacket pocket. "Is he still alive?" Stefan asked.

Buffy huffed. "I think I'd actually miss him." Stefan chuckled slightly. "Any sign of Alter-Ego-Alaric yet?"

"Nope. Only Dead-Alaric."

"Stefan!"

"I didn't do it! Klaus was here. Let's just say he's not very patient."

"Kol must've told him that we were in New York. How long has Rick been out?"

"A few hours. I'm hoping when he wakes up, it won't be him. That it'll be the other him."

"And if it's not?"

"I'll figure it out. Were you guys able to contact Rose?"

"Yes, but she didn't have any answers. Just that she wasn't sired by an Original. We're stuck at some little motel in Middle-Of-Nowhere, USA waiting for her to come back with some answers."  
>"Why are you at a motel?"<p>

"Had to stop and hide from Kol. He was pretending to be friends with Jeremy and was actually dating my little sister."

"I bet you loved that."

"I shoved a broken baseball bat through his chest." A door opened behind Buffy and she turned to see Damon standing in the doorway, his shirt unbuttoned and revealing his chiseled torso. "Listen, I'll call you later and update you on what Rose has to say." She let Stefan hang up first before looking up at Damon.

He stayed in the doorway, watching her put her cell phone back in her jacket pocket. "You make me crazy." He said quietly.

"You piss me off." Buffy said.

"I hate that."

She looked down at the ground with a sigh. When she looked back up again, Damon's lips met hers. His hands wove into her hair before he dropped one to her lower back and pulled her closer. She pushed aside his unbuttoned shirt to snake her hands around his waist and up his back, loving the feel of his skin. He moved forward a few steps and pressed her back against the concrete column beside the railing, running his hands up inside her shirt.

Between kisses, he pressed his forehead to hers and said, "I missed you."

Buffy kissed him again a few times before saying, "I missed _you_."

"I'm an ass."

"Yes, you are."

Damon ran his hand down her thigh and lifted it up to rest against his hip. That's when a chuckle made Buffy stop mid kiss and Damon was suddenly facing air. "What?" He asked, turning to look for Buffy.  
>"Rose is back." Buffy looked at Rose and shook her head. "Don't you knock?"<p>

"What fun would that be?" Rose said. "Besides, I didn't want to interrupt the reunion."

Buffy moved her jacket back into place and fixed her hair. "What did you find out?"

Rose smiled at Buffy, shaking her head slightly. "Mary's in western Pennsylvania. I even got you an address."

"Thank you." Buffy glanced at Damon and then shook her head. "Rose!"

"What?"

"You waited until Damon and I made up, didn't you?"

"Hey, I've always rooted for the two of you. I hate it when you fight."

"We're your own private soap opera, huh?"

Rose smiled. "Let me put it the way Lexi put it…."

"You talked to Lexi?"

"Of course."

"What did she say?"

"Well, after she got over the shock of you and Damon…. She said that you make him a better person, but he also changes you too. He challenges you, surprises you, and he makes you question your life and your beliefs. Obviously, because you once said that becoming a vampire was never your intent. He's either the best thing for you…. Or the worst."

"Insightful."

"Personally…. I think he's the best thing for you."

Buffy smiled and glanced at Damon. He looked a bit frustrated to only be hearing one side of the conversation, but he smiled when she looked at him. "Damon, can you wake the others and get them ready to go? I'll grab a pen and paper and write down this address Rose has for us."

"Sure." Damon brushed her backside as he headed past her and she smiled, shaking her head.

* * *

><p>Buffy, Damon, Elena, Dawn, and Jeremy walked towards a two story Victorian style house. Buffy checked her piece of paper and nodded. "This is the address Rose gave me."<p>

"Looks about right." Damon said.

Buffy glanced at Elena, Jeremy, and Dawn. "Wait here."

"What?" Elena asked.  
>"Why?" Jeremy demanded.<p>

"That's not fair." Dawn snapped.

"Hey! Chill." Buffy said. "You guys just stay put. Damon and I will be back in a minute." They made their way to the front door and inside the house. It was dark, but that wasn't a problem for Buffy or Damon. The problem was the piles and piles of random junk all around them.

"Oh…. Welcome to vampire hoarders." Damon said.

"So who is Mary?"

"Scary Mary. She's really old. Super creepy."

"And just how do you know her?" Damon looked at Buffy and made a face. She shook her head. "Oh. Duh."

"What? I said creepy. Not ugly."

Buffy rolled her eyes and was about to comment when a loud crash came from another room. They made their way through the piles and opened the door to a bedroom. Inside, a red headed vampire was staked through the heart and pinned up to the wall like a gruesome, bloody butterfly display.

"Mary." Damon clarified.

"Quite contrary." Kol said behind them, turning on a lamp. They turned and found him sitting there holding an aluminum baseball bat. He stood up and walked over to Mary's body. "It's a shame about Mary. She was a blast. I don't quite know what happened. I feel the time she spent with my family might have ruined her. She was a bit of an Original groupie."

"Were you her favorite member of the band?" Buffy asked.

"You mean, did I turn her? I think I did. But no, wait! I think it was Rebekah. Or there was also a Klaus period. And let's not forget the Elijah affair. I spoke to my brother. I know you're trying to find out who you're descended from. Now you never will. So," Kol tapped the bat on the ground. "Where did we leave off?" Kol swung at Damon, but once again, Buffy stopped the bat. "Aren't you a fast one?"

"I'm a Slayer, dumbass." Buffy's hand shot out and Kol went flying. "And a vampire."

He laughed and stood up. "Relax, darling! I just want some revenge on your boyfriend. He snapped my neck and killed my brother…."

"Actually, darling…." Buffy stepped closer to Kol and smiled. "I killed Finn." He stepped closer, preparing to attack, but Buffy was quicker. She backhanded Kol and he backed up a few steps before attacking again. Damon got thrown hard against a wall by the fight between the two powerful vampires and his yelp distracted Buffy enough that Kol got in a good swing with the baseball bat. It landed against her temple and she saw spots for a second. Kol raised the bat again, but Buffy grabbed it and wrenched it away. She swung and connected with his mid section, sending him flying through a wall.

"Home run." Damon said with a smirk, holding his dislocated shoulder.

Kol appeared in the hole. "Come on, Kol." Buffy taunted. "That fight with Klaus wasn't nearly enough to satisfy my thirst for a good fight."

"I'm sure it satisfied him." Kol smirked and ran off.

Buffy rolled her eyes and turned to Damon. "Are you ok?"

Damon popped his shoulder back into place with a groan. "You're hurt." He gently cupped her face, running his thumb over her temple. The bat had broken the skin and a line of blood trickled down her face. It was healed, though, so Damon just grabbed a sheet from the bed and tore off a strip. He cleaned the blood up and kissed the fading bruise.

"Let's get out of here." Buffy said, taking his hand. "I want to go home."

Damon slid his hand into hers as they headed out the door. "I have to say…. It's incredibly hot to see you actually fight."

"Oh, so two-timing Sage…."

"Has nothing on you."

"Please stop getting mushy." Dawn said as they approached the car. "It's like watching mom make out with Ted."

"Ew! Why would you even think of that?" Buffy asked, a grossed out expression on her face.

"Who's Ted?" Damon asked.

"I never told you that story?"

"No."

"Ted was our mom's homicidal robot boyfriend that Buffy killed." Dawn explained.

"Your life is so weird." Jeremy said, shaking his head.

"Yes, because summoning dead vampire spirits and making out with them in bathrooms is normal." Elena said.

"Yeah, Jeremy. Did you want to be the pot or the kettle?" Buffy smirked and poked him in the shoulder.

"So, can someone drive me back to New York now? Or possibly fly me first class back there?" Dawn smiled, batting her eyes at Damon.

He smirked, but Buffy shook her head. "Oh no! You are not going back there."

"What? Why?"

"You dated an Original! He has an all access pass to your apartment…."

Dawn shrugged. "I'll just de-invite him."

"You're hilarious." Buffy said sarcastically.

"I'm serious."

"You're coming back to Mystic Falls with us."

"No."

"Yes!"

"I'm not living with my sister and her fiancé."

"It's a big house."

"What about my classes?"

"I'm sure there's a nice college near Mystic Falls you can transfer to. Or you can use your laptop. Online classes are all the rage now!"

"Buffy."

"What?"

"I am not living with you."

"Then live with us." Elena said. "We have a spare bedroom you can use."

"I'm not going to win, am I?"

"Not a chance." Buffy and Elena said, laughing.

"It's not permanent." Buffy said. "I promise. Just until this whole thing blows over."

Dawn rolled her eyes. "Haven't you learned by now, Buffy? This whole thing _never_ blows over." She turned and got into the car.

Elena looked at Buffy. "It'll be ok."

"I know. I hate this, though. She's happy in New York and I'm making her leave it."

"Like you said, it's not permanent." Damon said. "Come on." He wrapped an arm around Buffy's waist. "Let's get home. I'm sure Stefan is worried about us."


	59. Chapter 59

Chapter 59

Buffy sat in the living room watching Damon pace across the landing leading into the dining room. She was finishing off a glass of blood when Alaric finally picked up the phone. "Where have you been?" Damon asked. "I've been calling you all day."

"Yeah. Sorry about that." Alaric said on the other line. "I…. I just needed to get my head together."

"So I take it Rebekah got the stake?"

"I don't know. I uh…. I woke up alone. There's no sign of it."

"Lovely…. Well, what now?"

"Well, I think I need to get out of town. You know, somewhere secluded. I keep blacking out which means I'm still a threat to everyone."

"I don't know if now is really the best time for you to be going on a spirit quest Rick."

"Eh…. It's just for a couple of days. I'm stocked up on Bonnie's herbs, so I should be fine. I gotta go."

Damon looked at his phone. "He hung up."

"Maybe he's just shaken up by Stefan's beating." Buffy suggested.

"Maybe. But…. I have my doubts."

"I do too." Buffy's phone started ringing and she was suddenly across the room, answering it. "Hello, Elena."

"Hey." Elena said. "Listen, Bonnie can't help, Dawn's working out her classes online, and Rebekah is MIA…. Would you mind coming and helping set up for the dance tonight?"

Buffy glanced at Damon, who obviously looked like he was up to something, and sighed. "Uh…. I'm not sure if I can."

"Come on, Buffy! Please?"

"Ok, but only for a little bit. Damon needs my help with…. something."

"Ok, if it's something sexual I really don't want to know."

Buffy looked at her phone as if it were Elena and it was crazy. She shook her head. "I'll see you in a few minutes."

"Where are you going?" Damon asked.

"Elena wants my help setting up for the decade dance this evening, so I'm going to help."

"You don't want to come with me to snoop?"

"Where are you snooping today, Mr. Salvatore?"

"Alaric's loft. I don't think he was being honest and I want to know what's up."

"Ok…. You snoop. If you find anything, call me."

"You don't want to come with?"

"I can't be in two places at once, Damon." She kissed him gently. "I'll meet you back here later." With that, she was out the door and heading into the woods. She was much faster than a car and cutting through the woods to the school was also much quicker than a car. She was standing behind Caroline and Elena only a few minutes later.

"So Alaric is trying to pull himself together. Why is that a bad thing?" Caroline was asking.  
>"I just wish there was something I could do." Elena said.<p>

"Don't worry," Buffy said, making both Elena and Caroline jump. "Damon talked to him this morning. Alaric's going to be fine." It amazed her sometimes how well she could lie to the ones she loved.

"I'm putting a bell on you." Elena warned.

Buffy shrugged. "I'll just take it off. Doesn't go with my outfit." She picked up a heavy looking chandelier. "Wow. So…. Where is this going?"

"Ugh!" Caroline said. "If Rebekah wanted to hang this monstrosity, she should've shown up to do it herself." She handed the chandelier to a passing student. "Just…. No." When Caroline turned, she spotted Jeremy and Matt hanging sparkly stars. "What are you doing? You can't just hang them. They're supposed to trickle down." Matt and Jeremy both laughed, shaking their heads. "Look at them all bromancy."

"Yeah, I asked Matt to help Jeremy readjust." Elena said. "He got him his old job back at the Grill."

"Really?" Buffy asked. "Yay!"

"Yeah. That was nice of him." Caroline said.  
>"Jeremy's got a lot on his mind." Elena said. "This whole thing with Alaric has got him really stressed out."<p>

"It'll work out." Buffy said.

"So…. Are you bringing Damon to the dance?" Caroline asked.

Buffy looked at Elena and Caroline. "I didn't know I was coming."

"You have to come. Look how hard I've worked."

"I'm not a student."

"Chaperone! You've done it before."

"Yeah, Buffy." Elena joked, hugging Buffy's waist. "It wouldn't be a decade dance without you. That's why ."

Buffy sighed. "Elena!"

"What?" Elena smiled brightly. "Oh, come on! You enjoy coming to these dances."

The blonde Slayer-vampire rolled her eyes. "I'll see if I can convince Damon. Here's hoping there's something in the attic from the 20s that I can wear."

"Yay!"

"What about you, Elena? Who're you bringing to the dance?" Caroline asked.  
>"What do you mean?" Elena swirled a feather boa around her neck. "I thought you, me, and Bonnie were going as girl dates?"<p>

"Bonnie has a date."  
>"What?"<p>

"Jamie called and wanted to see her, so she asked him."

"Hmm…."

"So, here's a thought…. Why don't you ask Stefan?"

Elena looked at Buffy, a little panicked. Buffy kept her face passive as she organized tablecloths. "I can't ask him on a date."

"Why not! Look, you're supposed to be figuring out what you want. Isn't that the whole point of Senior year?"

"Ha!" Buffy laughed. "Mine was just making it through graduation without being eaten by the Mayor."

Caroline shook her head. "I'm sorry, but Stefan is your epic love, Elena. And I'm not going down without a fight."

Elena looked at Buffy. "What do you think?"

Buffy shook her head. "Sorry, Elena. I'm keeping my two cents in my pocket. This is all you."

"You're no help."

"Nope. Not at all." Buffy smiled and picked up the tablecloths.

* * *

><p>Stefan walked down the hall towards the living room with a book in his hand. He was glad that Buffy's sudden appearance came with the closing of a door. She was incredibly stealthy and had a tendency to accidentally startle the other vampires in the house. Sometimes Stefan had a feeling that she did it on purpose.<p>

"Hey." He said. "Where've you been?"

"Helping set up for the decade dance." Buffy said, following him into the living room.

"Were you planning on going?"

"I have to. Elena signed me up as a chaperone. Do we have any dresses from the 20s in the attic?"

"Probably. I'll help you look."

"You don't have to. You were getting ready to read…."

"I've read this one before. Digging through boxes in the attic sounds like more fun." Stefan set the book down and led the way upstairs. They'd made it through about twelve boxes when Stefan's phone started ringing. He looked at Buffy. "It's Elena." Buffy nodded and kept looking, adding to the small pile of clothes on her arm. "Hey."

"Hey." Elena said on the other line. "D-Do you have a second?"

"Yeah. Everything all right?"

"Yeah. Yeah. I just…. Um…. I wanted to, uh…. Caroline, Buffy, and I were talking about going to the dance and, um…. Ok, look…. I know we're not a you and I and I know it would be stupid to think that things could go back to the way they were but…. I'm going to the dance and I'd like to go with you."

Stefan looked at Buffy and noticed that she was pretending not to listen, but the smirk on her face told him she knew exactly what Elena was saying and that she'd known this phone call was coming. He tossed an old pillow at her, which she easily dodged, and said, "Um…. I'd love that."

"Ok. Great. Bye."

Stefan smiled and hung up, turning to Buffy. "You knew."

"Of course I knew." Buffy said. "Elena wanted me to make the decision for her, just like you wanted me to make it for you."

"You could've warned me."

"Oh…. What fun would that have been?" She tossed some of the clothes to Stefan. "I found you a great zoot suit, sugar baby."

"That impression was horrible."

"Sorry, but not all of us were around in the twenties."

Stefan grabbed a pretty black, beaded dress out of a box and tossed it to her. "I think you'd look good in that."

"Thanks."

"What are you two doing up here?" Damon asked, walking into the attic.

"Bargain shopping." Buffy said, holding up the dress. "I just need some swanky pearls to go with my dress."

"Please stop doing that impression!" Stefan said, shaking his head with a laugh.

"Uh oh…. Someone's in a good mood." Damon circled his brother. "Did you save a kitten's life today?"

Stefan rolled his eyes. "I'm going to the dance tonight…. With Elena."

"Uck! Really? Don't you know those dances are dangerous?"

"Well, it's a good thing you'll be there, too." Buffy said, tossing Damon a black suit. "Cause you're my date."

"Why are you going?"

"Elena signed me up to be a chaperone…. Again."

"Well, I suppose it's for the best since you're the best thing to protect her. But before you start getting all gussied up, I need to show you something."

"Ok." Buffy looked at Stefan and followed Damon out. "What's the what?" Damon walked over to the counter in the bathroom and picked up Alaric's jar of herbs, holding it up. "He said he took those with him."

"Well, he lied. And he's missing. I went to see Meredith, but she hasn't seen him. No one has."

Buffy sighed. "Well, I guess the dance just got a little bit more dangerous."

"We need a plan."

"We need to find Alaric. That's the only plan."

"If he's Psycho Alaric, then we need to find him fast."

"Ok…. I'll go to the dance and keep an eye out for him. His vampire hating self will probably show up eventually since that's where most of the vampires in this town will be. And since you hate going to these things…."

"I'll see what I can find out." He kissed her gently. "Have fun."

Stefan walked by just as Damon headed out. "Where's he going?"

"Alaric's missing." Buffy said.

"What?"

"He's stopped taking his herbs and he's now MIA."

"He was his alter ego when Rebekah took him the other night. Do you think that he's still…."

"I'm guessing since he lied about the herbs. Damon's headed out to see what he can find out."

"What about us?"

"We're still going to the dance. Do you mind taking two girls instead of just one?"

"Not at all. You think Alaric's alter ego will come to the dance?"

"Well, I figure most of the vampires that are still in town will be there."

"Do you think Klaus will?"

"I'm hoping not, but who knows? He seems to pop up randomly."

"Are we telling Elena any of this?"

Buffy took a deep breath. "Um…. Maybe we should give her a little normal time tonight before this whole thing implodes."

"Fair enough." Stefan nodded. "I'll meet you downstairs when you're ready."

* * *

><p>Buffy and Stefan stood outside Elena's door and waited for her to answer. Stefan had made a pretty little corsage for Elena. He'd offered to make Buffy one, but she'd declined saying it was a lot more special if he gave one to just Elena.<p>

Elena opened the door. "Buffy. What are you doing here? Where's Damon?"

"Long story." Buffy said. "I'm crashing your date."

"Oh."

"Sorry. I feel bad, but…."

"No, it's ok. It's fine. You look beautiful."

"Thank you."

Elena looked at Stefan. "And you look…. Dapper."

"You look, uh…. Very…." Stefan tried.

"Gorgeous." Buffy finished.

"Thank you." Stefan smirked and looked back at Elena. "You look gorgeous. Here…. I uh…. I got something for you." He held the little corsage up and gently pinned it to Elena's dress.

"Thank you."

"So given our dangerous dance karma, sure you're up for this?"

"Getting out of bed is dangerous these days. But we have to live our lives."

"Hmm…. Who gave you that horrible advice?"

"Some guy I used to date said it once or twice."

"Right."

"Shall we?" Buffy asked.

"We shall." Elena said, smiling. Buffy was happy to see Elena happy. At least it would be a happy beginning to the night. Buffy figured the ending probably wouldn't be so great. Stefan must've seen a look on Buffy's face because when he caught her eye, he looked just as sad and worried as she was.

At the high school gym, the party was in full swing with lots of students dancing to the music, including Bonnie and Jamie. Buffy spotted Tyler with Caroline talking in the midst of the dancers.

"When did Tyler get back?" Buffy asked.

"I didn't know he was back." Elena said. Buffy pointed to where Caroline and Tyler were. "Maybe he figured out how to break the sire bond."

"This could be interesting."

"How so?"

Buffy glanced quickly at Stefan. "I don't know. I was just saying…. Oh, look! Punch." She wandered off towards the refreshment table as Stefan led Elena out onto the dance floor.

"Well, don't you look ravishing?" Klaus said, suddenly standing behind her.

"Klaus." She turned around. "I didn't figure this as your type of deal."

"It's not, really. Rebekah talked me into it."

"Where _is_ your sister?"

"No idea. Probably off with the football star." Klaus glanced at the dancers. "May I have this dance?" He held his hand out to her.

"I'm chaperoning."

"Come on, love. One dance." He smirked. "I promise I won't bite." She sighed and took Klaus's offered hand. He led her out onto the dance floor and Stefan looked at Buffy with a worried look. She shrugged as Klaus turned her into him, taking one hand in his and placing his other at the small of her back. "You would've loved the 1920s, Buffy. The girls were reckless, sexy, fun. They literally used to dance until they dropped."

"I don't suppose that ever happened to their dance partners." Buffy said sweetly.

"You should be nicer to me. I'm leaving town tomorrow." Buffy looked at Klaus in surprise. "I'd invite you to come with me but we both know you're not ready to accept my offer. Perhaps one day, in a year, or even in a century, you'll turn up at my door and let me show you what the world has to offer."

Buffy shook her head. "I doubt it."

"You mark my words. A small town life won't be enough for you."

"And who are you to tell me what I want?"

"Because I know you better than you think I do." He reached up and cupped her face tenderly. "Oh, Buffy…. You have no idea what you're capable of. What power your beauty alone holds over people. It's one of the many reasons why I'm in love with you."

"You can't love."

"I most certainly can." Klaus dropped her hand and let go of her waist, offended. "I look forward to the day you come to me. Until then…." He gave her a short bow and stormed off.

Buffy didn't know what to think. She thought by now that he would be used to her snide comments towards him. But somehow, she was plucking nerves. And it plucked her nerves that she actually felt bad for hurting his feelings. With a sigh, she started to follow him, but Damon walking in distracted her. He found her quickly and walked over to her.

"No sign of him." Damon said.

"Maybe I could call Dawn and see if she knows any tracker spells that Willow may have taught her." Buffy said.

"Or we could just use our resident witch…." Damon glanced at Bonnie.

"That's last resort. She's still pissed about Abby and she blames us."

"We've got to do something, Buffy. He's out there and…."

"What's going on?" Elena asked, walking up with Stefan.

"We've got a problem." Damon said.

"What problem?"

Buffy glanced at Stefan. "Let's go out into a hallway, please." She led the way and let Damon explain to Elena what was going on.

"If Alaric is sick then we need to find a cure." Elena said.

"We tried medicine, we tried magic…." Damon said.

"How about we get him off vervain? Compel him." Stefan suggested.

"What to pretend to be Alaric? The guy that we know is gone. We're talking about someone who not only hates vampires, but vampire sympathizers."

"Which makes one of his most obvious targets you." Buffy said to Elena.

"What…. You think he'd go after Elena?" Stefan asked. Buffy nodded.

"So what are you suggesting we do?" Elena asked.

"I'm suggesting that we put him out of his misery." Damon said.

"What?"

Jeremy, having overheard their conversation when he'd followed them, said, "No! No way in hell!"

"Oh come on! It's what he would want. It's a mercy killing."

"You are out of your mind!"

"Jeremy…." Buffy started.

Jeremy turned around and left. "I've got it." Elena said, following her brother.

Buffy looked at Damon. "I have to agree with Elena. We can't just kill Alaric. There's got to be another way."

"Call Willow." Stefan said. "I'm sure she could find a cure. Better than Bonnie's herbs."

Buffy nodded, pulling out her cell phone. Before she could dial, Jeremy came running back.

"Esther! She's back." Jeremy said.

"What?" Buffy, Damon, and Stefan said.

"She took Elena."

Buffy, Damon, and Stefan moved into action, heading for the exit. Jeremy struggled to keep up as they hurried out of the school. Suddenly Buffy, Damon, and Stefan stopped while Jeremy continued walking. He stopped when he noticed that they hadn't followed him. On the ground, there was a line of salt circling the school.

"Salt." Buffy said. "It's the binding agent for a spell. We're trapped."

Jeremy walked up to them. "I'll go."

"No, Jeremy." Buffy took his arm. "I need you to go warn Caroline, Matt, and Tyler. Damon, get Bonnie. Stefan, stay here and keep an eye out for Esther or any other Originals."

"What are you going to do?" Damon asked.

"I'm going to call Willow and Dawn." They all went their separate ways and Buffy headed into the hallway that they'd just left. To her surprise, Klaus was there on his cell phone.

"Rebekah, call me back immediately! I only came to this ridiculous dance because you begged me to and now you're nowhere to be found." He hung up and looked up, obviously startled to see her.

"We have a problem."

"No, my dear, _you_ have a problem." He started to walk past her, but she grabbed his arm, stopping him in his tracks and swinging him back towards her. For a brief moment, they were pressed up against each other.

Buffy stepped back and looked up at him. "Your mother's back."

"What?"

"She took Elena and she's trapped us here. Humans can cross her barrier, but us vampires are stuck."

Klaus sighed. "What do you propose that we do about it?"

"Damon's gone to get Bonnie. I was going to call Willow and see what she can do from her end. Are you still in contact with any of your witches?"

"No. I've been using Bonnie."

Buffy nodded and bit back her snide remark. Throwing around hateful words wasn't going to get anything done. "Well, here's hoping she can break that binding spell." She looked down at her phone and dialed Willow's number. After a few rings, it went to voicemail. She didn't leave a message, instead hung up and called Dawn. Dawn's phone rang once and went to voicemail.

"No luck?" Klaus asked. He was closer than Buffy had realized when she'd gotten on the phone.

"No. Dawn's on the phone and Willow didn't answer."

"Let's go see what Bonnie can do. I'm sure one of them will call you back." He turned and headed down the hallway. Buffy followed at a slight distance. They found the room that Bonnie, Damon, and the others had holed up in. Stefan was lighting candles while Damon stood off to the side of the door. When Buffy walked in, he grabbed her hand and pulled her back towards him.

"What's he doing here?" Damon hissed.

"He came because Rebekah asked him to and then she didn't show up." Buffy said. "He's just as stuck as we are. I ran into him in the hallway and told him what was going on." She looked around the room. "What _is_ going on?"

"Bonnie's trying to break the binding spell. She thinks she knows how to."

"She does this all the time, right?" Jaime asked Jeremy.

"What's taking so long? All boundary spells have a loop hole." Klaus said.

Matt walked in saying, "People are walking right out of the dance, past the barrier."

"Matt and I can leave." Jeremy said. "We can stop Esther ourselves. We just gotta find out where she is."

"No." Buffy said, walking over to Jeremy. "It's suicide."

"It's Elena…."

"And we will save her, but not at the expense of yours or Matt's life."

Klaus grabbed Jamie by the throat and started to strangle him "Suicide would be disappointing me! Go work your magic, witch, or else I'll start killing people you fancy."

"Let him go!" Bonnie cried.

"Not until you get us out of here."

Buffy walked over and grabbed Klaus's arm. It was a struggle, but eventually she won and he lowered Jamie and released him under the pressure of her grip. "Bonnie doesn't give a damn about us, Klaus. The only reason she's helping is to save Caroline and Tyler. If you start killing the people she cares about all willy nilly, she'll tell us all to go to hell."

"Then she needs to figure something out."

"Yeah, we got that." Buffy snapped her fingers. "Jeremy, can you make a blood donation? Bonnie, go grab a map. You're going to try that locater spell that Willow did using Jeremy's blood."

Bonnie walked out to grab a map of Mystic Falls. Damon and Stefan took Jeremy out into the hall with one of Buffy's knives she'd hidden under her dress. Matt went back to check on Caroline and Tyler while Jaime followed Bonnie. That left Buffy and Klaus standing alone in the room.

"I'm sorry I lost my temper." Klaus said. "I didn't realize how mad Bonnie was."

Buffy shrugged. "It's not like you could've known." She paused. "Where were you planning on going, Klaus?"

"Away from here. I thought I was free of my mother and I was ready to take on the world. Make more hybrids with my doppelgänger."

"You were planning on taking Elena?"

"Of course."

"You're not going to touch her. We had a deal."

"A deal that you broke when you and Elijah removed the daggers from the rest of my family."

"You gave us no other options!"

Before Klaus could retort, Bonnie and Jaime walked back in. She set the map down on the table and turned on the lamp. Damon walked in with a vial of Jeremy's blood. "I sent him to go with Matt."

"Where's Stefan?"

"Guarding the barrier."

"I have to do this with you three lurking over me?" Bonnie demanded.  
>"You're still mad at me for what happened to Abby." Damon said. "Let me apologize: I'm sorry Elijah forced us to turn your mother into a vampire to save Elena's life. Didn't exactly have a choice."<p>

"There's always a choice. Whenever you make one someone else suffers."

"Let's cut the dramatics and begin, shall we?" Klaus demanded.

Bonnie poured the blood onto the map and began chanting. The blood formed a circular pool that didn't move. "That's not supposed to happen." Buffy said.

"Esther is fighting me." Bonnie said.

"Esther couldn't possibly have this much power." Klaus said. He looked at Buffy. "Unless she's channeling something."

"A hotspot?" Buffy asked.

"Get the humans ready. I know where she is."

"The humans? No, no, no, no…."

"What other option do we have? We're trapped. They're not. They win this coin toss." He walked out.

"I hate it when he's right." Damon said.

Buffy and Damon walked out of the school to where Stefan was. Klaus was also standing there giving him a lecture. "You know this is your fault." Klaus said. "You set us on this path when you released my mother. I wonder if revenge will prove worth the cost."

"Oh I'm done with revenge." Stefan said. "As far as Esther…. We've stopped her before, we'll stop her again."

"We're strange bedfellows, you and I. You know, all of this, reminds me of our time together in the 20s."

"You say that like I'm supposed to have happy memories about it."

"Well, there were moments. Real friendship. Brotherhood."

"Well, he already has a brother." Damon said. "Not to be, you know, territorial or anything."

"Oh, no. Of course! The Salvatores. And their unshakeable bond."

Bonnie came out of the school. "It's done. Esther's not fighting me anymore. The boundary spell is broken."

"Thank you, Bonnie. For everything." Stefan said.

"I didn't do it for you."

Buffy, Damon, Klaus, and Stefan disappeared, heading for the old cemetery.

* * *

><p>Buffy stood in the old Salvatore crypt with Elena and Alaric. They'd walked into the worst situation possible. Esther had performed one spell to turn Alaric into an Original vampire and another spell to make the last white oak stake completely indestructible for Alaric's use. She'd succeeded in killing Alaric to begin his transformation into a vampire.<p>

"Damon's not going to be happy." Alaric said.

Buffy nodded. "I know, but it's for the best. At least until Jeremy heads off to college."

"Buffy, you really don't have to." Elena protested. "It's not like you're that far away."

"Elena, I'm yours and Jeremy's guardian. With Alaric around…. I could afford to live with Damon. But now…."

Jeremy walked in and said, "Klaus took Esther's body."

"Does he know about the stake?" Alaric asked.

"No, only that she tried to turn you into a weapon and failed." He looked between Elena, Buffy, and Alaric. "What's going on?"

"Listen Jeremy, I'm not gonna complete the transition. My dark side was dangerous enough as a human. I can't be a vampire."

"So what…. We're just gonna lock you in here and let you die? No…. no we can't!"

"Listen, Jeremy, it's the right thing to do, ok. After everything that's happened, after all that I've done…. Maybe I had it coming." Jeremy turned around and walked away.

"Hey, wait, Jer…. Alaric this isn't your fault." Elena said.  
>"Please you guys let's not make this any harder than it already is. You two should go. Buffy and Damon are here. They'll make sure it'll all go down the right way." Alaric said. Jeremy started walking, but Alaric stopped him. "Hey, hey…."<p>

"Don't. Don't give me some crap speech about how I need to be the man of the house."

"Ok. I won't." Alaric hugged Jeremy tightly before Jeremy walked away and out of the crypt.

"This is all my fault." Elena said. "You moved out, you gave me your ring back, you didn't want any part in this and I…. I forced you to stay and take care of us."

"Don't do that, ok. Taking care of you and Jeremy has been…. has been the closest I've ever come to the life I always wanted." Elena hugged Alaric tightly as she cried. Alaric looked over at Buffy who was desperately trying to maintain her composure.

"You should go." Alaric said to Elena.

She nodded and walked out of the tomb. Alaric and Buffy followed her. To Alaric's surprise, there was a gathering of people outside the tomb holding candles. Alaric smiled as Elena walked over to Stefan. Standing next to him was Damon, Dawn, Caroline, Tyler, Matt, Bonnie, Jeremy, and Meredith. Buffy walked over to Damon and Dawn and Damon wrapped an arm tightly around her waist. Alaric nodded at everyone and headed back into the tomb.

"You guys should go." Buffy said. "It's going to be a long night."

"It already has been." Matt said.

"I know. I'll text you all when it's over."

With reluctance, Caroline, Tyler, and Bonnie headed to their cars. Matt and Jeremy headed to Matt's truck. Stefan led Elena away, leaving Meredith, Dawn, Damon, and Buffy. Dawn hugged Buffy tightly and promised to see her later before following Stefan and Elena.

"I'll stay for a little while longer." Meredith said.

"You should probably go say goodbye." Buffy said, wanting to speak with Damon alone. Meredith nodded and headed into the crypt. Buffy waited till the door was closed before bringing out the stake.

"What is that?" Damon asked.

"The last of the white oak stakes." Buffy said. "It's the ultimate weapon now."  
>"It can't be destroyed?"<p>

"Esther used Alaric's ring to make it indestructible. That's what the silver running down it is. And as far as Klaus is concerned, there are no more white oak stakes out there."

"Plus one for our side."

Buffy nodded and sighed. "Damon…."

"You're moving out, aren't you?"

"How'd you know?"

"Jeremy and Elena are your kids. With Alaric dying, there's no one left to keep an eye on them."

"Elena says I don't have to."

"We both know you do."

"And you're ok with this?"

"Of course I'm not ok with it. I like my bed." Buffy looked at him, confused. "If you think for a second that I'm spending one night without you, you're insane."

"You would move to Elena's house?"

"I would follow you anywhere."

"I love you."

Damon smiled. "I love hearing that." He kissed her gently. "I love you."

Meredith walked out of the crypt. "I gave him a sedative. He'll fall asleep first. He'll go comfortably."

"Well…. I offered to snap his neck, put him out of his misery but…. he didn't take me up on it." Damon said.

"You seem surprised."

"Well, you just think a guy so used to dying wouldn't want to drag it out."

"Well, it was nice of you to give him the option."

"Hmm…. Apparently my choices have been a little controversial lately."

"You shouldn't leave him alone in there."

"I wasn't planning on it." Buffy said. "Thank you…. For everything you've done for him."

"I'm sorry this is happening." Meredith tentatively hugged Buffy and then walked off.

Buffy looked at Damon. "You up for this?"

Damon held up a bottle of whiskey. "Liquid courage."

Buffy squeezed his hand and led him into the crypt. "It's just us." She said when Alaric looked up.

"Is this the part where you give me a dream? Rainbows and rolling green hills?" Alaric said to Damon.

"I was drunk when I told you that."

"Yeah and I told you I'd use it against you."

"Damn you." Damon smirked and sat down next to Buffy who had gracefully sunk down next to Alaric. "Sorry I killed you. Twice."

"So I actually have to die to get a real apology out of you?"

"Drink?" Damon offered Alaric the whiskey bottle.

"Thanks, but I've been thinking about cutting back."

"Ha, yeah! This stuff will kill ya."

Buffy noticed a tear make its way down Alaric's face. It was enough to bring the emotions to the forefront and she had a hard time pushing the tears away. She grabbed the bottle and took a long swig. Alaric took her hand and held it, smiling slightly at her. "That's not helping." She said.  
>"I know." Alaric rested his head on top of hers. "You're the best thing to happen to Jeremy and Elena. I know you don't think that, but it's true. I have nothing but admiration for everything you do for them."<br>"I haven't done much."

"You turned yourself into a vampire to protect them. You made the ultimate sacrifice."

"I think you've beat me in that category." Buffy handed Alaric the bottle as the tears started to fall freely. He squeezed her hand and took a swig.

A couple of hours had passed with Alaric still leaning against Buffy and holding her hand. He had long since gone unconscious from the drugs and was breathing heavily. She felt his body sag and his breathing slow into almost non-existence. The end had finally come and the emotion overwhelmed her. She began to sob, the tears flowing ever more freely. Damon pulled her to him as he stood up and held her tightly. He led her out into the cool night air and they both stopped suddenly.

"What are you doing here?" Damon asked. Bonnie didn't say anything, just walked past them towards the crypt. "Hey Bonnie, what are you sleepwalking or something?"

"Bonnie?" Buffy asked, noticing the blank stare on the teen witch's face.

Bonnie lifted her hands towards them and Buffy and Damon felt their blood cells in their brain begin to explode over and over. They both fell to the ground, screaming in pain, as Bonnie took the stake from Buffy's coat pocket and entered the crypt. She took the stake and used it to puncture her hand. She held her bleeding palm to Alaric's mouth and fed him her blood. He woke up after getting a few mouthfuls and bit into her neck with his newly formed fangs. Alaric stood up as Bonnie passed out and held up the stake.


	60. Chapter 60

Chapter 60

Buffy opened her eyes slowly and stared painfully around her. The sun was way too bright. She groaned and rolled over, hiding behind her hair with her face to the ground so she could get her bearings. She felt Damon laying, still unconscious, next to her where he'd fallen. The last thing she remembered was Bonnie walking towards her and Damon as they stood outside the crypt where Alaric's body was. Alaric….

Buffy was suddenly on her feet and inside the crypt. There was no Alaric, but Bonnie was lying unconscious on the floor and bleeding from a large tear in her neck where Alaric's fangs had ripped into her. She was nearly dead. "Crap!" Buffy knelt down, bit into her wrist, and put it to Bonnie's lips. "Come on, drink up, Bonnie."

"Ugh…." Damon said from behind her. "What happened?"

"Wake up, Bonnie." Buffy watched as Bonnie's wounds healed. She pulled her wrist back and the wound on her wrist disappeared in an instant.

Bonnie gasped and sat up, moving away from Buffy. Her head swam and she sagged. "Oh…. What happened?"

"Where's Rick?" Damon asked, looking around.

Bonnie gasped. "Oh no! Alaric!"

"Bonnie, what the hell happened?" Buffy asked.

"The witches…. Esther…. They brought me here to complete Alaric's transition. Oh god…."

"Where's the stake?" Damon asked.

Buffy patted her jacket and reached into the pocket she'd hidden it. "It's gone!"

"Great!"

"Come on. We need to warn the others." Buffy stood up and helped Bonnie up. Bonnie swooned, but Buffy held her up as they walked to Buffy's car. "I swear, if you do that migraine thing to me again, I'm binding your powers."

"I'm sorry. It wasn't me."

"I know. I've still got a headache, so I'm a bit on the cranky side." Buffy looked at Damon. "Can vampires take aspirin?"

"You'd need a large dose of it to even get any kind of effect and even then your body would flush it out too fast to do any good. At least that's what it does to me. You probably wouldn't even notice you'd taken it. I'll get you some morphine." Damon said. "So Alaric's a vampire now?"

"Yeah."

"This isn't good."

"Nope." Buffy helped Bonnie into the backseat of her car before dashing over and getting in the driver's seat. Damon hadn't even gotten his door shut when she peeled out, spinning tires and throwing dirt.

"Where do you think he's gone?"

"I have no idea." Buffy's cell phone started ringing and Damon grabbed it out of her jacket pocket for her.

"It's Willow." He hit the answer button. "Hey Big Red."

"Damon?" Willow asked. "Where's Buffy?"

"She's driving like a bat out of hell. And trust me…. Even with the super-super powers…. Her driving hasn't gotten much better."

"Is everything ok?"

"Uh…. Not really." Buffy held her hand out and made a _gimmie_ motion. "Hold on." Damon handed Buffy the phone.

"How fast can you get here?" Buffy asked.

"By plane, a couple of hours. We're in Florida visiting some of Kennedy's family."

Buffy glanced at the clock and then looked at Damon. "The sun's only just risen and he doesn't have a daylight ring."

"That gives a good amount of time." Damon said.

"Buffy, what's going on?" Willow asked.

"Esther turned Alaric into a psycho Original vampire bent on destroying the vampire race. She even gave him a special stake to do it with."

"Why would Alaric let that happen? That requires participation."

"Remember those black outs I mentioned? His alter ego is the one who agreed to everything. When he came back from the dead last night, he decided not to complete the transition, but Bonnie got possessed or something by the dead witches and Esther and got past Damon and me. Hey, is there any way to block a witch from doing that brain splitting open spell? Cause that sucks."

"I can look into it."

"Please do."

"Ok. I'm gonna grab a couple of things and hop on a plane. I'll call you when I land."

"See you soon." Buffy hung up and turned onto Elena's street.

"My brother's here." Damon said. "Wonder if he ever went home…."

"I'm glad he's here."

"I've got Bonnie. Go get Stefan." Damon stopped her before she got out of the car. "Don't scare Elena and Jeremy."

"Wasn't planning on it. They've been through enough already." She got out of the car and was through the front door a heartbeat later. The smell of wet paint was permeating the house and she heard Stefan, Dawn, Jeremy, and Elena upstairs talking.

"We're fine." Jeremy was saying. "But, if you are trying to be the good guy again, why don't you do the right thing and give us one day? Just one day without any vampires in it?"

"Does that include me, Jer?" Buffy asked.

"Buffy…."

Buffy gently touched his arm. "I know how you feel about vampires, but not all of us are out to get you. Some of us became this way to protect our loved ones."

"I know, I just…."

"It's ok. I get it." She looked around the room. "What are you guys doing in here?"

"Painting." Elena said. "We've gotta keep moving."

"I take it green was the only color you had in the house?" Elena shrugged. "You guys keep going. It looks good."

"We can choose another color." Elena offered. "I mean…. It'll be your room."

Buffy nodded. "We'll talk about it later."

"Where have you been?" Dawn demanded. "I've been trying to call you all night?"

"My phone wasn't on me. Stefan, can I talk to you for a minute downstairs."

"Everything ok?" Jeremy asked.  
>"I want to talk to him about moving out and everything." Buffy smiled and kissed Elena's forehead before walking out with Stefan. Dawn followed close behind, but Buffy didn't argue. She needed to hear the news too. Downstairs, Damon had brought Bonnie into the kitchen and sat her at the table.<p>

"What happened?" Stefan asked.

"Alaric's been turned." Damon said.

"What do you mean he turned? I thought you two were standing guard!"

"Don't blame us! Blame Bonnie the blood bank. She fed him."

"I had no idea what was happening." Bonnie defended. "Ok, the witches led me there. They wanted him to feed so he would turn."

"So where's the stake now?" Dawn asked.

"Oh, you mean the white oak one? The one that can kill an Original and wipe out an entire line of vampires? We don't know."

"If you guys are so upset with me, why did you feed me your blood to save my life?" Bonnie snapped.

"Because we do stupid things, Bonnie. We do things like let our friend die with dignity when I should've just killed him."

"Chill." Buffy said. "Back to your corners. Bonnie, despite how much you hate us…. I do still consider you my friend. If I have the power to save your life, then consider your life saved."

Bonnie nodded. "Thank you."

"All right, so how do we kill him?" Stefan asked.

"Hopefully we'll have that answer soon. Willow's on her way." Damon said. "She called Buffy back."

"While Buffy was talking to her, I was thinking about a way to fix this." Bonnie said. "A witch can't truly make an immortal creature. There's always a way to undo a spell."

"So, what's the witchy work around?" Damon asked.

"That's the problem. I don't know."

Buffy nodded. "Esther said that Willow was just as powerful as she was. Maybe Willow will know something. Until then…. We need to warn Klaus and Rebekah."

"What? Why?" Damon demanded.

"Because they're Alaric's main targets. He kills them, we're all dead! And I'm pretty sure him randomly showing up _not_ dead will distract them long enough for him to jab his pretty little stake through their hearts. I don't know about you, but I'm not ready to permanently hang out with Rose and Lexi." The doorbell rang and Buffy heard Jeremy stop on his way down the stairs to answer the door.

"What the hell do you want?" Jeremy asked.

"Klaus." Buffy was suddenly gone from the kitchen. Damon and Stefan followed her to the door while Dawn stayed with Bonnie.

"Now is that anyway to treat a guest?" Klaus said.  
>"What are you doing here, Klaus?" Buffy asked, moving Jeremy behind her.<p>

"Well for starters, young Jeremy here could show some manners and invite me inside."

"Jeremy, go up to your room please." Buffy said.

"Now." Damon said forcefully when Jeremy didn't listen.

"Poor lad." Klaus looked at Damon standing at Buffy's back. "Loses one father figure only to be replaced by the likes of you."

"Yeah, about that…. Something happened." Damon said.

"Oh, I know all about my mother's little invulnerable little creation and that's why I'm here. I'm leaving town…. Just need to pick up a little road trip necessities. Spare tire…. Flashlight…. Doppelgänger."

"Can't help you there." Damon and Stefan moved back, pulling Buffy with them, and Damon slammed the door in Klaus's face.

Buffy turned and rushed upstairs. "Elena?" She found Jeremy alone in the room they were painting. "Where's Elena?"

"I don't know. She was just here a few minutes ago." Jeremy said.

"You've _got_ to be kidding me." Buffy turned and walked down the stairs where Stefan and Damon met her.

"Where is she?" Damon asked.

"She's not here."

"What do you mean 'she's not here'? Where did she go?"

"If I knew, I would be there too."

"What's going on?" Dawn asked as she and Bonnie walked into the hallway.

Damon walked over to the window. "Klaus wants in. I'd like to keep him out. Duck!" Everyone hit the floor except Buffy. She stood in the middle of the living room and caught the newspaper in her hand easily, glaring at it in annoyance.

"I think you're probably going to want to let me in!" Klaus yelled.

"Not in a million years!" Buffy called back as she threw the newspaper back, smacking Klaus in the chest and knocking him back a few feet. He rolled his eyes and marched off.

Damon, Stefan, Bonnie, and Dawn stood up as Jeremy came down the stairs. "What's going on?" Jeremy asked.  
>"Your sister's gone missing…. Again." Buffy said.<p>

They all went to the kitchen and Stefan went to a window. "Elena's car is gone."

"Why wouldn't she tell anyone where she was going?" Bonnie asked.

Just then, the door burst open as Klaus hurled a soccer ball through it. The ball bounced off Damon and he straightened up just in time to almost get hit by a flying picket fence spear. "Get down!" Stefan yelled as Damon called, "Missed me!"

Damon broke off a chunk of the fence that had lodged in the wall and hurled it back at Klaus. Klaus easily ducked it and broke his second spear, hurling it through the door at them. Buffy swatted it to the ground and rolled her eyes at Damon as he called out to Klaus, "Missed me again!"

Buffy grabbed her ringing phone out of her jacket pocket. The number was not one she wanted to see. "Alaric."

"Did I catch you at a bad time?" Alaric asked.

"Not at all. Do you have Elena?"

"Of course I do. You should really keep a better eye on her, mother dearest. If you want her and Caroline back, Klaus needs to turn himself into me."

"I'll see what I can do." Buffy looked up to see Klaus walking up with a flaming newspaper and a propane tank. "Oh! Seriously!" She marched out onto the porch. "Would you put that out?"

"Make me." Klaus challenged.

Buffy rolled her eyes and crossed her arms. "Elena's not here, you dolt. Alaric has her and Caroline and he's going to kill them if you don't turn yourself over to him." Klaus blinked in surprise. "Yeah, though that might catch your attention."

Klaus tossed the newspaper and tank aside. "Now I know you're not asking me to walk into a certain death."

"Why ever would I do that?"

"Finally come around, love?"

"If Alaric kills you, then there's a one in four chance that we die too." Buffy uncrossed her arms and put her hands on her hips.

"I'll take those odds." Damon said, walking out onto the porch and sliding an arm through one of hers and around her waist.  
>"And a 100% chance that Tyler dies." Stefan reminded him.<p>

"Good with that too."

"Damon!" Buffy rolled her eyes and shook her head. "How about we figure out a way to put Alaric down instead of throwing things at each other? It's much more productive while we wait for Willow to get here."

Klaus sighed and moved away. "Ok, how about Damon sneaks in and distracts Alaric while Stefan walks in and carries Elena to safety?"

"Oh, that's a great idea!" Damon said. "What's to stop me from getting killed instantly?"

"Nothing."

Buffy's fist shot out and blood ran down Klaus's nose from her punch. "That's my 'no' vote to that plan in case you weren't clear."

"I might have an idea." Bonnie said. "My mom used a desiccation spell on Mikael that immobilized him for over 15 years. If I can get it, I might be able to use it on Alaric."

"If and might." Klaus said. "Your words inspire such confidence."

"I'll get it. But even with the spell, we'll need a lot of vampire muscle to take him down. Including yours."

Klaus sighed. "Just so we're clear, the sun sets in about eight hours. We don't succeed before then, Elena will be dead, I'll be gone, and the rest of you will be left to fend for yourselves."

* * *

><p>Stefan, Klaus, and Buffy pulled up to the high school in Klaus's SUV. Damon had taken Bonnie in Buffy's car to their house to wait for Abby and Willow. Willow had managed to send a text from the airplane before they'd all gone their separate ways saying she was about an hour away from Richmond. She should be arriving in Mystic Falls soon. Dawn had stayed behind with Jeremy.<p>

As they climbed out of the car, Stefan looked at his text messages. "Abby just showed up." He said to Buffy.

"Good." Klaus said, walking around to the front of the car. "Perhaps this plan won't be an epic failure after all." He looked at Buffy for a long moment before looking away.

"What?" She asked.

"You know if this does go off and we drop the history teacher in the Atlantic…. I'm still leaving with Elena."

"Over my dead body."

"In case you forgot, dearest, your body _is_ dead."

"You're not taking Elena."

"She's _my_ doppelganger."

"And I'm her legal guardian, therefore she's _my_ daughter. Daughter trumps doppelganger."

"One way or another, I will take Elena with me. I will make your lives a living hell until she willing hands herself over…. Which you know she will because she's self-sacrificing that way."

Buffy sighed, knowing Klaus was right. She glanced at Stefan before saying, "Then I'll go with you."

Stefan whipped his head around to look at her in surprise. "What?"

"What's the catch?" Klaus asked.

"There's no catch." Buffy said in exasperation. "I would do anything to protect Elena. I turned into a vampire to protect her from you. Do you honestly believe I would let you just disappear into the horizon with her?"

"What about your beloved Damon?"

Buffy looked away for a split second. "He'll understand."

"I don't think he would. And you know he wouldn't be allowed to join us."

"Then I'll come." Stefan said, stepping up next to Buffy.

"Why would I even let you come after everything you've done to me?"

"Because Buffy is family and you're all about family, aren't you Klaus? You once said we were like brothers."

"That still doesn't tell me why I would let you come."

"Buffy leaving behind her family would make her unhappy. You want Buffy to be happy, don't you? I mean, you supposedly love her and all."

Klaus looked at Buffy. "I can't wait to see the two of you tell Damon you're leaving him behind to come with me." He smirked and leaned against the car.

* * *

><p>Damon and Willow made their way back upstairs from the basement. Damon was carrying a glass of blood for Abby. Willow had arrived only a few minutes before. She'd met Abby, but Bonnie hadn't told her about the spell she wanted to try. Only that Abby was the only one who knew it.<p>

"Why didn't I have to be invited in?" Abby asked.  
>"Only vampires live here." Bonnie said.<p>

"We had signed over the deed to Buffy," Damon said. "But she kind of became a vampire herself, so…. The seal broke. Long story." He held out the glass. "Blood?" Abby just glared at him. "Oh, come on. Think of it as a peace offering." Abby still made no move for the glass. "Fine. More for me." Damon looked at Willow and rolled his eyes. Willow didn't say anything. She knew what had happened with Damon and Abby.

Damon sat down and motioned to Bonnie. Bonnie sighed and said, "We called you here because I need help with a spell. Esther created a vampire that can't be killed. I want to desiccate him like you did to Mikael."

"Didn't that spell strip you of your powers?" Willow asked Abby.

"Yes." Abby said. "It's too dangerous for you Bonnie."

"Maybe not for me." Willow offered.

Abby shook her head. "A witch's magic comes from the earth. It's pure. This spell asks you to tap into dark places. Places of temptation. Places neither of you could handle."

"You turned your back on me for 16 years." Bonnie said. "You have no idea what I can handle."

"Gotta say I'm team Bonnie on this one." Damon said. "How hard can it be to parch a vampire?"

"The spell allows you to stop a vampire's heart." Abby said. "The blood will stop flowing and his body will desiccate."

"That's exactly what we want to do." Bonnie said.

"So, what do we do?" Willow asked.

"To stop a vampire's heart…. You need to find a balance among the living. Can either of you handle that?"

Willow backed up a step. "I can't."

Bonnie looked at her. "What do you mean?"

"I can't do that again." Willow shook her head frantically.

"What?" Damon asked. "What does that balance thing mean? I don't speak witch."

"You have to stop a human heart." Bonnie said. "I don't understand, Willow. Why can't you…."

"Bonnie, don't push it." Damon said, standing up and moving over to Willow. Buffy had told him about Willow's stint with the dark magics and what she'd done…. What that had done to her. He wrapped a protective arm around Willow's shoulders. "It's ok. You don't have to do anything you don't want to."

"What's going on?"

"The last time I tapped into dark magics…. The kind that Abby is talking about…." Willow took a deep breath. "I killed a person…. A human…. And I lost control. I almost ended the world. I don't trust myself with magics that dark anymore."

"Oh."

"Ok, Abby you tell Bonnie the spell, Willow you see if there's anything you can do to help that you feel comfortable with, and I'll call Dawn and let her know what's going on." Damon said.

* * *

><p>Buffy and Stefan stood a little ways away from Klaus while they waited on the others. "Are you sure you want to go with him?" Stefan asked quietly.<p>

"He'll never leave Elena alone and you know he's right about Elena going willingly to protect us." Buffy said. "At least if I'm with them…. I can moderate what happens."

"What about Damon?"

"We'll figure something out."

"You don't sound so confident about that."

"Yeah, well…. You know Damon as well as I do. This whole thing will probably lead to one massive fight."

"They're here." Klaus said. Buffy and Stefan looked over to see Bonnie, Willow, and Damon walk up to Jeremy. Dawn had brought him only a few minutes before saying that Bonnie had asked them to come.

"Look at this." Klaus said as he, Buffy, and Stefan walked up to Damon and the others. "One big happy family."  
>"Hey Wills." Buffy smiled slightly and hugged her best friend tightly. "You ok?"<p>

"Yeah." Willow smiled, keeping a hold on Buffy's waist. Damon had texted Buffy what was going to happen and why Willow wasn't doing the spell.

"Drink this." Bonnie said, holding out a vial of blood to Damon. "It's my blood. It bridges us all together so when I stop Jeremy's heart…. You'll have the power to stop Alaric's. You need to make a physical connection to his blood stream…. A vein…. Artery…. Something connected to his heart."

Damon took a sip of the blood and passed it to Stefan before looking at Buffy. "You're the strongest, babe. Best chance we've got."

"Don't leave it all on Buffy's shoulders, Damon." Stefan said, taking his sip. "If one of us gets a clean shot, take it…. The other three can hold him down." He handed the vial to Buffy and she sipped it before passing it to Klaus.

"Before we all walk through these doors, let's get on the same page, shall we?" Klaus said. "I was the one who created your vampire bloodline and therefore I am responsible for your lives…. And Tyler's life…. And Caroline's life…. And of course Abby's life….. Should anything go wrong."

"Or you're just lying to save your ass." Damon said.

"I'm not lying. But go ahead…. Call my bluff. Let the teacher kill me. You'll all be dead soon thereafter." Klaus shot back the last of the blood.

"Let's just get this over with, shall we?" Stefan said, heading for the school.

Buffy gave Willow one last hug and then followed Stefan with Damon. Klaus brought up the rear. Once inside, Buffy heard Elena and Alaric talking. Suddenly Alaric started screaming. Buffy moved into action. She pointed Damon and Stefan one way and pulled Klaus in another direction. Their best chance was surrounding Alaric.

As they rounded a corner, Klaus grabbed Caroline and pulled her out of the hallway. She started to struggle, but Buffy appeared in front of her. Caroline let out a sob and fell into Buffy's arms. "Shh…." Buffy hugged her tightly. "It's ok." She pulled back to look at Caroline. "We'll save Elena. I need you to go home, lock up, and don't come out until I call you. Ok?" Caroline nodded. "Go."

Buffy and Klaus disappeared down the hallway. She heard Alaric shove Elena against a locker and grabbed Klaus, stopping him. "I'll go in first." She whispered.

"He could kill you." Klaus said.

"I've always been the better fighter."

"Buffy…."

"I've got this." She started to move off, but Klaus grabbed her and pulled her to him. He brought her lips to his and kissed her passionately.

After a long moment, he pulled away. "Be safe."

Buffy looked at him and then nodded, disappearing.

"You don't deserve to live." Alaric said.

"So then why am I still alive?" Elena asked. That stopped Buffy from bolting around the corner and attacking. "There's obviously no humanity in you, so what's stopping you Alaric? If you want me dead, then kill me. Do it! Kill me!"

Buffy stepped around the corner, understanding Esther's spell. "He can't."

Alaric's and Elena's heads whipped around to look at her. "Hello Buffy." Alaric said.

"Elena, get out of here." Buffy said.

"Buffy…." Elena started.

"Don't worry about me. Alaric's a newbie at this. I've got some more experience with this Original power thing." Alaric laughed and stepped towards her. Elena took off running down the hallway. Buffy heard Damon and Stefan moving towards her from around another corner and Klaus wasn't far behind from another hallway.

Alaric attacked and Buffy feinted easily. She grabbed his head and slammed it down onto her knee. While he was still bent over, she kicked out and sent him flying into the lockers. He rolled to his feet and threw one of the locker doors at her. Buffy ducked, barely missing getting hit in the head, and dropped to the ground as Alaric charged. She rolled under him, but he grabbed her foot and pulled her back. Buffy turned and kicked up, nailing him in the face with the heel of her boot. He let go of her foot and she jumped to her feet. Alaric was faster than she anticipated, though. He'd grabbed the locker door and swung. It connected with her torso and she went flying back through a classroom door, landing painfully among the desks.

Damon and Stefan rushed in, each grabbing an arm. "Do it now!" Damon yelled. Alaric tossed him against the lockers and broke Stefan's back. Buffy came out of the classroom just in time to see Alaric snap Damon's neck. She growled, her eyes changing, and threw herself at Alaric. Her fury was palpable as she beat him down. Before he knew what was happening, Buffy's nails pierced his chest and her fingers touched his heart. Alaric screamed in pain. It took him a few seconds to get his bearings, but he reached up with large knife he'd stashed in his coat and shoved it through Buffy's abdomen. She dropped to the ground, releasing her hold on his heart, and Alaric viciously slammed her head into the lockers, knocking her unconscious.

Klaus suddenly appeared, shoving his fingers into the holes Buffy had made. Alaric tossed Klaus away and attacked with the stake. He managed to pin Klaus down and had the stake pointed over his heart. The only thing stopping Alaric was Klaus's struggling arms. The stake was getting closer and closer to his heart.

"Stop!" Elena demanded. "Let him go or I'll kill myself."

Alaric looked from Elena to Klaus and back. "Put it down Elena."

"Why? Because you still need me alive? There's a reason why Esther used me to make you, isn't there? She didn't want you to be immortal, so she tied your life to a human one. Mine. That way you only have one life span to kill all vampires and then you'll be gone. So when I die, you die too. Buffy was right. You can't kill me."

"You're both wrong."

"Are we?" Elena drug the knife through her neck, digging in.

"Stop! Stop! Stop!"

Klaus shoved Alaric off and disappeared out from under him. When Alaric got his bearings, the only ones in the hallway were the unconscious Damon, Stefan, and Buffy. Klaus and Elena were gone. Alaric went after them, but he was too late. He couldn't go out into the sunlight.

* * *

><p>Buffy came to and looked down at her stomach. The large knife was still there. With a groan, she pulled the knife out and set it down next to her. Alaric was gone, but he was still in the building. Buffy moved over to Damon and Stefan. Damon's neck had already healed and his head was facing the right way. He was still unconscious though. Stefan's back seemed ok, but he always had healed slower than his brother.<p>

"Get up." Buffy looked up to see Alaric standing there.

"Screw you." Buffy growled. She shook Damon gently. "Wake up, Damon." He groaned.

"I said get up!"

Buffy surged up, throwing Alaric down the hall. "And I said screw you."

"Why am I still alive?" Damon moaned. Next to him, Stefan started to come to.

Alaric walked down the hall, back towards Buffy. She tensed for a fight, eyes changing, but he stopped. "Klaus is going to kill Elena."  
>"What?" Damon asked.<p>

"What are you talking about?" Stefan asked as Buffy helped him and Damon up. "Klaus needs Elena's blood to make hybrids. She's the last person that he'd kill."

Buffy sighed. "Esther's spell bound Alaric's life to Elena's. She dies. He dies."

"Klaus figured that out and now he's taken her." Alaric said. "Now I'm trapped here until the sun goes down, so you three better get to doing what you three do best: Saving Elena's life." He turned and walked down the hallway.

Buffy grabbed Damon and Stefan and pulled them out of the school. "I know what to do."

"What do you mean?" Damon asked.

"We have to stop Klaus."

"We can't kill him! He's the creator of our bloodline."

"We're not going to kill him. We're going to desiccate him."

Stefan sighed. "What about Alaric?"

"We've still got Willow. She can work something out."

"She won't do that spell." Damon said. "It freaked her out to even think about doing dark magics."

"I know, but…. She's powerful enough that I don't think she needs to worry about the difference between dark or light magics anymore. If Bonnie loses her powers, Willow's our backup."

"What if she won't do it?" Stefan asked.  
>"If she's our only hope…. She'll do it. Willow always comes through in the end."<p>

"What about Klaus?" Damon asked.

"I'll do it. I'm the last person he'll expect to do anything like this to him."

"Are you sure about this?" Stefan asked.  
>"Yeah. It's our only option right now. Damon, go let Bonnie know what's happened and what I'm planning. Stefan, you're with me." Buffy turned to leave, but she turned back and grabbed Damon, pulling her to him for a fiery kiss.<p>

"I'm not complaining," Damon said, a little breathless. "But what was that for?"

"I love you. When this is over, we're going away for a vacation. Somewhere secluded." And with that, Buffy was gone. She cut through the woods by the school, heading for Klaus's house. Stefan was behind her a little ways back trying to keep up with her. Tyler's car was parked outside the house and Buffy heard a yelling match inside between Tyler and Klaus. When Buffy burst into the room, Klaus had Tyler pinned against the wall and Elena was unconscious on the floor.

"Goodbye Tyler." Klaus raised his arm to strike Tyler's death blow, but Buffy was suddenly there, twisting his arm.

Klaus turned around and Stefan and Tyler each grabbed an arm as Buffy shoved her fingers into Klaus's chest, touching his heart. He looked up at her in surprise as he screamed in pain. Buffy's betrayal hurt him as he understood what she was doing to him. He felt his heart slowing rapidly and looked up at her.

"I'm sorry." Buffy said before she could stop herself. "I'm sorry." Klaus started to desiccate before her eyes, a tear sliding down his cheek as he held her gaze. In that moment, Buffy finally admitted to herself that she had felt something for Klaus. Even though he had been an evil bastard, he had still loved her and she had returned a small amount of those feelings.

And then she had betrayed him.

It was almost poetic that she had to hold her hand against his heart, her gaze locked with his, until he withered and collapsed.

Tyler and Stefan lowered Klaus's body to the ground and Buffy yanked her hand away. She turned and walked out of the room, silent tears falling down her cheeks. Tyler made sure Elena was ok and Stefan followed Buffy outside. He pulled her to him as she started to cry.

"It's ok." Stefan whispered soothingly. "Shh…."

"Klaus was evil." Buffy choked out.

"Yes, but he actually cared about you. In his own way, he loved you and as much time as you had to spend with him…. It's understandable that you felt something towards him. But none of it makes you love Damon any less."

"Damon…. What am I going to tell Damon?"

"Nothing. You don't have to tell him anything. Your feelings for Klaus aren't enough to hurt your relationship with Damon."

"I feel like I've betrayed him."

Stefan shook his head. "You can't help that you felt something for Klaus. Would you have left Damon for him, though?"

"Of course not."

"Then you haven't betrayed Damon."

"I kissed him." Buffy blurted. "Well, he kissed me, but I didn't stop him."

Stefan looked a little shocked, but he quickly recovered. "Stop. Stop beating yourself up over this. It's over. Klaus is gone and you will never have to deal with him again. You can live and love with Damon for the rest of eternity without any interference." She started to protest, but Stefan held up his hand. "Stop. Stop."

Elena and Tyler walked out of the house and Buffy walked over to her. "Are you ok?"

"He took a lot of blood from her." Tyler said. "She was almost gone by the time I got there."

"Thank you, Tyler. You need to get somewhere safe. Once the sun goes down, Alaric is free to roam anywhere. Elena, we're taking you to the hospital."

"No. I'm fine." Elena said.

"Elena…."

"I promise I'm fine. I just have a bit of a headache is all. Probably from that fall. I just want to go home."

Buffy glanced at Stefan. "Are you sure, Elena?" He asked.

"Yeah."

"Ok." Buffy still wasn't convinced, but she let it drop as Stefan said, "We'll take you home. We've just got to grab Klaus's body before Rebekah shows up."

"What are you going to do with him?" Elena asked.

"Put him in one of his coffins and drop him to the bottom of the Atlantic. And since the sun's about to go down and Rick's gonna terrorize the streets any minute…. We'll head out tonight."

"Just be careful. Both of you. Is Damon going too?"

"I doubt he'd want to miss it."

"Let's get you home." Buffy said, opening the passenger's door to Klaus's SUV.

"I'll stay here and guard." Stefan said. "You get Elena home safe and pick up Damon." Buffy nodded and climbed in the driver's seat.

* * *

><p>Damon turned around in his seat and patted the coffin with Klaus in it. "Yeah…."<p>

"What?" Stefan asked from the driver's seat. Buffy sat in the back seat staring out the window.

"How many desiccated hybrids does take to screw in a light bulb?"

"You're in a good mood."  
>"Yeah I'm in a good mood. Klaus is dead, my brother's half way sane again, and my fiancée is still the most gorgeous woman in the world." Damon reached back and squeezed Buffy's hand. "Give or take in an immortal hunter that wants to kill us…. We won, Stefan. Say it. Say it!"<p>

"We won."

"Once more with feeling."

"We won!"

"Thank you."

"You know what, thank _you_. Turns out we make a pretty good team, huh?"

"Well it only took a century and a half." Damon turned to look at Buffy. "You're pretty quiet back here."

Buffy shrugged. "Long day."

"I think we should head to Italy when we're done dumping Klaus…. Rent a villa on the beach…. Just the two of us….."

Stefan glanced at Buffy in the rearview mirror. No matter what anyone said, she would still feel guilty for Klaus. But to his surprise, a smile spread across her face as she looked at Damon and she scooted up in the seat to lean in and kiss him. "I think I love that idea almost as much as I love you." Buffy said. She gently stroked his cheek with her thumb, never losing eye contact with him.

* * *

><p><em><strong>AN Sorry this took so long to post. Busy week last week. But holy crap! That season finale! I hate that we're going to have to wait until the fall to start up again. I'll post that chapter sometime next week once I've got it all sorted out and I'm happy with it. Any ideas for filler chapters while we wait? Maybe a spin off/prequel with the adventures of Lexi and Buffy?**_


	61. Chapter 61

Chapter 61

"You did what?" Buffy said. Her cell phone was sitting between Damon and Stefan in the front seat turned onto speaker phone.

"I took her to the hospital." Jeremy said. "When you find your sister unconscious, you call 911."  
>"Not when you have a parade of vampires at your disposal!" Damon argued.<p>

"Every remaining Original is going to want Elena dead to stop Alaric." Stefan said. "She's a sitting duck in there."

"Well, Meredith wants to keep her here for observation." Jeremy said.

"No." Buffy said. "Get Elena home now. We're on our way back."

"Have I told you lately how much I appreciate you _not_ being the dumbest brother on earth?" Damon said to Stefan.

Buffy smacked Damon's arm. "He was worried about her. He's not dumb."

"You know one of us needs to keep moving, right?" Stefan said. "If Klaus really is the sire of our bloodline…. We need to keep his body hidden before Alaric finds him, kills him, and we all end up dead."

"Our life is one big proverbial coin toss." Damon said.

Buffy sighed. "As much as I'd like to see him tossed in the Atlantic…. My obligation is to Elena."

"I'll go." Damon said.

"Are you sure?" Stefan asked.

"Yeah." Damon looked at Buffy. "Italy isn't going anywhere."

Buffy smiled slightly. "Deal."

Stefan pulled the car over. "You ok with going back on foot?" He asked Buffy.

"A twenty says I'll beat you there."

"No deal, cheater."

Buffy got out of the car on the driver's side just as Damon walked around. He pulled her to him and held her tightly. "I love you."

"Don't say it like that." Buffy said.

"Like what?"

"Like something bad might happen."

"Something bad might. In case you forgot…. Alaric is out there and he's itching to take us out. You're heading back into the lion's den."

"Doesn't matter. We have a vacation in Italy awaiting us." She reached up and kissed him gently. "I wouldn't miss that for the world." He kissed her again, making it last longer this time. After a few breathless moments, she pulled away and walked over to Stefan. "See you soon." He blew her a kiss and she and Stefan disappeared.

* * *

><p>"I'm being over-coddled." Elena complained from the couch.<p>

Buffy and Stefan had arrived barely an hour ago. Matt was at the house watching over her. Tyler and Caroline had gone home to see their mothers. Dawn and Willow were in the office, each working on their own thing. At the moment, Stefan, Matt, and Buffy were in the kitchen making a late dinner for everyone.

"I feel completely fine." Elena said.

"You're on house arrest." Buffy said.

"You're supposed to be coddled." Stefan finished.

"You two are becoming way too much alike." Elena said. "It's like you really are brother and sister."

Buffy bumped Stefan's shoulder with hers. "That's because we are now that I've agreed to marry Damon."

"Wouldn't it be smarter if we just got you the hell out of town?" Matt asked.

"And do what?" Elena asked. "Go on the run for the rest of my life? No thank you." She stood up, angrily rolling her blanket up. "And I'm not an invalid. I'm done with the couch."

Matt turned and looked at Buffy. "So you're just going to let her call the shots?"

"I'm letting her make her own decisions." Buffy said with a shrug.

"Even if they're wrong?"

"There's nothing wrong with free will, Matt." Stefan said. "Trust me…. You don't realize it till you lose it."

"Buffy…." Elena said.

Something in Elena's tone made Buffy get a defensive grip on the knife she was cutting with and dash into the foyer behind Elena. Elijah was standing just inside the doorway. "Elijah." Buffy said.

"Hello again." Elijah said.

"What are you doing here?"

"I'm not here to harm anyone…." He glanced at the knife in Buffy's hand. "So the weapons aren't necessary. I'm here to strike a deal."

"A deal?" Stefan asked.

"To get Alaric away from Mystic Falls."

"What's the catch?" Buffy asked.

"I want my brother back."

Buffy looked at Stefan. He sighed, "We should call Damon. Elijah, won't you come in?"

"What's going on?" Willow asked, appearing in the doorway of the office. "What's he doing here?"

"Willow." Elijah said. "What a pleasant surprise!" He was obviously still smitten with her, despite the fact that she was gay.

"Who's this?" Dawn asked, walking out behind Willow.

"That's Elijah." Buffy said.

"Klaus's brother?"

"It's so good to see you alive and well." Elijah said. "When I last saw you…. You were frozen at death's door."

"I'm going to call Damon." Buffy said, pulling out her phone.

A few minutes later, they were all sitting at the table with Damon on speakerphone. "All we need is to take that stake away from him." Elijah was saying. "Once he's been disarmed, the weapon's in my possession…. My family will scatter to the ends of the earth. And Alaric will follow us."

"And you'll just run?"

"We've done it before. Klaus and Rebekah spent the better part of a thousand years evading my father. What's another half century while Elena's able to live out the rest of her natural life?"

"We finally stopped him, Elijah." Elena said. "After everything he's done to us…. I can't just let you bring him back."

"I give you my word, Elena. I will not revive Klaus within yours…. Or even within your children's lifetimes. Perhaps that will finally teach him some manners."

"Why should she trust you?" Matt demanded. "All you've done is screw her over!"

"For that I'm deeply ashamed. But know this: She could've been dead the instant I walked through that door tonight. So, Elena, I leave it to you to make the decision…. Whether to trust me or not."

"Not!" Damon said from his end of the line. "Hello! Did that concussion give you brain damage? His lunatic siblings will kill you the first chance they get!"

"Rebekah and Kol will honor the terms. If you return Klaus's body to us, Elena will come to no harm. Do we have a deal?"

"No! No, no, no, no…. Did I mention no!"

Buffy sighed. "Elena, it's up to you."

"Oh, come on!"

"Be quiet, Damon!" Buffy said.

"Why do you want Klaus's body?" Dawn asked.

"He's my brother." Elijah said. "We remain together."

Elena looked at Buffy for a moment, then back at Elijah. "We have a deal."

"What!" Damon demanded.

"Damon, find somewhere safe and wait for Elijah to come get Klaus." Buffy said.

"I'll send Rebekah to do it." Elijah said. "I'll serve as bait for Alaric."

"Seriously?" Damon asked.  
>"Yes, Damon. We want Alaric gone…. This is the way to do it." Buffy said. "Willow…. Will you meet Damon and spell that coffin so no one can see it except us?"<br>"Are you sure?" Willow asked.

"Bonnie did it before…."

"I meant about this whole thing."

Buffy sighed. "Yes. If it's what Elena wants…."

"Ok. Damon, I'll meet you soon." Willow said. "Text me where. I need to call Bonnie so she can give me a rundown of that spell. I've never done it before." She walked out to grab her notebook and some supplies before leaving the house. Jeremy and Matt headed outside while Stefan sat down with Elena. Elijah wondered off, probably to follow Willow. Dawn got up and started cleaning up the beginnings of dinner.

"Damon, I'll see you soon." Buffy said, grabbing her phone and taking it off speaker. She walked into the foyer and sat down on the stairs. Willow walked out of the office and headed out the door, waving Buffy's car keys at her to let her know she was taking her car.

"Are you coming up here with Willow?" He asked.

"No. I need to stay down here with Elena. But as soon as Rebekah gets Klaus, you come home."

"What about Italy?"

"I haven't forgotten. I still plan on making it there with you as soon as this is over."

"Good. It's all I can think about."

"Damon…." She sighed. "I love you so much."

"Don't say it like that."

"Damon…."

"I love you too." He hung up.

"Buffy." Jeremy said, walking in from outside. "Can I talk to you for a minute?"

"Sure." Buffy stood up and followed Jeremy into the living room. "What's up?"

Elijah, Elena, Dawn, and Stefan walked in behind Buffy. Jeremy considered not telling them, just Buffy, but he thought better of it. "Alaric came to see me at the Grill tonight when I was getting some food."

"Are you ok?" Buffy asked, suddenly checking Jeremy for wounds.

"Yeah! Yeah…. I'm fine. I'm ok."

"What did he want?" Elena asked.

"He tried to get me to help him kill Klaus. He wants me to call him and tell him where Klaus's body is being hidden."

"You didn't tell him, did you?"

"I don't even know where Damon is, Elena."

"Don't' snap at your sister." Buffy scolded. "We need to use this, though."

"We could tell him somewhere fake and have Elijah there while Rebekah gets Klaus." Dawn said.

Buffy nodded. "That could work." She turned to look at Elijah. "We could tell Alaric that you and Rebekah took Klaus's body and then you could run."

"Yes." Elijah said.

"We should tell him somewhere out of town, but not too far." Stefan said.

"I know where." Jeremy said.

"Make the call." Buffy said. Jeremy nodded and grabbed his phone. He took a deep breath and dialed Alaric's number.

"Yes?" Alaric answered.

"I know where Klaus's body is." Jeremy said.

"Good. Tell me."

"Damon's on his way to bury him in the woods off route 12. I'll text you with the specifics."

"Thank you, Jeremy. You're doing the right thing for your sister."

Jeremy looked at Elena. "I know." He hung up. "He bought it."

"Good." Buffy said. "Let's just hope this works."

* * *

><p>Buffy sat on the stairs waiting for Stefan. She and Stefan were going out to the woods to wait for Alaric and meet Caroline and Elijah there. Jeremy was going to meet Alaric to show him where to go. Matt and Dawn were going to keep an eye on Elena. Willow had texted Buffy to let her know that Bonnie was coming with her and they were almost to Damon. Damon was holed up in a storage unit on the other side of Richmond, about an hour away.<p>

The doorbell rang and Buffy looked at it in surprise. She got up and opened the door, expecting to see Alaric, but to her surprise it was Angel and Spike. "Hey." Angel said.

"What…. Are you two doing here?" Buffy asked.

"Dawn called us and told us about Alaric."

"We figured you could use a hand." Spike said.

Buffy sighed. "I guess we could in case this plan doesn't work." She stepped back to let Angel and Spike in. Angel walked over the threshold, having been invited in before, but Spike ran into the barrier. "Oh. The kids are busy…. Let's talk outside." She led them out onto the porch and sat down on the swing. Spike sat down next to her and Angel leaned against the wall.

"So, what's the plan?" Angel asked.

"We're turning Klaus's body over to Elijah and Rebekah, but we've set a trap for Alaric." Buffy said. "If this doesn't work…. I hope Rebekah can get Klaus far away."

"Is Klaus the sire of your bloodline? The last time I talked to you, you were trying to figure that out."

"Yes. At least he says he is. You never really know with him."

"I'm sorry about your friend, pet." Spike said, taking her hand.

"Me too." Buffy looked down. "You know, in all this crazy…. I haven't had time to mourn him."

"You will." Angel said.

"Where's Damon?" Spike asked.

"He's got Klaus's body in Richmond waiting for Willow and Bonnie. They're supposed to put a spell on Klaus so no one can find him or see him even if they're standing right next to him. Bonnie did that to the Originals' coffins when we had them."

Stefan opened the door and walked out. "Hey, there you are. Oh…."

"They came to help." Buffy said. "Dawn called them."

"Well, the more on our side, the better." Stefan shook Angel's hand. "I'm sorry about what I did to you that night of Elena's party."

"Thanks." Angel said. "You weren't yourself."

"Where's Elena?" Buffy asked.

"She's upstairs resting."

"Ok." Buffy stood up just as her phone started ringing. "It's Damon." She answered it. "Hey."

"Bonnie and Willow just left. Rebekah should be here soon to pick up the body." Damon said.

"Good. Caroline and Elijah are in place. Jeremy's going to lead Alaric to us."

"You just had to let her make the choice, didn't you?"

Buffy smiled slightly. "Well…. What would you have done?"

"Grabbed her, gagged her, throw her in a well…. I don't know! Anything other than letting her trust Elijah!"

"She'd hate you for it."

"Yeah, but she'd be alive to hate me."

"Yeah." Buffy sighed. "As soon as we get the stake…. Give Rebekah the coffin and come home. Alaric's got half the police looking for Klaus's car."

"Will do. Gotta go. The Original sister's here. See you soon, babe."

"See you soon." Buffy hung up. "Let's go."

"Uh…. I've only got room for us in my car." Stefan said.

"We'll follow." Angel said.

* * *

><p>Buffy, Stefan, Angel, and Spike arrived in the woods where they were supposed to meet Caroline and Elijah. To their surprise, Jeremy was there. "Where's Alaric?" Stefan asked.<p>

"I don't know. He didn't meet me." Jeremy said.

"What?" Buffy asked.

"I don't know!"

Buffy looked at Stefan. "What now?" Just then, her phone started ringing. "Damon?"

"Bad news, baby." Damon said. "Alaric staked Klaus. He's dead."

Buffy looked at Stefan, knowing he'd heard. She took his hand and he pulled her to him, wrapping an arm around her shoulders. Angel and Spike looked at them in confusion. "I feel ok. Do you feel anything?"

"No."

"It took Sage about an hour before she got sick." Stefan said.

"Yeah or Klaus was lying about being the sire of our bloodline."

"Well, if he wasn't lying…. An hour's not enough time to get you back home." Buffy said, tears beginning to fall. "But I can make it. I'm fast."

"Buffy…."

"I'll see you soon." She hung up and looked at Stefan.

He grabbed her into a tight hug. "I love you, Buffy."

"I love you, too, Stefan. Tell Elena I love her and I will always watch over her." Stefan nodded and let her go, kissing her on the forehead before she turned to Angel and Spike. "Thanks for coming."

"What's going on?" Spike asked.  
>"Alaric staked Klaus. I'm leaving to get to Damon before…."<p>

"What if he was lying?" Angel asked, clearly desperate not to let this happen. "Klaus was good at lying."

Buffy shrugged. "If he wasn't, then I'll see you later." She reached up and gently held Angel's face. After a moment, she reached up and kissed him gently. "I'll always love you."

Angel nodded as he held her. "I love you."

"Look after Dawn for me?"

"You know I will." Angel reluctantly let her go, tears falling from his eyes.

Buffy turned to Spike and he pulled her to him in a tight embrace. He couldn't speak because if it was really the end for Buffy, then he didn't know what to say. When he let her go, she disappeared from the clearing.

"Stefan…. Uh…." Jeremy said. "Elena…. She's not at home. Matt and I are getting her out of town."

"It's ok." Stefan said. "It's going to be fine. Klaus was lying. We're all going to be ok."

Elijah and Caroline showed up in the clearing just then. "What happened?" Elijah asked.

"Stefan?" Caroline asked.

* * *

><p>Buffy ran with everything her vampirevampire Slayer speed would offer to get to Damon. If they were going to die, she was going to be in his arms. The trip that should've taken an hour, only took her 35 minutes. The storage unit where Damon had holed up was just ahead of her. She could hear the sounds of a fight behind the building and struggled to push her speed further.

"Damon!" She screamed. "Damon!" When she burst around the corner, Alaric was holding a stake at Damon's heart. Without slowing, she tackled Alaric away from Damon, throwing them both through the concrete wall behind them.

"Buffy!" Damon yelled. Buffy jumped up and rushed over to Damon. He caught her in his arms and held her tightly. "That was fast."

"Yeah." Buffy said.

Damon pulled away and placed a hand on each of her cheeks. "How do you feel? Are you ok?"

She mimicked Damon, holding his face between her hands. "I feel fine. You?"

"The same. Why do we feel fine? Look out!"

Alaric charged them from behind and Damon threw Buffy out of the way. Alaric tackled Damon to the ground, but before he could get the stake near Damon's heart, Buffy grabbed Damon and pulled him away. She blocked Alaric's downward swing with her forearm and shot her other hand out into his chest, sending him skidding back a few feet. He came at her again, but she dodged him, twirling out of the way. He moved towards her again, but he stumbled. "What…." He looked at her in confusion. "Ah!" Buffy caught him as he fell forward. "What's happening?"

"No…." Buffy said, understanding beginning to dawn on her.

"What's happening?" Alaric asked again as he began to desiccate. Buffy and Damon both guided his body to the ground as he faded away.

"Rick?" Buffy shook him as she started to cry. "No. No! Don't be dead. Wake up! Fight me, damn it! Come on, Alaric! You are _not_ dead!" She shook him harder. "Elena! You are not dead! Elena, no! No, no, no, no, no…." She broke down into sobs, shaking like a leaf from head to toe. If she could throw up, she would. "No…. Elena!"

Damon's arms were suddenly around her, rocking her and holding her tightly. She fell into him, sobbing and struggling to breathe. "Shh…."

"Elena…." Buffy cried. Damon buried his face in Buffy's hair, the tears falling and leaving wet streaks where they fell in her strands. The two of them stayed that way for a few long moments, before Buffy surged to her feet. "She's not. She can't be." She searched for her phone, but she'd lost it somewhere. Probably running to make it to Damon.

"Here," Damon said, handing her his phone as he wiped at his face.

Buffy hit Stefan's number over and over, but he never answered. The world started to shrink around Buffy as number after number wasn't answered. "We've got to go to her. We've got…. We've got to…."

"Come on." Damon took her hand and they left, heading for Klaus's SUV.

The ride back was unbearably long, but Meredith sent Buffy a text that Stefan had brought Elena to her at the hospital along with Matt. Angel had called Buffy to let her know that Stefan had texted him and told them that Matt and Elena had been in an accident at Wickery Bridge. He and Spike were headed to the hospital after checking on Dawn, Willow, and Jeremy.

Buffy and Damon burst into the hospital. Damon was barely able to keep up with Buffy. Angel and Spike were standing in the hallway, waiting. Meredith was down the hall a little ways talking to another doctor.

"Elena!" Buffy called. "Elena!" Meredith left her conversation to intercept Buffy and Damon and Angel and Spike rushed down the hall towards them. "Where is she!"

"Buffy…." Angel started.

"Where is she!" Buffy's eyes changed as her anger and fear moved up a notch. Angel and Spike each took an arm to keep Buffy from attacking anyone.

"Buffy, stop! Wait!" Meredith moved in front of Buffy. "You need to know that when Jeremy brought Elena in here earlier tonight, her injuries were worse than I let on. It wasn't a concussion. It was a cerebral hemorrhage. Bleeding on the brain."

Buffy shook her head. "Speak English!"

"He was so worried…. I didn't want to tell him…. I _helped_ her. She needed _my_ help."

The words finally sunk in and Buffy shook her head slowly. "No." Her head moved faster as the words spilled out. "No! This isn't…. No…. She didn't…."

"You…." Damon shook his head too, but it wasn't the frantic motion that Buffy was stuck in. "Oh God…." He focused on Buffy, gently taking her face in his hands and stopping her frantic head shake. Angel and Spike let go of Buffy's arms as she went limp in Damon's arms.

Buffy looked up at Damon, tears streaming down her face as her eyes changed back and she was just a parent scared for her child. "She didn't want this."

* * *

><p><em><strong>AN I'm working on the first entry for Footnotes (the in between moments of this story). I'd still like to know what you guys want to see, so leave a review or send me a message with the moments you want to see. I can't wait to continue this story when Vampire Diaries comes back on in the fall.**_


	62. Chapter 62

_**A/N We're baaaaaack! I tried to get this out fast for you guys. Hope you like it. Remember, I LOVE reviews!**_

* * *

><p>Chapter 62<p>

Buffy sat by Elena's bed watching over her as she stroked the teen's hair. She hadn't stopped crying since she'd found out Elena's fate back at the hospital. She'd wanted Elena to wake up completely in a safe place, so she'd taken Elena home. Stefan had explained everything in the car and Damon had had to pull over when Buffy had tried to rip Stefan's head off. Angel, Spike, and Damon had worked fiercely to get Buffy out of the car and away from Stefan. Luckily for them she'd had her seat belt on and had seemed to forget that fact when she tried to jump in the back seat. It had restrained her just long enough for the other vampires to get a hold of her. Stefan had traded places with Angel to ride with Spike while Angel rode in the car with Buffy, Damon, and Elena.

Angel and Spike were downstairs with Jeremy at the moment. Dawn and Willow had gone to the boarding house to get some things for Buffy. Buffy had told them to get some shut eye while they were there since none of them had gotten any sleep in the last 24 hours. Downstairs, she could hear them moving around and talking. Jeremy was miserable. He was sitting at the table, probably staring angrily at the wooden top, while Spike and Angel paced behind him.

Spike wanted to call in "the witches" to see if there was a way to reverse what had happened to Elena. Angel agreed and then lowered his voice, thinking Buffy couldn't hear him if he did that, and said, "Maybe if they could find a reversal to Elena's transformation…. Maybe it could work for Buffy too. With Klaus gone, she…. She doesn't need to be a vampire anymore. Since they're based on a spell, then maybe that spell can be broken somehow…. Without her dying." Angel had said.

Buffy had to roll her eyes at him.

Damon sat on a chair behind her. Every now and then he would reach out and touch her back or play with her hair. Buffy sighed and looked at Elena, waiting for her to wake up. Stefan sat on the other side of the bed, but Buffy growled at him every time he tried to touch Elena.

This was his fault. He could've saved Elena _and_ Matt. There shouldn't have been a choice. Instead of arguing with Elena, he could've acted. He could've saved them both. Or he could've not listened and saved Elena instead. Sure, she'd be pissed for a while, but at least she'd still be alive. At least she wouldn't be in transition. At least she wouldn't have had her life taken away from her by becoming a vampire!

Just then Elena gasped and sat up. Buffy caught her in her arms, knocking Stefan backwards off the bed. She held tightly to Elena and Elena clung to her out of instinct. Buffy stroked Elena's hair and whispered soothing words to her until she calmed down.

"B…. Buffy?" Elena gasped.

"Shh…. I'm here." Buffy said, still holding Elena. Behind her, Damon had stood up and moved closer to Buffy. Stefan was picking himself up off the floor and Angel and Spike suddenly stood in the doorway.

Elena stayed buried in Buffy's long blonde hair. "What…."

"It's ok. You've been in and out for hours."

"Wha…. What happened?" Elena moved out of Buffy's hair, but stayed grasping to her arms.

"Shh…. You were…. in an accident." Buffy watched as the memory came back to Elena.

"Oh my god! Matt…. Is he…."

"Alive?" Damon finished, glaring at his brother. "Ask Stefan. The hero."

Elena looked at Damon first and then at Stefan. Stefan sighed, "He's fine."

"Thank you." Elena looked at Buffy. "I thought that I…." Buffy looked away and Elena looked at Stefan. "How did you…."

"Save you?" Damon finished again. "He didn't."

Buffy began stroking Elena's hair again, trying to keep Elena calm. "Shh…. When Jeremy brought you to the hospital…. Before…. Your injuries were worse than anyone knew." Elena reached up and took one of Buffy's hands, grasping it tightly. Buffy looked down at their clasped hands, tears springing to her eyes again as she continued. "Meredith Fell…. She made…. A choice…. She…."

"She used my blood to heal you." Damon said, stepping closer and placing his hand on Buffy's back. He took over the explanation since Buffy was starting to cry again. "And when Rebekah ran Matt's truck off the road, you had vampire blood in your system, Elena."

"Oh my god…." Elena began to panic.

"Shh…." Buffy tried to soothe her.

"Does that mean that I…. Am I dead?!" Buffy closed her eyes and hung her head. She worked incredibly hard not to attack Stefan in front of Elena. She was _not_ going to lose control of her emotions in front of Elena. Not now. Elena needed to have a strong role model and no one else but Buffy would fill those shoes. "No! No, no, no…. That wasn't supposed to happen!"

"Maybe it doesn't have to." Stefan said. "I talked to Bonnie…. She said she's stronger than ever. There might be something she can do to help you."

Buffy growled and her eyes started to change, but Damon was there behind her, placing his hands on her shoulders. "No. The only thing that's going to help is for you to feed and complete the transition." He said.

"We have all day before she has to feed, Damon! That's a day to exhaust every possible way out of this."

"There is no way out of it! We all know the drill. You feed or you die. There is no door number three."

"I was ready to die." Elena said. Buffy looked up at her and her heart broke at the pain and fear in Elena's voice. "I was supposed to die! I don't…. I don't wanna be…. I can't be a vampire!"

"Shh…." Buffy soothed.

"If there's something that Bonnie can do, we have to try."

Buffy glanced at Damon and knew that he wasn't happy with that plan. It was gambling with Elena's life, but all Buffy wanted for Elena was for her to be happy and ok. "Ok. If that's what you want." Elena nodded frantically. Damon sighed and walked out, pushing past Spike and Angel.

Stefan glanced at Buffy and Elena and followed Damon. Elena started to cry and Buffy pulled her to her, holding her close as she cried too. Angel and Spike stayed in the doorway. "Is there anything we can do, love?" Spike asked.

"Go to Willow and let her know what's going on." Buffy said. "Tell her I know it's a long shot, but long shots are what we're good at."

"I'll go." Angel said. "Spike's stuck in the house since he doesn't have a daylight ring."

"Now's really not the time to act like petty little kids." Buffy growled. Angel nodded, chastised, and walked out.

"Ponce." Spike muttered. He moved closer to Buffy and took Damon's vacated seat.

"Are you angry?" Elena asked, still buried in Buffy's hair against her shoulder.

"I'm very angry." Buffy said.

Elena sat up. "Why?"

"Because this isn't what you wanted, Elena. You didn't choose this."

"We'll fix it."

Buffy looked down at her hands. "I don't think we will. Damon's right. If we could, Alaric wouldn't be gone."

"That took us by surprise."

"Yes, it did, but so did…."

"We've got time, Buffy. 24 hours."

"I want to be optimistic. I do…. But…. I can't." Buffy stood up. "I'm going to let Jeremy know you're awake." She leaned down and kissed Elena's forehead before turning and walking out. Spike followed her, avoiding the sunlight. At the bottom of the stairs, she turned and looked at him. Spike nodded and just pulled her to him, holding her for a moment.

"I take it she's awake." Jeremy said from the couch. Buffy looked over at him as he stood up. "Damon and Stefan were arguing in the kitchen."

"Yeah." Buffy said, wiping at her tears. "She's up."

"Can I see her?"

"Yeah. Go ahead." Buffy moved out of the way and Jeremy headed upstairs.

Damon came out of the kitchen with a glass of bourbon. He handed it to her and she downed it in one gulp. "Are you ok?"

"I don't like this plan."

"Then give her blood and be done with it."

"I can't."

"Buffy, you know that this isn't going to work!"

"I know. But I can't deal with that fear in her eyes." Buffy paused and then was suddenly gone.

Damon sighed and went to the open study door. She was inside rummaging through her bag. Spike sat down on the stairs as Damon went into the study. "What are you doing, babe?"

Buffy stood up holding the indestructible white oak stake. "There is one thing that will make me feel a little bit better."

"Rebekah might be the sire of our bloodline."

"She's not. Klaus was. I'm not sure why we're not dead, but I am _certain_ that Klaus was the sire of our bloodline."

"I've always trusted your instincts." He walked over and leaned against the desk, facing her. "I'll stay with Elena since you're not too keen on having Stefan around her. Not that I blame you."

"I want you to do it."

"Me?"

"I would love to shove this stake through that bitch's heart, but I won't leave Elena. Not again."

"Buff, I'm not as strong as you. You have the better chance. Besides, she'll be expecting this."

"Damon, if there is anyone that can do it, it's you. You're fast. You're smart. You're sexy."

"I can't argue." He smirked and was happy that Buffy actually smiled.

"She'll expect it to be me. She won't expect it to be you." Damon held his hand out and Buffy handed him the stake. "Thank you."

Damon stood up and pulled her to him. "I am so sorry this is happening."

"I am too." She tipped her head back and he leaned down to kiss her.

After a long moment, Damon pulled back and hid the stake in his boot. "Be back soon." He kissed her quickly and headed out.

"Jeremy just left." Spike said as Buffy came out of the study.

"Where did he go?" Buffy asked.

"To find Bonnie." Spike sighed when Buffy disappeared. "I hate it when she does that."

Upstairs, Buffy had heard a small explosion from Elena's room. The lampshade was on the floor and there were bits of broken light bulb strewn on the desk and floor. Elena was staring at her hand. "Are you ok?" Buffy asked.

"The light…. It was giving me a headache." Elena said.

Buffy nodded. "Heightened senses can be a bitch at first."

"And I'm so hungry."

"I know. That's the first thing I remember when I woke up is how hungry I was. I didn't get to take any blood in for a while."

"Why?"

"Things kept exploding in my hand. New strengths and all."  
>"Will that happen to me?"<p>

"I don't know. Maybe. Maybe not. I'm a special case." Buffy reached out and looped Elena's hair behind her ear. "Come on. I'll fix you a sandwich."

Elena took Buffy's hand and followed her downstairs. Stefan was standing at the back door staring outside. He turned and looked at them, but stayed where he was. Elena sat down at the island and watched Buffy work.

"How are you feeling?" Stefan asked.

"I'm…. Ok." Elena said. She turned to look at Stefan. "Why are you over there?"

"Caution."

"I won't kill you while she's in the room." Buffy said, her back still turned.

"Kill Stefan?" Elena asked. "I thought you two were friends again."

"Not at the moment." Stefan said. He cautiously moved closer to Elena, but stopped when Buffy turned around and handed Elena a turkey sandwich with cheese, mayo, lettuce, and tomato.

"Looks delicious." Elena said. She picked it up and took a small bite. Her face said it all.

Buffy smiled. "It's gross."

"No, it's…. Um…."

"You don't have to be nice. It's repulsive."

"Yeah. I'm going to puke!" Elena grabbed a napkin and spit the food out. Buffy discarded the napkin and turned back to Elena. Stefan was leaning against the counter closest to the back door. Buffy decided to ignore him and leaned down to rest her elbows on the island in front of Elena. "I never thought I'd be saying this, but I…. I can't stop thinking about blood."

"I should have saved you first." Stefan said. "You shouldn't be going through this right now." Buffy snorted her agreement.

"No. If you'd saved me…." Elena looked at Buffy. "If Stefan had saved me, then Matt would be dead. What do you guys think I'd be going through then?" Buffy looked at Elena and sighed. "Stefan did the right thing." She looked at Stefan. "You did what you always do. You respected my choice."

"What am I supposed to do if Bonnie and Willow can't figure out a way to help you?" Buffy snapped. "You've only got two choices. You either let yourself die or you finish your transition."

"Then we'll cross that bridge when we come to it." Elena chuckled. "Oh my god…. Did I just say 'cross that bridge'?" She started to full on laugh.

"You're laughing." Stefan said. "I'm pretty sure you don't actually think that's funny."

"I can't…. I can't stop, though."

"Your emotions are a bit heightened today." Stefan glanced at Buffy as Elena kept laughing.

"A lot heightened." Buffy said. Elena's laughter started to turn into sobbing and Buffy moved over to her, wrapping her arms around her. "Shh…." She started to cry with Elena. "It's ok."

Stefan gently touched Elena's hair and accidentally brushed Buffy's hand. Buffy looked up at him and couldn't sustain her anger at him any longer. She just needed her brother to hold her too. Stefan nodded and wrapped his arms around both girls as they cried.

"I'm sorry." Elena said.

"Shh…." Buffy pulled back and looked at Elena. "Listen, no matter what happens…. I'm here for you. We all are."

Elena nodded and moved back a little. The sun hit her in her face and she cringed. "Why don't you go back upstairs where it's dark?" Stefan suggested. "I'll clean up." Elena nodded again and headed upstairs.

Buffy looked up at Stefan. "I'm sorry."

Stefan shrugged. "It's ok. I understand. I would've attacked me too."

"I shouldn't have tried to kill you. I guess I'm still relatively new to this vampire thing, too."

Stefan pulled her to him and hugged her tightly. "We'll get through this."

Spike walked in. "Glad to see you two made up. Angel just called. He said Willow and Bonnie are going through their witch books now."

"Ok." Buffy said.

"And Dawn is headed back to New York."

"Wait, what!?"

"She said she needed to get back to school before she flunked out and if she told you she'd planned on doing it, you would've stopped her."

"Because she knows it's not safe!"

"Listen, pet, Dawn's a big girl. If she gets in trouble, she knows how to handle herself."

Buffy noticed that he had a blanket. "What are you doing?"

"I'm following Dawn to New York to make sure she doesn't get into trouble. Lucky for me, Angel left his car."

"You're stealing Angel's car?" Stefan asked.

"It has those nice windows that block the bad UVs." Spike shrugged. "Call me if you need me."

Buffy hugged Spike tightly and kissed his cheek. "Thanks for coming."

"Didn't do much. But you're welcome." Spike waved at Stefan and then dove out the back door under the cover of the blanket.

"I'm going to go check on Elena."

"Ok. I'll clean up." Stefan said.

Buffy walked out and just as she was about the turn to the stairs the front door burst open and men with guns walked in, pointing them at her. "They're wooden." A man in a priest outfit said. Behind her, Stefan was led in at gunpoint by more men.

"Buffy?" Elena asked, walking down the stairs.

"Don't move, Elena." Buffy warned. One of the men moved behind her and stabbed her in the back of the neck with a needle. The burning sensation of vervain water washed through her veins and she growled at the pain, her eyes changing and her fangs dropping. One of the men panicked and shot her twice in the stomach. The pain of the wooden bullet and the vervain water was too much and the world went dark.

* * *

><p>When Buffy woke up, she almost immediately wished she hadn't. She was in a barn from the smell, lying on the floor of one of the stalls. Someone had turned the door of the stall into a prison cell door. The thing that sucked was the fans sitting behind bushels of vervain. It circulated the plant around the cell. It burned down her throat and up her nose and down into her lungs. It made her limbs feel heavy and useless. She let out a cough and sat up.<p>

"Good. Someone I like to talk to."

Buffy looked at the cell across from her to find Rebekah. She was sitting up with a blood stained top. "Too bad I hate you, huh?" Buffy coughed again. She looked around and spotted Stefan lying in the cell next to Rebekah's. He was coughing and looked a lot worse off. "Stefan?"

"I'm ok." He said. "You?"

"I have to look at this bitch."

"It's not nice to call me names." Rebekah said.

Buffy tried to stand up, but the vervain made her feel weak. "Where are we?"

"I don't know." Stefan said.

"Stefan, you really don't look ok." Buffy coughed again.

"It's the vervain."

"Why isn't it affecting me as bad?"

"Because you're like me." Rebekah said. "You became a vampire to be like me, remember? Bet you're regretting that decision."

"And I'm regretting sending Damon to kill you. Should've just done it myself." Buffy's eyes widened. "Damon! Damon!" She called.

"He's not here. He ran off just before they got me."

Buffy let out a relieved sigh and regretted it when she sucked in more vervain air. Then she panicked again. "Where's Elena?"  
>"She's in the cell next to you." Stefan said. "She's unconscious."<p>

"What did they do to her?"

"I don't know. They knocked me out with you."

"She wasn't in here the whole time." Rebekah said. "They just brought her in a few minutes ago." Buffy and Stefan exchanged worried looks, but Stefan's attention was suddenly on the cell next to Buffy. Elena must've moved. "Stefan?" Elena asked weakly.

"I'm here." Stefan said.

"What…."

"I thought I killed you." Rebekah said.

"Where am I?" Elena asked.

"They thought you were a vampire so they stuck you in here with us."

"Where's Buffy?"

"I'm here." Buffy said. She leaned against the wall that connected her cell with Elena's. "Are you ok?"  
>"Buffy, I didn't feed." Her voice sounded so weak.<p>

"Ah! I see what's going on here." Rebekah said. "You died with vampire blood in your system and you didn't feed and now you're locked up in here without a drop of human blood in sight. That is a problem."

"Just ignore the vapid bitch in cell two." Buffy said.

"Has anyone done the math, or shall I? I'd say you've got less than three hours to feed before I get to watch you die all over again. My day just got a whole lot better."

Buffy growled at Rebekah, but ended up coughing from the vervain. Elena started tugging on the door of her cell, but she wasn't strong enough to open it. "Save your strength, Elena." Buffy said.

Elena settled down and leaned against the wall. "Where's Damon?"

"He's not here. He got away."

"He'll find us."

Buffy smiled slightly. "Of course he will."

"What about Angel? And Spike?"

"I don't know. Angel was with Bonnie and Willow. Spike left just before we got taken."

"Why did the Council come after us?"

"Your stupid history teacher ratted all of us out to them." Rebekah said.

"Alaric was busy before he killed your brother." Buffy said. Rebekah just smirked, which made Buffy uneasy about her feeling that Klaus may not have actually died in that coffin. If that was true, he was going to be royally pissed at her and would probably come seeking revenge. Buffy sighed and started fiddling with her nails. The less she breathed, the better, so she tried to concentrate on other things. They were all silent for a long time. Buffy listened for Elena's breathing and every time she noticed it getting weaker or she heard a wheeze, her heart broke and the fear for Elena spiked.

"Elena?" Stefan asked.

Buffy looked over at Stefan, but he was looking at Elena. "What's wrong?" Buffy asked.

"Something's happening." Elena said.

"She's standing up, but it's like she's being…. Pulled." Stefan said. Elena gasped and there was a clang.

"Elena?" Buffy asked, panicked. "What happened?"

"I'm out of time." Elena said. "I need blood. I'm dying."

Stefan struggled to a standing position. "Hey! Anyone!? Hey!"

"Will you shut up!?" Rebekah said.

"You think we're afraid of you?"

"Stefan…." Buffy started. She was cut off by a man in a Kevlar vest walking in with his hand on his gun holster.

"You want more vervain?" The man demanded of Stefan. "Keep it down."

"Listen to me…." Stefan said. "Elena's gonna die if you don't let her out of here."

The man glanced back at Elena. "Sorry. Not my problem."

"She's innocent. Let her out." Buffy pleaded, pulling herself up. The man's attention was drawn to her and Buffy sped over closer to him. He panicked and shot her in the shoulder.

"Stop!" Elena begged.

Buffy growled at the man, but she didn't go down. She smirked and yanked at the bars, but the man shot her again. This time, he hit her in the hip and she did go down. "Won't be down here long."

"Your boyfriend will be here soon enough and then we'll take you out." The man said, marching out.

Buffy sighed. That was their plan. That was why they were still alive. And Rebekah was still alive to lure her siblings. She rolled her eyes and moved over to sit against the wall connecting her and Elena's cells. "You should pull those out." Rebekah said. "They'll heal wrong."

"Thanks." Buffy said. She gritted her teeth and dug the bullets out of her hip and shoulder. When she finished, she noticed Elena's breathing was weaker. "Elena?"

"Yeah…." Elena said. She sounded so distant. "I'm ok."

"No, you're not. I can hear your breathing. And Stefan looks beyond panicked."

"Damon was right." Stefan said. "You should've fed this morning. I'm so sorry."

"Don't be." Elena rasped. "You had hope. That's all I ever wanted you to have. And you had it."

"I love you so much."

"Do you know why I was even on that bridge? I was coming back for you, Stefan. Because I love you. No matter what happens…. It's the best choice I ever made. And Buffy?"

"Yeah?" Buffy asked, fighting the tears.

"Thank you so much for being the mother and friend and sister I needed."

Buffy turned and placed her hand on the wall. "Please don't talk like this."

"If I don't feed…."

"You will." Buffy made a choice. It was a choice that she would regret at some point in her eternal life, but right here and now…. She wasn't going to lose Elena. Buffy heard a car outside and knew it was Damon.

"Rebekah…."

"I want her to die." Rebekah said.

"I don't care what you want. She needs to feed and I need your help."

"Why should I help you?"

There was a gunshot outside and Buffy fought hard not to panic. "Because we were friends once. And despite you trying to kill Elena…. You're not half bad."

Rebekah glared at her. "Key word…. _Were_ friends. You sent your boyfriend to kill me."

"I was angry. I'll get over it if you help me just this once."

"What are you doing?" Stefan asked.

"Getting Elena some blood."

Two men entered with more vervain. They went further down the aisle to another cell and the man from before said, "I got this. Bring the other one in."

Buffy looked at Rebekah and pleaded with her eyes. Rebekah rolled her eyes. "Excuse me! Hello? Sir?" She started to cough.

"I thought I told you to shut up?"

"Here's the thing…. My family…. We have money…. Castles, apartments, jewelry…. Just name your price and let me out."

"I'd much rather watch you die."

Rebekah vamped and rushed at the bars of the cage. The man backpedaled straight into Buffy's waiting arms. "Buffy!" Stefan cried just as she bashed the man's head against the bars. Her strength was so great that it only took her one strike and the back of the man's head was gone, crushed, and blood oozed out. She dropped the body to the floor within reach of Elena.

"Elena!" Buffy called, banging her hand against the wall. "Wake up! Come on!" She moved to where she could see the man's head and a moment later, Elena's hand flopped out of the cage.

"Reach, baby." Stefan said. "Come on."  
>Buffy couldn't take it anymore and she yanked at the iron bars, coughing the whole time, until they bent and then she yanked again and was suddenly free. She yanked Elena's cage open and moved her closer to the body. Elena groaned and sucked at the wound Buffy created in the man's wrist. Buffy yanked open Stefan and Rebekah's cages and then dashed out to find Damon. He was laying on the ground, unconscious, and two men were pointing guns at him. She growled and attacked. Damon popped up suddenly and took on one while Buffy yanked her man off his feet and into the air. Without thinking, letting the rage at these fools take her over, she pulled him to her and buried her teeth in his neck, ripping his throat out.<p>

"Buffy." Damon said gently. Buffy dropped the dead man and turned to Damon. Her eyes changed back and she hugged him tightly. "Elena….?" He asked.

"She fed. She's ok." Buffy kissed him, not wanting to let him go. She eased up a little when she heard a groan behind her and turned to find Matt lying on the ground. _That_ was the last person she wanted to see. Without thinking, the rage taking her over once again, she attacked Matt, hauling him off the ground by his neck. Suddenly Elena was there, pulling her away. Her fangs were out and her eyes had changed. It pained Buffy to see them and that helped the fury subside a little.

"Leave him alone!" She cried. Buffy took a deep breath as Elena told Matt to go see Stefan. "What is wrong with you? You were going to kill him!"

"Yeah." Buffy said.

"It's not his fault."

"I know that! It's yours. But it doesn't stop me from being pissed off that he gets to have a normal life while you're stuck as a vampire for the rest of eternity!"

"It was my choice to save him!" Elena switched tactics and calmed down. "If it had been you on that bridge and not Stefan…. And I begged you to save Matt…."

"I would've saved you, Elena."

"And Matt would be dead because you couldn't let go. Matt would be dead!"

"But _you_ wouldn't be! You would have gotten to grow up. You would've had the life that you deserved. That is all I've ever wanted for you." Buffy grasped Elena's shoulders. "You are the closest thing to a daughter I will ever have. And when it comes to you, I will always be selfish. Always."

All the fight went out of Elena and she hugged Buffy tightly. They stood there for a long moment just holding each other. Buffy was so happy that Elena wasn't dead. She had been completely devastated when Alaric had died and she'd known exactly what that meant. But on the flip side, she was so sad that Elena had to live out her days as a vampire. It was a life she had never wanted and now it was forced on her.

"Let's get home." Damon said. "We've got a war to prepare for."

"War?" Elena asked.

"The Council. Alaric outted us and now they're out for our heads. We need a game plan."

"He's right." Buffy said.

"I'll go get Stefan and Matt." Elena rushed off using her newly acquired vampire speed.

* * *

><p>Damon walked into his and Buffy's bedroom carrying two glasses of bourbon. She was sitting on the bed, curled up against the headboard, and reading on her Kindle. Elena was on the roof with Stefan. They'd been there most of the night. Angel was back in his old room since Spike had stolen his car. He'd spent the day hiding in the woods to keep away from the Council members when they'd raided the Salvatore house. Willow had called and said she was staying with Bonnie because Bonnie had been punished by the spirits for messing with dark magic to try and save Elena. Since Willow was the expert in visiting the dark side of the magic force, she was the only one who could help Bonnie deal.<p>

"Here," Damon handed Buffy a glass and she took it without looking. He watched her for a minute, but she was as still as a statue. Only her eyes moved as she read. "Good book?"

"Mm." Was all she said. No movement.

"Are you ok?"

She read for another second before looking up at him. "Yes." And then she went back to reading. Damon sighed and sat down. He took the Kindle away from her and set it behind him. "Hey! I was on the last chapter of _Mockingjay_!"

"Buff, are you ok?"

"I'm fine. Why?"

"Well, you killed not one but two humans today. Your first human kills ever."

"I know."

"And you're ok with that?"

Buffy shrugged. "I'm not ok with killing innocent humans." From Damon's expression, she figured he was waiting for an elaboration. "Those people weren't innocent. They tossed us in animal stalls and tortured us with vervain. They were going to kill us. They were just going to let Elena die. They were animals."

"They were still human."

"Ok, maybe I shouldn't have ripped that second guy's throat out the way I did, but I'm still relatively new to this vampire thing. It's only been a few months. My emotions still get the best of me sometimes." She looked up at Damon. "Honestly…. It actually worries me more that killing those men _doesn't_ bother me."

Damon smiled slightly. "You're a vampire, Buffy. Killing is in your nature. Letting your emotions run away with you can lead you to some fun places."

"Yeah, the last time I let them lead me to a fun place, I nearly killed you _while_ we were having sex."

"I told you…. I enjoyed it." He reached out and gently held her face in his hands. "You can't suppress your vampire side. It'll drive you insane. You don't have to kill everyone you come across, but you really shouldn't feel bad for _not_ feeling bad about ripping out a guy's throat when he was threatening you or someone you love. You just have to find your balance."

"We haven't exactly had time to work on that."

"We've been a little busy. Don't worry. We've got eternity to work on making you a good little vampire." He smirked and ran a hand up her leg. "And speaking of getting busy…." Damon pulled on her leg and she slid under him, laughing.


	63. Chapter 63

Chapter 63

Buffy shrugged and kept washing the dishes. "I'm just saying…. Damon's right. We both need to learn more about our vampire nature and how to control it. Which includes feeding off humans. Not Bambi."

"Please don't use that reference." Elena groaned.

"Sorry. I don't like it much either." Buffy took a deep breath and set the glass in the dishwasher.

"I don't want to let Stefan down."

"I know he's big on the animal blood thing, but I think it's better to stick with human."

"Have you tried animal blood?"

"Once. It was disgusting. And it was a bunny, so all I could think about was that I was eating Thumper. I cried for an hour. Damon found it all hysterical."

"I'm sure he did." Elena stood up. "Tell you what…. I'll let Stefan take me out for this hunting trip and see how it goes. If it doesn't work out, I'll…. try it Damon's way."

"Sounds fair." Buffy sighed and rolled her eyes. "I swear…." She turned and walked out of the kitchen. Elena followed her. Upstairs, Buffy had heard Stefan and Damon arguing. They were in each other's faces and about to come to blows. "Cool it. Both of you. Elena's going to try the animal blood diet. If it doesn't work, we'll explore other options."

"I say rip off the proverbial Band-Aid and let it bleed." Damon said. "You're a vampire, Elena. Be a vampire."

Stefan picked up his backpack. "Ready to go?" He asked Elena.

"Vampires eat people. It's part of the natural food pyramid. Trust me…. You're going to be miserable."

"Damon, please…." Buffy walked over to him and wrapped herself in his arms, waving Elena and Stefan out of the room. "Leave her alone, ok? Just let her try it Stefan's way." He looked ready to protest, so she threw in, "You've got all weekend to work on me."

Damon smirked. "When you put it that way…." He pulled her to him and leaned down to kiss her.

"Don't let me interrupt." Angel said behind them. Damon growled and Buffy rolled her eyes. "Where are they going?"

"Hunting." Damon said, walking out of the room.

"What's his problem?" Angel asked.

"He thinks that Stefan trying to teach Elena how to live off animal blood is a waste of time."

"What about you?"

Buffy shrugged. "I agree with Damon. I think it's best to start her off on human blood. Get her used to it so she doesn't go crazy Ripper vampire on us."

"Like Stefan did."

"Exactly."

"I can see Damon's point."

"That's a first."

"Won't happen again." Angel smirked. "I just came to say bye."

"You're leaving?"

"Yeah. It's still not easy to watch you be with him."

"I know." Buffy sighed. "A part of me feels like apologizing and another part of me wants to beat the snot out of you."

"Which part is winning?"

"The other part that says to give you a hug and let you go."

"That sounds like the grown up thing to do."

She reached up and wrapped her arms around his neck. "Thank you for coming. It's really meant a lot to me. I was glad that I had the chance to say a real goodbye to you."

"Even though you didn't die."

"Which is a first."

Angel chuckled. "Don't ever hesitate to call if you need me. I'll always come running."

"I know you will." She kissed his cheek and let him go. "I'll walk you out."

He let her walk out the door first and then caught up to her. "Is Elena going to be ok?"

"In time. She never wanted this, so it's difficult on her."

"Well, she's got a good mentor."

"Stefan?"

"You."

"No…. I'm just as new at this as she is."

"You seem like you've got it down."

"I haven't really had time to explore the whole vampire thing. I spent the first few weeks breaking everything I touched. I've only ever really drank from blood bags, so I haven't got the eating but not killing thing down. The speed and superpowers are about the only thing I've sort of figured out. And that's because I already had them down before."

"You're doing great."

"Thanks."

Angel headed towards his rental car. "Bye, Buffy."

"Bye." Buffy shut the door after Angel drove off and headed into the living room. Damon was standing by the liquor cabinet debating which drink he wanted. "Pour me one, too?"

"What do you want?" Damon asked.

"Whatever you're having." Buffy sat down on the couch and turned around to face him. "So…. Not to quote a bad 80s song, but I think we're alone now."

Damon paused and listened to the silence. "That hasn't happened in a long time."

"I think we should lock the doors and windows, shut all the curtains, and settle in for the weekend."

"Actually…." Damon came over to sit next to her and handed her a glass of bourbon. "That's not a bad idea. Let's order Chinese and watch some horror movies. Maybe tomorrow we can head up to Richmond and go shopping. Add to that bracelet I got you for your birthday."

"Ok. As long as we're back before Stefan and Elena."

"Deal." Damon clinked his glass against hers.

* * *

><p>Buffy and Damon walked into the Grill after driving back into town from Richmond. Liz had called and asked if they would meet her before they went home. She wasn't anywhere in sight, so they headed up to the bar. Damon looked at the seats with a sad look in his eyes.<p>

"Are you ok?" Buffy asked.

"I'm fine." Buffy started to sit down in the chair to Damon's left that Alaric had usually occupied. "Buff…."

"Oh." She nodded. "Ok. I get it." She stood up and moved to the seat on Damon's right, removing her leather jacket and draping it across the seat back.

"What do you get?"

Liz walked up just then and started to sit down in the seat Buffy had just vacated. "I wouldn't." Buffy said. "Come over here, Liz."

Liz looked confused, but did as Buffy said. She tossed down a newspaper in front of Buffy and Damon as she moved to Buffy's empty side. Damon held it up and read the headline. "'Faulty gas line leads to tragic explosion at Young farm.'" He set the paper down. "Really?"

"Better than 'Town Council blown up. Police have no suspects.'" Liz said. "Unless the perpetrator is right next to his fiancée."

"Well, don't look at me. I always take credit for killing people." Liz continued to stare at Damon.

"Seriously, Liz? Damon didn't do this." Buffy said.

Damon put down his drink. "If I was going to kill twelve people, I wouldn't blow them up. I'd have a dinner party." He laughed at his own joke.

"The explosion was sparked from inside. This wasn't an accident." Liz said.

"You say that like it's a bad thing. The Council's dead, Liz. I see that as a win."

"I've known some of the Council since I was a kid. They were my friends."

"I have to say that I'm with Damon on this." Buffy said. "It's sad that so many people died, but your friends tried to kill your daughter. They tortured Stefan, Elena, and myself. They shot Damon. They…."

"Ok! I get it."

Damon noticed a tall, dark man approaching. "Who's the new guy?"

"Excuse me, Sheriff." The man said. "Hi, um, I was wondering if I could speak to you for a minute about the explosion at the Young farm."

"I'm sorry, Mr…?" Liz asked.

"Oh, Connor Jordan." Connor held his hand out to her. He was wearing fingerless black gloves. Buffy noticed the gloves and was instantly suspicious. It wasn't cold outside and he didn't look like a bodybuilder. Plus the gloves had a funky smell. Not the usual leather smell they should've had.

Liz took his hand and shook it. "Are you with the insurance investigators?"

"No, no, I'm more of an independent contractor." Connor looked at Damon and Buffy. "Can we speak in private?"

"Sure."

"Thanks." Connor walked away.

Liz looked at Buffy and Damon and followed Connor. "Nice to meet you too, Mr. Busy Body Guy." Buffy watched Connor leave. He moved way too smoothly for a normal human. He was human, though. She could sense it. "I see the wheels in your head turning. What's up?"

Buffy looked at Damon. "He's fishy."

"You think?" She shot him a glare. "Yes. He's releasing weirdo vibes into the wild. But who isn't these days?"

Buffy's cell phone started ringing. "It's Elena."

"Better answer it. She's probably gagging from Bambi blood and needs our help."

Buffy rolled her eyes and answered her phone. "Hey. How was the hunting trip?"

"Uh…. It didn't go so good. I'm having some adjustment issues." Elena said.

"Everything ok?"

"Not really. Where are you?"

"I'm at the Grill. Why? Where are you?"

"At your house. Oh, I gotta go. Stefan's coming. I'll meet you there in a little bit." Elena hung up.

"Was I right?" Damon asked.

"Possibly." Buffy looked at her phone for a minute. "She doesn't want to talk in front of Stefan."

"Why?"

"She said she's having adjustment issues."

"See? Gagging on Bambi blood."

"Damon!"

"Have a drink and wait for your baby vamp to get here."

* * *

><p>It was just past sundown when Elena walked up to Buffy and Damon at the bar. "Did you do it?" She asked Damon as she began to sit down.<p>

"That seat's taken." Damon said.

"But there's no one here."

"Well, I'm just going to pretend like there's someone there, because the alternative is just too damn depressing."

"What?"

"Just go with it." Buffy said. "Where's Stefan?"

"Sitting at home." Elena moved over to sit next to Buffy. "I told him I would come talk to Damon." She looked at him. "Did you set off the explosion that killed the Town Council?"

"Am I wearing my 'I Blew Up The Council' t-shirt? Why does everybody keep asking me that?"

"Liz left Stefan a voicemail earlier. So did you?"

"No. He didn't." Buffy said. "So, you're away from Stefan. What's wrong?" Elena hesitated. "Elena?"

"I can't keep any of the animal blood down."

"Well, there's a shock." Damon said.

"Damon!" Buffy groaned. "Chill."

"I think I need your guys' help."

"Of course you do." Damon said. "Pick your meal. You've got Asian fusion. Mexican. What about some good old American comfort food?"

"No. No, no human blood. Stefan's right, I have to at least try to get through this without hurting anyone."

Damon finished his drink and got up. "Fine, come on." He grabbed both Elena's and Buffy's arms and drug them behind him. They entered the bathroom together and he closed and locked the door.

"What are you doing?" Buffy asked. Damon lifted her hand to his mouth and bit it. "Ow!"

Damon held Buffy's bleeding hand to Elena. "Drink."

"What?" Both girls asked.

"You're a new vampire, Elena. You need warm blood from the vein. Maybe this will do the trick. Or not." Elena stared at the blood on Buffy's hand uncertainly. "Elena, just drink."

"It can't hurt." Buffy said, looking at her healed hand. There was still a pool of blood there.  
>"Are you sure?" Elena asked.<p>

Buffy sighed and took her hand away from Damon. She bit her hand to open the wound again and held it out to Elena. Elena looked down at her hand. She hesitated and then grabbed Buffy's hand in hers and started to drink. She closed her eyes and laid her head on Buffy's shoulder as she continued to drink.

Damon moved over to Elena. "Ok, baby vamp. Time to let go." He tugged on her and Elena let go.

"How do you feel?" Buffy asked, smoothing Elena's hair out.

"Better." Elena said. "Thank you."

"Come on. Let's go get some rest. We've got that memorial tomorrow."

"I promised I would help set up for it."

"I remember that I also promised that I would come with you."

"Are you sure? You don't have to."

"I'm sure. Someone's gotta look out for you and since there's a piece of paper floating around out there that says I'm your legal guardian, I guess it's going to be me." Buffy smiled and wrapped an arm around Elena's shoulders. "Let's get you home."

* * *

><p>Matt and Elena were laying out memorial pamphlets on the rows of benches in the Mystic Falls Church. Buffy was up front talking with Carol about the incident that happened with Tyler the night before. Apparently the new guy in town had shot Tyler with wooden bullets. Tyler had gone to the Salvatore house for help, but Buffy, Damon, and Elena had missed it since they had stayed at Elena's. Stefan had been the only one home.<p>

"Buffy, this man is dangerous." Carol said. "He's after Tyler and he could come after you and Damon and Stefan."

"I know." Buffy said. "Tyler is welcome to stay at the boarding house until this is resolved."

"I'm really worried about this. He's human. He could just walk right in without an invitation and…."

"He would be an idiot to walk into a house full of vampires. And he doesn't sound like an idiot."

"I just hope you know what you're doing."

"Trust me, Carol. I've been a Vampire Slayer a long time. This guy doesn't have anything I haven't seen before." Buffy smiled and squeezed Carol's hand. She walked over and caught up to Elena as she made her way over to a dark haired girl sitting alone in the front pew. "Who's that?"

"That's April Young. She's the Pastor's daughter." Elena explained.

"The torturous prick that wanted to kill us?"

"He was still her dad."

Buffy shrugged. "Sorry. Daddy issues." She followed Elena over to April and stayed standing as Elena sat down.

"Hey there." Elena said.

"Hey. Long time, no see." April said. "Not since…."

"My parent's funeral."

"Yeah."

"April, this is Buffy. She's mine and Jeremy's legal guardian."

"Hi." April shook Buffy's hand. "I've heard nothing but good things about you."

"From who?" Buffy asked.

"Jeremy. And Matt. I saw them earlier at school when I went to enroll."

Elena hugged April. "Are you gonna survive this?"

"They want me to speak. I guess all the kids who lost somebody can. What am I supposed to say? I'm sorry my dad didn't fix the gas line? But, if I don't say anything then…. I mean, what if nobody does? My dad and I didn't always get along or anything but, everybody still deserves to have nice things said about them at their own funeral, you know? I mean, for my mom's funeral, everybody said these really nice things."

"You say what you want to say or you don't say anything at all. And don't worry about your dad, everyone in this town loved him."

"Yeah." April started to choke up. "Until two days ago."

"Even still." Elena took her hand to comfort her.

Buffy noticed Elena's sudden fascination with April's wrist and the light sheen of sweat on her skin as the bloodlust started to rise. Time to intervene. "I'm sorry, but I really need to steal Elena away." Buffy took Elena's hand and pulled her towards the side door.

"Bathroom!" Elena cried suddenly.

Buffy got Elena into the bathroom just as she started to throw up blood. Quick thinking by Buffy got Elena to the toilet and most of the blood in the bowl. Unfortunately it splattered and landed on Buffy's emerald green dress and Elena's pink dress. "Come on." Buffy helped her to stand up. Elena walked over to the sink and suddenly threw up more blood. Buffy managed to get Elena's hair out of the way in the nick of time. Elena looked at Buffy in the mirror and breathed heavily, tears starting to fall. She noticed the blood staining Buffy's clothes and her own. There was blood dripping down her chin. Elena began to get upset and started to panic. "Shh…." Buffy hugged Elena tightly. "Calm down. It's ok. We'll clean this up and get Damon here with new clothes for both of us." Elena started to sob and all Buffy could do was hold her.

* * *

><p>Elena and Buffy worked on cleaning the blood she'd thrown up. It was all over the sink, the mirror, the floor, the wall, and it was dripping down the side of the toilet Buffy was on the phone with Damon. "I'm here. Where are you?" Damon asked.<p>

"We're in the basement bathroom." Buffy said. The knob on the door started rattling and turning. Buffy and Elena exchanged looks, stopping their cleaning, before they both looked at the door. "Is that you at the door?"

"Not yet."

"Sorry, there's someone in here!" Buffy called. She had a feeling that it was that Connor guy that had shot Tyler. "Damon, hurry." She hissed into the phone.

Elena turned on the water and continued to clean up the blood on the floor and toilet. Buffy hung up the phone and started cleaning the sink and the mirror. Out in the hall, Damon walked down the stairs with new dresses for Buffy and Elena to change into. Connor was sitting on a couch in an open room at the end of the little hallway. Damon spotted him and stopped outside the bathroom door. "You again. Stalking small town funerals?"

Buffy opened the bathroom door and took the dress bag from Damon. "Thank you, sweetie." She kissed him quickly, keeping her blood stained front turned towards him, and then glanced over at Connor. "Sorry, I am such a klutz! I walked right into Elena and spilled coffee all over our dresses!" Connor stood up and moved towards them. "We'll be right out." She kissed Damon again and shut the door. Damon leaned against it and looked over at Connor.

"We haven't met. I'm Connor Jordan." He held his hand out for Damon to shake.

Damon just looked at him. "Damon. Germophobe." He looked at the door. "Everything ok in there?"

"Yeah, just a minute!" Buffy called as Elena placed all of the bloody tissues into a canvas bag.

Damon looked back at Connor. "So, what brings you to Mystic Falls? Bible salesman?"

"No, actually I'm in environmental clean-up." Connor said.

"Oh."

"Heard you had a bit of a pollution problem."

"Huh, well…. I was unaware. I breathe pretty easy."

Buffy opened the door and Elena came out of the bathroom first. Damon stepped out of the way and Buffy came out, wrapping an arm around Damon's waist and snuggling against him. She smiled politely at Connor. "I'm so sorry that took so long."

"No problem." Connor said.

"Well, enjoy your stay." Damon said. "We love visitors and the scenery is to die for." He gasped and put his hand to his mouth. "Funeral pun. Too soon. Sorry."

Buffy smiled tightly and placed her free hand on Elena's shoulder blade. "Come on, Elena. The memorial's starting soon." She and Damon led Elena up the stairs and then outside.

"Did you bring the blood bag?" Elena asked.

"Would you mind saying that a little louder?" Damon hissed as the three of them ducked behind a large tree. "Here." He handed her the blood bag from the clothes bag and she took it. Her hands were shaking as she ripped the top open and began to drink. She started to feel sick again and spit the blood back out.

Buffy took the bag back from her and set it on the ground. "No, I can't. It tastes like…. What's wrong with me?" Elena cried.

Buffy gently wiped the blood off of Elena's chin. "I don't know. Maybe it's your doppelganger blood. Maybe you're rejecting the transition."

"I'm dying, aren't I?"

"No! You are not dying."

"You just need to drink from the vein." Damon said.

"No. No, I don't…. I can't risk killing anyone, Damon. Maybe I'm better off dead."

Buffy grabbed Elena by the shoulders and shook her slightly. "Don't you dare think like that. Elena, you'll be fine. Ok?" The church bells began ringing.

"I have to get back inside." Elena said. She hugged Buffy quickly and then walked back towards the church. Damon picked up the blood bag and put it back in the clothing bag. He looked at Buffy's worried face as she watched Elena walk away.

"What's in the bag, Damon?" Stefan asked, walking up to them.

"Mid-service snack. Church always gets me hungry." Damon said. "The whole blood Christ thing, you know." Stefan glared at him. "I brought it for Elena."

"Are you really that intent on having your way?"

"It's not my way, it's the only way."

"Stop!" Buffy said.

"If she hurts someone, she'll be desperate to turn the guilt off." Stefan said. "Maybe even desperate enough to shut off her humanity."

"What, and become a Ripper?" Damon snapped.

"I can't let her be anything like me."

"Well, God forbid, she's anything like me. That's really what you're thinking. She's gonna go off the rails eventually, anyways, Stefan, so the faster we can make it happen, the sooner we can get her back on track."

"She's strong. If we help her, she can survive this." Stefan said.

"She's starving, Stefan!" Buffy blurted. "She hasn't been able to keep blood down for days."

"What are you talking about?" Stefan asked. "She told me she was fine."

"She lied. Animal blood makes her sick. Blood bags make her sick. She can't even keep my blood down."

"She drank from you?"

"Yes. She drank from me. She needs to try human blood from the vein, Stefan. I know you don't like that idea, but right now…. It's the only option."

Damon smirked at Stefan and followed Buffy to his car. She sighed and leaned against it as he tossed the bag in the trunk. "Hey," He took her hands and squeezed them gently. "Elena's going to be fine. We'll get her a neck to chew on and she won't be sick anymore."

"I'm just really worried about her. I didn't react this way to other blood sources."

"You were probably right about her doppelganger blood rejecting anything non-human."

"That blood bag was human blood."

"But it's not fresh from the vein. You know how much different that is." While in Richmond, Damon had helped Buffy work on learning to feed from humans without killing them. She was a natural at hunting. Of course, she would be with all of her experience hunting demons and bumpy-forehead vampires. "Come on. Let's get inside. The memorial's starting."

Buffy and Damon walked into the church hand in hand. Damon smirked and dipped his fingers in a bowl of holy water and touched his forehead, chest, and shoulders in the formation of a cross. Buffy shook her head when he said, "Don't know why that always makes me smile." They sat down next to Stefan and looked at Elena who had made her way up to the podium.

"She doesn't look so good." Buffy said.

"Maybe you should have told me she was rejecting all food sources." Stefan said.

"Talk to her about it. Don't snap at me for taking care her."

"You should've told me."

"She didn't want you to know."

"I uh…. When I talked to April earlier she was kind of nervous about coming up to speak." Elena said at the podium. Buffy sat up straighter in the pew, causing Damon and Stefan to look at her. The smell of fresh human blood was permeating the air.

"Do you…." Buffy looked at Elena. If she smelled that blood….

"And now that I'm up here, I'm kind of nervous too." Elena held on to the sides of the podium and her grip tightened. "The worst day of loving someone is the day that you lose them." Elena smelled the blood now, too. Buffy glanced at Stefan, Damon, Tyler, and Caroline.

"Do you smell that?" Caroline asked Tyler.

"Blood." Tyler said.

Elena started to breathe heavily. "Nobody move." Damon said quietly. All the vampires in the church heard him. "Don't turn around, it's a trap."

Elena was still at the podium, trying to fight the urge for the blood. "I um…." She breathed in and out, but the veins started crawling towards her eyes.

Buffy stood up, swatting away protesting hands from Stefan and Damon, and made her way up to the podium. She wrapped an arm around Elena. "It's ok. It's ok. I've got you." Buffy led Elena off the stage and back into the row next to Matt. It was closer than Stefan and Damon.

The priest went over to the podium and said, "Please turn to page forty two in your hymn book. Let us join together in a song." Everyone in the room stood up and began to sing.

Elena leaned on Buffy, sweating and gasping. "The blood. Buffy, the blood…. I can smell it. There's so much."

"It's alright." Buffy soothed. "Just focus, ok? Breathe."

"What's wrong with her?" Matt asked.

"She's hungry. She hasn't fed."

"So, get her out of here."

"I can't. We're being watched."

"I'm gonna go rip his head off now." Damon said from his pew so only the vampires could hear.

"You do that, Damon, and you risk exposing all of us." Stefan said.

"Well, I think the risk will be slightly diminished when I, you know, rip his head off."

"Buffy, I'm losing it." Elena said.

"You have ten seconds before I go old fashioned on the new guy." Damon said.

"Don't do it, Damon. Please." Buffy said.

"Three, two, one. Bye." Damon started to leave.

"Wait, wait, wait, wait." Matt said. "Elena, feed from me."

"Matt…." Buffy started.

"It's ok. Everyone will think you're upset. Just feed from me." Buffy looked at Matt and nodded. She helped Elena move towards Matt and he hugged her against him. "It's ok. You'll be ok." Elena moved Matt's collar and began to drink from his neck.

Buffy rubbed her back and played with her hair like a mother watching her grieving child. "Elena…." She warned when Matt's eyes started to flutter.

Elena stopped drinking and her face went back to normal. "Thank you." She said to Matt as she pulled away. She wiped the blood from her mouth and Matt hid the wound on his neck. Elena looked at Buffy. "The blood. I can still smell it."

"I can, too." Buffy said.

"It's got to be April. We have to help her." Elena tried to leave, but Buffy stopped her.

"Elena, we can't risk it."

"Then I'm gonna do it!" Elena tried again to push past Buffy.

Suddenly, Tyler moved past them and up to the podium. "Excuse me. I just wanted to say a few words about Pastor Young."

"What do we do?" Elena asked as everyone sat back down.

"Back in first grade, I was a brat who couldn't be bothered with team sports. Didn't care much about anything that didn't affect me. But he was the one who made me understand how important it is to be part of a team…. A community. Of giving yourself up for the sake of…." A gun went off and Tyler fell to the floor. Everybody started to scream and ducked into the aisles before they started to rush out of the church.

Damon made his way out with the crowd as Caroline tried to make her way towards Tyler. Carol rushed towards Tyler's side. Buffy and Elena pushed past everyone and headed up to the stage as well.

"Oh my God." Carol said.

Caroline fell to the floor next to Tyler and ripped the stake out of his chest. Stefan rushed onto the stage and stood next to Elena and Buffy as Tyler started coughing. "I'm gonna kill that bastard." Tyler said.

"Damon's way ahead of you." Stefan said. "Stay here, I have to help him."

"Stay with Elena." Buffy ordered. "I'll go after Damon." She used her vampire speed to go out the back of the church. She came out just as Connor shot wooden bullets into Damon multiple times. Connor's eyes widened as the gun was suddenly gone from his grasp and thrown aside. He pulled a stake from his belt, but Buffy took that from him, too. She examined it. "Not bad. Not as good as mine, though, but something tells me I've had more practive." She tossed it over her shoulder and put her hands on her hips, staring Connor down. Connor took off running, jumped in his truck, and sped off. "Smart boy."

"Ow!" Damon groaned.

Buffy turned and helped him up. "Are you all right?"

"Help me get these bullets out? They're soaked with vervain."

"Come on." Buffy helped Damon to his car, keeping out of sight of the frightened townspeople.

* * *

><p>Buffy and Damon got out of his car and walked over towards Bonnie and Willow, who were getting out of Bonnie's car. Willow was staying with the young witch to help her deal with everything that had happened. The red head walked over and hugged Buffy.<p>

"What are we doing here?" Damon asked.

"I don't know. Ask Stefan." Bonnie said.

Caroline, Stefan, Elena, Matt, and Jeremy were all sitting at the tables outside of the school. They all turned and looked at Buffy, Willow, Bonnie, and Damon approached them.

"Stefan, what are we doing?" Damon asked.

Stefan had some of the paper lanterns that were supposed to be used at the memorial in his hand. "We're finishing the memorial we didn't get to have earlier." He handed Elena a lantern. "We need to start healing, Damon. We've all lost so much, especially recently. I think we're numb to it. We push it away, we make a joke out of it, ignore how we feel. We've never just let ourselves grieve."

"So, you're lighting lanterns?"

"Yeah. Yeah, we need to do this."

"What we need to do is find out who this hunter is and what he knows about the death of the Council. We have more important things to be doing right now than this."

"Not tonight, we don't. This is for my uncle Zach and my friend Lexi and for Alaric." Stefan lit the lantern and handed the lighter to Matt.

"This is for Vicki." Matt lit his lantern.

Caroline stood up and took the lighter from Matt. "This is for my dad. And Tyler's." She lit her lantern.

Jeremy got up and took the lighter from Caroline. "This is for our parents." He said to Elena. "For Vicki. Anna. Jenna. And Alaric." He lit his lantern and looked up at Damon.

Damon refused to take the lighter from him. "No way. I'm not doing that." He turned on his heel and marched off.

"Damon! Damon?!" Buffy called. He kept walking. She sighed and turned back to the others. Stefan handed her a lantern and Jeremy handed her the lighter. "This is for my friends Lexi and Jenna and Alaric…. And for Giles…. The best Watcher a Slayer and her Scoobies could ask for." Willow hugged Buffy's waist as they held the lit lantern together.

Buffy handed the lighter to Bonnie. She took a lantern out of the box and went to stand next to Caroline. "This is for my Grams."

Stefan looked at Elena. She got up and stood between him and Buffy. She lit the lantern. "This um…. is for my mom, my dad, Jenna, everyone that you've all lost, everyone that this town has lost. And for me, I guess." Elena stepped forward and released her lantern. One at a time, they all began to release their lanterns as well. As everyone watched them float off into the night sky, Buffy let go of Willow and melted into the shadows to go find Damon.

It took her a little bit, but she finally found him sitting in the cemetery. He was sitting on a bench with a bottle of bourbon and talking to one of the headstones. Buffy knew which headstone he was having a conversation with.

"They're floating lanterns in the sky, can you believe that? A Japanese lantern is the symbol of letting go of the past. Well, here's a news flash, we're not Japanese!" Damon took a swig of the bourbon and Buffy crossed her arms and leaned against a tree. "Do you know what they are? Children. Like lighting a candle is going to make everything ok or even saying a prayer or pretending Elena is not going to end up just like the rest of us murderous vampires. Stupid, delusional, exasperating, little children. I know what you're going to say; 'It makes them feel better, Damon.' So what? For how long? A minute? A day? What differences does it make?" Damon stood up and walked towards Alaric's headstone. "Because in the end, when you lose somebody…. Every candle, every prayer is not going to make up for the fact that the only thing that you have left is a hole in your life where that somebody that you cared about used to be. And a rock with a birthday carved into it that I'm pretty sure is wrong." Buffy smiled and laughed quietly as Damon sat down on Alaric's tombstone. "So, thanks, friend. Thanks for leaving me here to babysit, because my girl and I should have been long gone by now. Soaking up some rays in Italy or the south of France. But we're stuck here fighting with my brother and taking care of the kids. You owe me big."

As Damon took another swig from the bottle of bourbon, Buffy walked over and sat down next to him. He wasn't surprised she was there. She took his hand and laid her head on his shoulder. They sat there together for a long while in silence, staring straight ahead.

"I miss him, too." Buffy said finally.

"Did you light a lantern?" Damon asked.

"Yes."

"Did it help?"

She looked straight ahead for a minute before saying, "Not really." Buffy took the bottle and knocked back a hearty swallow.

"Let's go home." Damon wrapped his arm around her waist and they stood up together. "See ya later, Rick."

As they walked away, Buffy heard, "….miss you too, guys." She turned around, but there was no one there. "Rick?"

Damon looked down at her. "Is he here?"

"I can't see him, but I could've sworn…." She shook her head. "Maybe I just wish he was here." Buffy shrugged and snuggled back under Damon's arm as they started to walk.

Alaric stood by his headstone and watched them go, a smile playing at his lips.


	64. Chapter 64

Chapter 64

Buffy sat in the graveyard looking at Alaric's headstone. It had been a full 24 hours since the mishap at the church. She hadn't been able to sleep, so she'd snuck out of the house and gone walking. She ended up at Alaric's grave hoping that she could see or hear him. Ever since she'd been turned, she hadn't been able to see ghosts. She was damn sure that she'd heard Rick the night before and she wanted to test it.

Unfortunately, the voice that she heard wasn't one she wanted to hear. "Hello, love."

Buffy closed her eyes, but didn't move. "Klaus."

"Miss me?"

"No."

Klaus sat down on the ground next to her. "I don't believe that."

"What do you want?"

"Just to see you." She turned her head to look at him. "There."

"I'm not apologizing."

"You already did while you were desiccating me." He held her passive gaze for a long moment and when she didn't respond, he growled and stood up. "You're infuriating!"

"Pot. Kettle." Buffy stood up and turned to face him, crossing her arms. "Can't you just give up on me? I'm with Damon. That's not changing."

Klaus smirked. "Just because you desiccated me, doesn't mean that I didn't hear your conversation with Stefan. And that doesn't mean I didn't see the look in your eyes while you held my heart in your hand. You have feelings for me."

"Did you miss the part about how they're not strong enough for me to leave Damon?"

"Yet."

"What?"

"They're not strong enough for you to leave Damon _yet_."

"Why can't you accept the fact that I won't leave him?"

He was suddenly standing in front of her, pinning her to a tree. "As much as I would like to…. I just can't leave it alone after you admitted that you feel something for me. Hope is a cruel thing to give a man." Klaus smirked and brought his lips to Buffy's, just barely touching them. "And in that will be your punishment for what you did to me." He kissed her then, holding her against the tree. Buffy summoned all of her strength and pushed him off of her. Klaus laughed and turned to walk away. He called over his shoulder, "I am going to make your life hell."

Buffy watched him leave and then sat down next to Alaric's headstone. She leaned against it and laid her head on it. "What the hell have I gotten myself into?" She said to it, hoping against hope for an answer. None came.

* * *

><p>Damon walked downstairs and heard Stefan in the carport. He walked over and opened the front door. Stefan was working on a motorcycle. "Good day for a midlife crisis. 164 years…. I'd say you're due."<p>

"Elena's transition to vampire has been a little depressing. I wanna help her have some fun." Stefan said.

"Oh…. Those who can't do, teach."

"I see we're still fighting. Got it. Where are you going?"

"That hunter jacked Tyler Lockwood of his werewolf venom last night, so basically he's got vampire poison in a bottle. And I'm going to find him and I'm going to eat him."

"Where's Buffy?"

"She's right here." Buffy said, walking up and shrugging her coat on. Her eyes were hidden behind dark Wayfarer sunglasses. Damon reached over and handed her one of the travel mugs he was carrying. "Thanks."

"You want me to go with you guys?"

"No. We got it." Buffy walked past both brothers and headed for her car.

Stefan watched her for a moment. "Is she ok?"

Damon shrugged. "She didn't sleep at all last night. But that's understandable with all that she's got on her plate."

"You coming?" Buffy called to Damon as she got in her car.

"Yup." Damon walked over and hopped in the passenger's seat. "Let's boogie." Buffy sighed and put the car in gear. She pulled out of the driveway and onto the main road in silence. "Is everything ok? I'm getting a vibe."

"I'm fine."

"Buff, you're not fine. Give me a little credit. I do know you pretty well by now."

"I'm just…. Overwhelmed."

"What happened on your midnight adventure?"

"What?"

"You left the house last night. I thought about following you, but I thought you might get pissed. So I waited for you to get back and when you did…. You were tense. You don't usually lay in bed all curled in on yourself. Usually you're wrapped around me."

"My head is just swirling with everything that's happened. I feel like it's all crushing down on me and I'm not used to feeling this overwhelmed! Honestly, it's starting to feel like my emotions are moving backwards. Like I'm losing the control I've gained over myself."

Damon reached over and took her hand. "Hey…. We're together. No matter what comes our way, we're together." He kissed her knuckles. "I love you."

"I love you, too." She smiled slightly and pulled into a dirt road far enough to be hidden from the road. "Let's park here just in case he comes back. We can walk the rest of the way."

"Good idea." He got out of the car and moved over to Buffy's side. As soon as she'd shut the door and turned around, Damon pinned her to the car with his body and kissed her fervently. He ran his free hand that wasn't tangled in her hair up her shirt and across her lower back. She pushed back into him, tangling her fingers in his hair. After a long, breathless moment, Damon pulled back from the kiss, both of them breathing heavily.

"Wow…."

"Sorry. I just felt like you needed that." He smirked and cocked his eyebrow in that sexy way of his, keeping his face mere inches from hers.

"If we didn't have something to do at the moment, I'd finish what that kiss started."

He kissed her lightly and stepped back, taking her hand. "Let's get this over with quick, then." They moved off into the woods and made their way towards the little campsite Connor had set up.

"At least it's a nice Winnebago." Buffy said with a shrug, moving her sunglasses up onto her head. Damon noticed that her eyes were a lighter blue than normal and almost glowing.

"Do your eyes always do that?"

"What?"

"Look like there's a fire burning behind a thick layer of ice."

"How poetic of you…."

Damon shrugged as he held the door open for her and they stepped inside. "I didn't know how else to say it." Buffy chuckled as she inspected the items on the table. "Somebody's playing mad scientist."

"It worries me that it's empty." Buffy said, going through some papers. Damon moved over a step and an arrow suddenly pierced his chest. Buffy moved towards him, but another arrow shot her through the stomach. There were strings attached to the arrows. Buffy followed the string from her arrow and saw that it was attached to a mine. "Don't move."

"Yeah, I'm attached to one too. Are you ok?"

"Yeah." She inspected the string and tugged slightly at the arrow in her stomach. The wound was clean, but there were hooks on the back of the arrow that made it nearly impossible to just yank it back out. "I'm not sure how to get this arrow out with blowing us to pieces."

"Mine's in an awkward spot and there's hooks back there. I don't want to risk it." He sighed. "What do we do now?"

"I'm calling a doctor." Buffy slowly reached into her pocket, careful not to move, and dialed Meredith Fell's number.

"Buffy?" Meredith answered.

"Hi Meredith!" Buffy said cheerfully. "Are you by any chance busy at the moment?"

"Uh…. Not really."

"Well, Damon and I kind of need your help."

"Why don't I like where this is going?"  
>"You haven't even heard what we need help with."<p>

"With you two…."

"Point taken. Look, there's a Winnebago just off the I9 parked back into the woods. It's the second turn off coming out of town. We're kind of stuck."

"Why do you and Damon have a Winnebago?"

"It's not ours."

"You're stealing it?"

"No. We were snooping and now we're in a bit of a situation."

Meredith sighed. "I'll track your phone with Latitude and be there soon." She hung up and Buffy smiled at Damon.

"Help's on the way."

"What do we do till then?" Damon asked, smirking.

"Stand very still and try not to explode."

"Good thing we've got superpowers."

"I'm going to snoop through these papers."

"Please don't explode us."

Buffy rolled her eyes at him. It took Meredith about 15 minutes to finally get to the Winnebago. She opened the door and poked her head in. "Why were you being so cryptic?"

"Come in and close the door." Buffy said.

Meredith did as she was told and finally noticed the arrows protruding from Buffy's stomach and Damon's shoulder. Her eyes tracked the string and she gasped. "Tell me that is not a bomb."

"Ok." Damon said. "It's a kitten. It's an adorable, exploding kitten."

"Meredith, you're going to be ok." Buffy said calmly. "We just need you to cut these arrows out. We can't move or else we'll…. You know…. Explode the kitten."

Meredith took a deep breath. "Ok." She reached over and picked up the wicked looking knife sitting on a counter.

Buffy gritted her teeth as Meredith started to dig around the arrow. "How well did you know Pastor Young?" Buffy asked, trying to distract herself.

"He was a patient of mine. He was always a nice guy."

"A nice crazy guy." Damon quipped.

"He wrote a letter about sacrifice and war brewing in Mystic Falls." Buffy held up the letter and showed it to Meredith.

She stopped working on the arrow to read the letter. "What does he mean 'a greater evil is coming'? Don't we have great enough evil already?"

"You would think." Damon said.

"In my experience, words like the ones in this letter are always bad news." Buffy said. "And they always trigger research."

"There." Meredith said. "That should be good." Buffy took a deep breath and pulled the arrow out. The bomb didn't go off. Meredith moved over to Damon. "You're turn."

* * *

><p>Buffy picked at her destroyed shirt as she and Damon made their way back to their room. "I really liked this shirt." She complained.<p>

"You wouldn't have worn it again." Damon said.

"I think I would've. It's a multifunctional shirt. Now I won't get a chance too." She opened the door and discovered a mess on the floor. Elena was digging through one of the dressers in the closet. "Should I ground you for going through our things?"

Elena turned around. "Sorry. I need bourbon to get through Rebekah's party. Damon's is better than Stefan's."

Buffy crossed her arms. "Not buying it."

"What?"

"Honestly, Elena! I'm a Slayer. Did you really think that I would just leave the last remaining white oak stake where anybody could just walk in and take it?"

Elena tried to hold eye contact with Buffy, but she couldn't. She looked at Buffy's and Damon's bloodied shirts. "What happened to you guys?"

Damon shrugged and headed for the bathroom. "Hunter mishap."

"Did you know he was at my school today?" Elena asked, moving towards Buffy.

"Yes. I did. Jeremy told me." Buffy said, crossing her arms again. "Don't change the subject. Why do you want the stake?"

Elena sighed and moved over to sit down on the bed. Buffy turned to face her. "Rebekah is getting under my skin!"

"Your emotions are just heightened." Damon said, leaning against the wall just inside the bathroom.

"Can I please have the stake, Buffy?"

"No." Buffy said.

"Please?"

"I'm sorry, Elena, but that stake is dangerous. You're a newly turned vampire and Damon's right. Your emotions are crazy. You're not going to kill Rebekah."

"Why?"

"For one…. you're not strong enough. She would kill you faster than you could blink."

"Have a little faith in me."

"I have plenty of faith in you, but I am supposed to protect you. No stake. Go to the party, have a good time, let Stefan take you out for some fun…. Be a teenager."

Elena sighed angrily and stormed out. Damon shook his head. "Well, you wanted her to be a teenager."

"Yeah." Buffy sighed. "Now it's time to call Tyler and let him know we're going after that wannabe Slayer."

"Jeremy hasn't texted you back."

She shrugged. "I trust him."

"Ok."

Buffy put the phone to her ear and let it ring.

"Hello, love."

She rolled her eyes at Klaus's voice. "Where's Tyler?"

"Tyler's otherwise occupied making big decisions about honesty and whatnot. Is there anything I can do?"

"Nope."

"Oh, come now. You didn't just call Tyler Lockwood for a chat. What's going on?"

Buffy glanced at Damon. He was watching her closely, but trying to play it cool. She sighed and said, "Damon and I are going after the hunter that tried to kill him and Tyler."

"That sounds like fun."

"Well, I bet Tyler would have a ton of fun, but you're not invited."

"I love a good party. Where shall I meet you?"

"Were you that annoying kid that always crashed the cool kids' parties because you thought you were one of them?"

"Don't worry, I won't tell your fiancé that you kissed me."

"I did not!" Damon turned to look at her full on. She scowled at the phone. "We're luring him to the hospital. I'm just waiting for my contact to tell me when they'll be there."

"That wasn't so hard, was it? I'll meet you and Damon there." Klaus hung up Tyler's phone and Buffy tossed hers onto the bed.

"What didn't you do?" Damon asked from behind her.

"Huh?" Buffy turned around and looked at him. How had he gotten so close to her without her noticing?

"You said 'I did not' really loudly."

"Oh, uh…. He said that I said something that I didn't say. He still thinks that he has a shot with me."

Damon huffed as he made his way over to the closet. "After you desiccated him? That guy can seriously hold on to his issues." He plucked a pretty cerulean blue tank top out of a drawer and tossed it to her. "Brings out your eyes." She smiled at him and started to change out of her bloody top.

* * *

><p>Buffy finished setting up the bomb on one side of the room while Damon finished his on the other side. "I'm still not loving blowing up a hospital." She said.<p>

"This is the storage area." Damon said. "There's no patients in the rooms around here."

"It's still a hospital."

"This is no time for a conscience, love." Klaus said from where he was leaned against the wall watching her.

"Somebody has to have one." Buffy shot back.

"I would've thought by now you would've given in to your vampiric nature." He moved closer to her. "Drained a human dry. Turned off your humanity switch."

"Why would you think that?" She turned to find him right in front of her.

"Because you enjoy being a vampire. You enjoy all that power in you. It's only natural."

"Well, not all of us can be a dick like you." Buffy smiled and stepped around Klaus. She checked her phone and saw a new text. "Jeremy's here with the hunter."

"Meredith should be headed this way." Damon said. "Places." The three of them moved into their positions and waited. Meredith walked into the supply room and headed out the other door. Buffy moved quickly and set up the trip wire just as she heard Connor open the door.

"Is the hospital really the best place for a germaphobe?"

"Did I say I was a germaphobe?" Damon said. "Pft! I meant vampire." Connor moved forward with his gun drawn and kicked the trip wire. The first arrow struck his upper arm and he went down. As he reached for his dropped gun, the other arrow fired and landed in his side. "Stings, doesn't it?"

Connor reached for his gun again, but Buffy was suddenly there with it in her hand. "Real vampire Slayers don't use guns." She said, tucking the gun into the back of her pants.

"You're a vampire." Connor said.

Buffy shrugged. "Not all vampires are bad."

"They kill humans. Innocents."

"Like I said…. Not all of them." Buffy stood up and took a step back. "I'm the longest living Slayer because I realized there's a gray area and that's where I live."

"_Were_ the longest living Slayer." Klaus said, stepping out into the open.

Buffy shrugged. "Technicalities."

Connor reached behind him and tried to pull out the arrow. "Keep it up, buddy. We'll be scraping you off the ceiling." Damon said.

"You three are going to kill me anyway." Connor said.

"Well, let's not be too hasty." Klaus said. "I feel like we're just getting to know each other."

"Let's start with the basics." Damon said, walking forward. "Where are you from? What do you know?"

Buffy pulled Pastor Young's letter out of her pocket. "Maybe you can clue us in on this greater evil…. Cause seriously, I've fought the First Evil and you don't get much greater evil than that."

"I'm not telling you anything." Connor said.

"Seriously?"

"You think by killing me this will all be over? There's another waiting to take my place."

Buffy growled and grabbed Connor's face. "You are not a vampire Slayer. _We_ protect the world, not puny little humans with silly disappearing tattoos." She released Connor's face angrily.

"What do you mean tattoos?" Klaus asked.

"Don't bother. You can't see the damn thing." Damon said.

Klaus leaned down next to Buffy and looked Connor in the eyes. "There's more to you than meets the eye."

Buffy caught Connor's stake before it could pierce Klaus's chest. "Sorry. I'm faster than your average vampire." She inspected the stake. "Are you still peddling these horribly whittled stakes? If you weren't trying to kill me and my friends, I'd give you a class in stake whittling."  
>"Let me see that." Klaus held out his hand and Buffy handed him the stake, standing up to look at the symbol on it.<p>

"You know the symbol?"

"You're one of the Five."

"The what?" Damon asked, moving forward.

"I'm faster than your average hunter." Connor said.

Buffy barely had time to grab Damon and get them out of there before Connor pulled the string on one of the arrows. The supply room exploded behind them. Damon rolled over and looked at Buffy. "Are you ok?"

"I'm fine. Where's Klaus?" Buffy asked, getting to her feet.

"He must've gone out the other door." Damon looked around the still burning hallway.

Buffy's phone went off and she answered it. "Stefan."

"You need to get home." Stefan said.

"What's wrong?"

"Elena's been poisoned."

"What?"

"The hunter slipped werewolf venom into the beer at Rebekah's party. Elena drank some."

"On my way." Buffy hung up and looked at Damon.

"Go. I'll deal with this." He waved her on and she disappeared.

Klaus was in the parking lot by his car. He turned around and smiled. "Happy to see you made it out, love."

"You're coming with me." She grabbed his hand and pulled him towards her car.

"I like this, but I would prefer our first time to be in my bed, not your car."

Buffy turned around and slapped him hard. "Stop. Elena's dying and only you can help her."

"What are you talking about?"

"That wannabe Slayer spiked your sister's beer with werewolf venom and Elena drank it. Your blood is the cure."

"And what would you have done if I wasn't here? If you and your friends had succeeded in ridding the world of me? Let's play that game for a moment, shall we?"

"I don't have time for games!"

"Neither do I!"

"What do you want, Klaus? What? I'll do anything to save her and you know it. Name your price!"

Klaus smirked. "I don't want anything from you…. right now. Let's go save Elena." He opened the passenger door and got into Buffy's car. She sighed and got into the driver's side.

* * *

><p>Buffy sat on Elena's bed and looked around at all of the teen's things. It made her incredibly sad to see it all. To see the remnants of a life that was stolen from her. Klaus had given Elena his blood and saved her and then ran off. Elena hadn't wanted to stay at the boarding house, so Buffy had left a message on Damon's phone to let him know to come to Elena's house when he was done at the hospital.<p>

Elena had called Matt over because she'd been hungry. She still couldn't keep any blood down besides the blood straight from a vein. Thankfully Klaus's blood didn't have to stay ingested to work its healing power.

Downstairs, the door opened and Matt called out, "Elena! Hey! If I'd have known that you were gonna go to that party, I woulda never told Connor about Rebekah."

"I already had this conversation with Jeremy." Elena said. "There's no way you guys could've known. I mean, _I _was surprised that I went." There was a long pause before Elena said, "Stefan warned me that I would feel things more powerfully, but…. Matt, the hatred that I felt today…. I almost staked her. In front of everyone! In the middle of a party. That's not me. Or at least it didn't…. Didn't used to be."

"Honestly Elena, Rebekah kinda deserved it."

Stefan had let Buffy know that Elena had gone up against Rebekah and had almost tried to stake her at the party. Rebekah had taken Elena's ring and tossed it down the garbage disposal, leaving Elena stuck in the shadows until she'd braved the sunlight to get the ring. Honestly, Matt was right. Rebekah had deserved to be staked, but Elena didn't deserve to be outed that way because her emotions were crazy.

"But it's not just about Rebekah…. It's about my mind." Elena said. "I'm having these terrible thoughts…. These violent images…. And it's all driven by one simple thing: This hunger!"

"Hey, uh…. Elena, are you sure you wanna take that much? Elena? Elena, that hurts!"

Buffy rushed down the stairs just as Damon walked in the front door. He heard Elena slam Matt against the counter and they both rushed in to intervene. Damon grabbed Matt and Buffy grabbed Elena and hauled her away. Elena rushed at Matt, but Buffy strong armed her backwards.

"Stop!" Buffy demanded. "Elena, stop!"

Elena looked between Buffy and Matt as her eyes changed back. "Oh my god…. Matt, I'm sorry! I'm so sorry! I…. I didn't mean to…." She started to panic and sob.

"Shh…." Buffy held Elena to her and looked at Damon.

Damon caught Matt's eye and said, "It's ok. Forget what just happened. You came over, she fed a little bit, and you left. Now go home." Matt turned and walked out.

"What have I done?" Elena cried into Buffy's shoulder.

"Nothing you should be ashamed about." Buffy said.

"She's right." Damon said, walking over. "You are a vampire now. You just have to learn the right way to be one. And I'm going to teach you."

Elena looked at Buffy. "He's right." Buffy said. "You need to learn to control this and Damon is your best bet. I love Stefan, but he's not right for teaching you how to be in control of yourself. Just remember: I'm learning right along with you, ok? You're not alone." Elena nodded. "Come on. Let's get you to bed."

* * *

><p>Damon sat on the bed in the room that Elena and Jeremy had picked out, painted, and decorated for Buffy. Buffy came out of the bathroom and walked over to him. She sat down next to him and laid her head on his shoulder. "Hell of a day, huh?" Damon said.<br>"Pft!" Buffy huffed. "I'm exhausted."

"So listen, I was thinking…. Isn't Elena going with Willow and Bonnie to Whitmore in a couple of days?"

"Yes."

"And it's almost Halloween."

"Yeah?"

"Well, just think of how perfect a setting _that_ will be. A Halloween party, lots of liquored up kids, a variety of college co-eds to choose from…. The best setting possible for teaching a baby vamp to feed properly."

Buffy sighed. "I don't know. I haven't had a good experience with Halloween since I became a Slayer."

"I keep telling you: it's because you didn't have me in your life. Your last birthday, the first one with me in it, was not bad."

"Not bad? You got vervained by Meredith, I got harassed by Klaus, he threatened to dismember you while I watched, I had to carry a coffin down into a crazy underground tunnel system by myself…."

"You got officially engaged, all of your friends gave you amazing gifts, and you had crazy, awesome vampire sex to end the day. Compared to oh, say…. You're seventeenth birthday…. I would call this one a _huge_ success." He grinned at her.

"Ok fine. It's wasn't _that_ bad."

"So, we'll all dress as something really cool just in case we get turned into our costumes or a crazy hell beast tries to rise under our feet."

Buffy smirked. "Fine. We'll crash the college trip."

"You are going to have so much fun." He leaned over and kissed her.


	65. Chapter 65

Chapter 65

Damon pulled up to Whitmore University with Buffy in the passenger's seat and Elena, Willow, and Bonnie in the back. They'd taken Buffy's car since it had more room than Damon's. As they got out of the car, Elena looked at Bonnie and asked again, "Are you sure you're ok with this?"

"If I could spell you out of wanting blood, I would, but I can't, so…. Better you learn this now than at freshman orientation." Bonnie said.

"Something tells me that college isn't in my future anymore."

"Oh, stop with the pity party." Damon said. "If I can go to college, you can go to college."

"You went to college?" Bonnie asked incredulously.

"Sure. Plenty of times. Always had a thing for sorority girls." Damon noticed Buffy glaring at him and he wrapped an arm around her. "But not anymore. Strictly a one Slayer man now."

"Considering how many Slayers are out there now, that's a wise choice." Buffy retorted, slipping her fingers through Damon's and wrapping her free arm around his waist. She looked over at Willow. "Hey, Will, you're drooling."

"Sorry. It's just been so long since I've stepped foot on higher education grounds." Willow beamed. "I'm so excited!"

"Why don't you go back to college?" Bonnie asked.  
>"I've been thinking about it, but no one has a good occult studies program."<p>

"Is that why you came today?" Buffy asked. "Cause of the occult studies here?"

"Bonnie showed me some of her grandmother's old curriculums and they're pretty nifty. If this new guy sticks with them, then I may consider coming here to finish out my college degree."

Buffy shook her head as they headed for the occult studies classroom. "Schoolwork always gets Will's blood pumping."

* * *

><p>"When I say the word 'witch', what pops into your head?" The professor asked at the head of the classroom. The lights were off and the screen projector was showing an old wood carving. He started flipping pictures as Buffy, Damon, Willow, Elena, and Bonnie sat down. "Halloween costume? Villain of a fairytale? Maybe an ex-girlfriend? Well, whatever it is, it's probably not Tanelle Souso."<p>

"Is that him?" Elena asked.

"Yeah." Bonnie said.

"He's kinda…." Buffy said.

"Hot?" The girls chuckled and Damon and Willow rolled their eyes.

"Now in reality…. Or this reality at least…. Witches have appeared in every culture in history. They're the architects of the supernatural. Responsible for everything that goes bump in the night." Willow and Bonnie exchanged looks and Buffy snickered slightly. "From ghosts, to vampires, to doppelgangers…."

"What is this guy? Witchipedia?" Damon quipped. Buffy giggled and Willow smacked her leg.

"Now skeptics would call that a coincidence. But if you're a true believer…. But you know what? There really is no such thing. Scares the crap out of us."

"What if I'm a ripper?" Elena suddenly asked.

"You're not a ripper." Buffy said.

"What if I am?"

"Well then pick someone and we'll find out." Damon said. Elena glared at him for a moment and then looked around. She stopped on a chubby guy in a flannel shirt. "Stoner guys are no good to grab. They're too paranoid and you don't want the extra buzz." Elena's gaze moved to a nerdy girl. "Now she is fun sized, but too hard. Geeky girls are inherently suspicious of anyone who's nice to them. What you want is the little blonde, pretty girl, self-absorbed, easily flattered…. You just have to separate her from the pack and make your move."

"Am I interrupting you guys?" The professor asked. Elena's and Damon's heads whipped around and Buffy snickered slightly. "Or is it maybe the other way around?"

"Sorry." Elena said.

"Oh, I was just saying how much I love witches." Damon said.

"Yeah…. You and me both, brother." The professor nodded. "All right, we should probably talk about the reading."

Damon smirked and wrapped and arm around Buffy's shoulders. He leaned in and nuzzled her neck. She smiled and stopped his hand from sliding any higher up her thigh. "Pay attention." Buffy hissed. "We don't want to get kicked out of class."

"Maybe you don't." Damon sat up and kissed her cheek. "But I'm thinking of finding an empty dorm room and having some fun." She shook her head at him, still smiling, as Elena rolled her eyes and groaned slightly.

* * *

><p>Buffy, Damon, and Elena followed the blonde girl Damon had picked out across the school's expansive lawn. Willow and Bonnie had gone off to meet the professor. Buffy had picked out one of the jocks leaving his classroom across the hall from occult studies and had shown Elena how it was done. Now it was Elena's turn.<p>

"She's young and healthy. She'll heal up like a charm. Just keep your eye on the ball." Damon said.

"It's not a game, Damon." Elena said.

"Ok. It's not a game. It's a high stakes, dangerous maneuver. Now just go. Just like Buffy showed you."

Elena nodded and moved forward. "Hey!" The blonde girl turned around. "You were in my anthro class, right?"

"Uh, yeah. I guess so." The girl said.

"I totally spaced and forgot to get the reading list. Do you have it?"

"Sure. Let me check." The girl started scrolling through her phone and Elena moved in, grabbing the girl's wrist and catching her eye.

"This isn't going to hurt. Please don't scream." Elena looked at the girl's wrist and caught sight of a picture on the phone. "Who's that?"

"It's my little sister."

"Get out of here. Go back to class."

Damon huffed and Buffy placed her hand on his chest. "Calm down." Buffy said. "Everything ok?" She asked Elena.

"I just…. I saw the picture and I…."

"Everybody is someone's uncle or father or camp counselor or bible study teacher, Elena. You don't know these people." Damon said. "Why do you care?"

"I care because I'm still me. I still have the same feelings, Damon. Sorry if that spoils your master plan to turn me into a super vampire."

Damon shook his head and moved away. Buffy sighed and turned to look at Bonnie and Willow walking up to them. "What's going on?" Bonnie asked.

"Nothing." Buffy said.

"Elena's just educating me on the importance of feelings." Damon snapped.

"Did you talk to the professor?" Elena asked.

"For a second. He found some stuff of my Grams' in his office and he's gonna dig it up for me. Oh, uh this…." Bonnie held up a flyer that said _Murder House, Come as your favorite victim or killer!_

"Oh, nice." Damon said. "The answer to all of our problems. A frat party. Douche central." He rubbed his hands together. "Which is why we will be eating very well tonight. So what should we go as? Victims or killers?"

* * *

><p>Buffy and Damon led the group into the Sigma Kappa Beta house. Damon was dressed as Jack the Ripper and Buffy was dressed as one of his victims complete with a bloody neck and chest wound. Willow, Bonnie, and Elena had dressed up as the Sanderson Sisters from Hocus Pocus. Damon had said that they weren't killers, but Buffy had pointed out that they killed children to keep them young.<p>

A drunken frat boy with a Bloody Mary cocktail in his hand bounced up in front of them. He handed them each their own cups from a tray by the door. "Hey! I'm Frankie." He eyed Damon. "I'm assuming serial killer."

"I'm Jack. This is the lovely Buffy that I just…. Rippered." Damon said.

The boy eyed Willow, Bonnie, and Elena. "And you are?"

"The Sanderson Sisters." Elena said.

"From Hocus Pocus? They're not scary."

"They murdered children for their souls to stay young and beautiful." Willow said, offended.

Frankie nodded. "Ok. Welcome to the murder house. Bloody Marys free till midnight. Enjoy yourselves." He bounced off.

"Well, hats off to these idiots." Damon said, tipping his hat and looking around. "Oh look! Professor Creepy!"

"His name is Professor Shane and he's not creepy." Bonnie said. She noticed the professor nodding his glass towards her. "I'm gonna go talk to him."

"You do that." Damon said, taking her drink as Bonnie walked away.

"I should probably go with her." Willow said. "He does give off creepy vibes." She waved and headed off to follow Bonnie.

Damon shrugged and looked around. "Inebriated sleezeballs all covered in blood. All right, Elena. Pick one."

Elena searched the room and spotted a guy tossing a roofie into a girl's drink. "I think I found one."

"Roofie guy?" Damon asked. "Nice choice. Go get him." He turned to look at Buffy, but she was across the room chatting up a handsome jock. Damon sighed and decided that Buffy had it and Elena didn't. He went after Elena as she led her guy into another room. She was already feeding on Roofie Guy. "Now remember, the idea is not to kill him." Elena didn't budge. "Elena, step away from the ledge. Elena!"

Elena pulled back, blood dripping down her chin. She caught the guy's eyes and said, "Leave and forget about this." The guy nodded and walked out, almost bumping into Buffy on the way.

"Mine tasted funny." Buffy complained.

"Probably steroids." Damon said, wrapping an arm around her. She looked sexy with the little drop of blood on the side of her lip. He looked over at Elena. "How do you feel?"

"I feel good!" Elena said. She laughed and looked around. "I want some more."

Damon looked at Buffy. "Let's go party." She said. Elena squealed and rushed out ahead of them.

Damon kissed Buffy, tasting the jock's blood from her lips. "Let's find someone that tastes less doped up." He led her out onto the dance floor behind Elena and they started dancing together. He spotted a young girl dressed as a victim eying him and waved her over. She wedged herself between Buffy and Damon, grinding against them, and Damon smirked at Buffy. He glamoured the girl and he and Buffy sunk their fangs in on each side of her neck.

They went through two more girls and a frat guy before they moved back towards each other covered in blood. Damon kissed her deeply and she crushed him to her. His fingers tangled in her hair as they moved together. Things were really getting heated between them when Willow and Bonnie walked into the room. Elena panicked and rushed over towards them and out the door.

Bonnie glared at them as Willow headed out after Elena. Damon sighed and Buffy groaned as Bonnie turned and marched out. "Fun time's over." Damon said.

Buffy huffed. "Party pooper." He laughed and kissed her again. "Let's go tend to Elena's guilt and Bonnie's guilt trip."

Outside, Elena was making her way across the lawn in a panic, wiping at the blood on her chin. "Who am I? Why am I acting like this?"

"Because you listened to Damon and Damon makes everything he wants sound like a good idea." Bonnie said.

Willow sighed. "Stop it. I know you hate Damon, but he's right. They're vampires. They drink blood. But they are not evil." She looked at Elena. "You are not evil and neither are Buffy and Damon. No one died in there. You can't beat yourself up for being a vampire."

"I should be here with Stefan." Elena said. "I should be going through all of this with Stefan."

"Guess I'm chopped liver." Buffy said.

"Buffy…."

Bonnie walked over to Buffy and Damon. "You were supposed to help her and you let her get completely out of control."

"Can it, Bonnie." Buffy snapped. "No one was out of control."

"She's acting like a different person! And so are you!"

"They _are_ different people!" Damon said. "They're vampires. We're a predatory species. We enjoy the hunt, the feed, and the kill. When the guilt gets too bad, we switch off our humanity and we revel in it."

"Is that what you want? For both of them to be like you?"

"They already are like me. And you know what makes me able to drink my fill and leave someone breathing and not rip their head off like my brother is that I can revel in it. I can make it fun." Damon marched past Bonnie and headed for the car.

Buffy looked at Elena and shrugged. "Willow's right. No one died. They're all in there having the time of their young lives. They danced with three real vampires and they'll never know it." She looked back to Bonnie. "I've felt guilty for one thing or another my entire life. I've _let _people make me feel guilty. But not anymore. And especially not about this. I _chose_ to become a vampire to protect my family. And learning to control myself like Damon does is the only way to do that."

"He's a monster." Bonnie said.

"He's a vampire! And he's good at it." Buffy looked back to Elena. "Stefan doesn't have any control. He becomes a Ripper because he's unwilling to learn how to be a vampire. I'm not making that mistake and neither should you." Buffy walked past Bonnie and gave a hug to Willow. "Thanks for sticking up for me."

Willow shrugged. "That's what best friends do."

Keeping her arm wrapped around Willow's waist, Buffy held her hand out to Elena. Elena looked at it for a moment, contemplating Buffy's words, and then took it. The three of them followed Damon to the car. Bonnie followed behind them after another minute.

* * *

><p>Damon, Buffy, and Elena made their way up to the front door of the Gilbert house. Willow had asked to be dropped off at the boarding house and Bonnie had been dropped off at her house. Elena went to the front door, but turned around. "Guys…. I'm sorry. Things got a little heated at the party and I shouldn't have let that happen. It's just that I…. I feel like…. When you tell me what a vampire should be…. Deep down, I believe you. I think that you're right and I hate that feeling. Because I don't wanna be…."<br>"You don't wanna be like me." Damon finished.

Elena looked away and Buffy reached out and gripped her shoulder. "Elena…."

The door opened and Stefan was suddenly standing there. "Hey." Elena said.

"Hey." Stefan said, joining them on the porch.

"What are you doing here?"

"I was just hanging out with Jeremy. We had a couple of things to talk about."

"Any news on the hunter?" Damon asked.  
>"No. No, nothing new."<p>

"Well, then today was a bust." Damon wrapped his arm around Buffy's shoulders. "Elena's all yours. We're staying at our house tonight." In the car on the way back, Damon noticed Buffy staring out the window. "Hey, earth to Buffy." She looked over at him. "Please don't tell me you're starting to feel guilty about tonight."

"No." Buffy shook her head. "No. I'm just worried about Elena. She really freaked."

"She's new at this. Give her time. You were a wreck the first couple of weeks, remember?"

"Yeah, but…. The first time I fed on an innocent and maybe not so willing human…. I didn't feel guilty at all. And I didn't get high on it. I wasn't even really high tonight. I'm just wondering if this all might be too much for Elena." Damon didn't respond. He was a bit worried that she was right.


	66. Chapter 66

Chapter 66

Buffy walked back up to hers and Damon's bedroom after searching the house for Stefan. "He's not here." She said to Damon.

He was putting on a shirt and stopped mid-button. "He's probably pissed at us for last night."

"Yeah, but he doesn't usually dodge my calls. He at least picks up and growls at me."

"He'll turn up."

"Indulge me, sweetheart. With Connor running around trying to kill us all, I'd like to keep tabs on everyone."

Damon sighed and picked up his phone. He dialed Stefan's number, but it rang and rang before going to voicemail. "Not answering me either. He's probably still at Elena's."

"He came home last night. I heard him upstairs writing in his journal."

"He hasn't done that in a while."

"Something's gotta be up."

Damon finished buttoning his shirt and walked over to her. He grasped her hands in his and gave them a squeeze. "Are your spider senses tingling?"

"Damon…."

"I'm not joking. You've still got that uncanny ability to call trouble before anyone else. If I could find a way to put money on it, I'd be a billionaire by now."

"Yes. I feel like something is wrong."

"Come on. Let's go see Elena. If anyone knows where he's at, it's her." He dropped one of her hands and led her out of the house.

Buffy used her key to get in and they headed upstairs to Elena's room where they heard her moving around. Just as they reached her door, she opened it. Damon walked in and looked around as Elena looked at Buffy leaning in the doorway. "Uh…. Hi?"

"Where's Stefan?" Damon asked.

"Good morning to you, too."

"How are you feeling?" Buffy asked.

"Ok…. I guess. Why are you looking for Stefan?"

"He's not answering his phone and he's not here." Damon answered. "Which, you know, big deal…. We've only got a killer vampire hunter on the loose."

"I haven't talked to him yet today."

"Can I see your phone?" Buffy asked.

"Why?"

"I think maybe he's dodging me and Damon."

"Why would he be dodging you?"

"Because you probably spilled your guilty little guts out to him the minute we left last night." Damon said.

Buffy sighed and shook her head as Elena handed her her cell phone. "Sorry."

"I didn't tell him." Elena said.

"Why not?" Damon asked as Buffy dialed Stefan's number.

"Why would I tell him that I got high on blood like some crack head and then dirty danced with complete strangers? It was a mistake. I wasn't myself. And besides, he's already got enough to deal with trying to get me through this vampire stuff."

"Classic shame spiral. You called it, Buff."

Elena looked at Buffy. "I'm not in a shame spiral."

"Oh, you so are!" Damon said. "Newbie vampire remorse? It's worse than a hangover."

"I'm not in a shame spiral, Damon!"

Buffy handed Elena's phone back to her. "It went to voicemail. So he's either dodging all of us, or…."

"Something's wrong."

"Now that I did call." Just then, all three of their cell phones went off. The messages all said the same thing: _Hunter at Mystic Grill with hostages. They all die at sundown._ It had come from Jeremy's phone. "Something tells me that wasn't from Jeremy."

"We have to go over there." Elena said.

"No. We need to make a plan. You call Stefan and leave him a voicemail. Tell him we're meeting at Tyler's house."

"Why Tyler's house?"

"Because he has an army at the moment and if need be, we can use it."

"What about your army?" Damon asked.

Buffy shook her head. "The Slayers are too far spread out. It would take too much time to get a good number of them here."

"We've got to do something!" Elena said.

"Thank you, Captain Obvious." Buffy said as she headed out the door. "We're going to form a plan." She dialed Tyler's number on the way out.

* * *

><p>Damon, Buffy, Elena, Tyler, and Caroline were convened at the Lockwood house. Caroline was on the phone with her mother getting some help in blocking off the Grill. "So we each take a different entrance and hit him at the same time." Damon was saying just as Stefan walked in.<p>

"Stefan!" Elena rushed over and wrapped her arms around him.

"Where have you' been?" Buffy asked.

"Coming up with a plan." Stefan said.

"Yeah?" Damon said. "We have a plan. Plan is I'm going to rip Connor's heart out and feed it to him."

"That's not a plan. We need to be careful. Connor has Jeremy and who knows how many other hostages."

"Hence the open heart surgery."

"Damon's right." Elena said. "Connor is strong but he's not going to be able take all of us."

"I called hybrids. They are up too." Tyler said.

Caroline walked back into the room. "My mom put squad cars blocking the streets. They're saying it's a faulty gas main. We're good to go."

"Good. Great." Damon said. "No cops, no witnesses, no reason to wait around."

"All right, hold on. We are not all going." Stefan said.

"He shot me like nine times." Tyler protested. "If we are killing him I want in."

"He's got Jeremy." Elena said. "I'm going."

"Listen, nobody is going anywhere until I figure out what we're walking into." Stefan said.

"Until you figure it out?" Damon asked. "Is that where you've been all morning? Out buying bossy pants?"

"This guy is known for setting traps, all right? We'll be pretty dumb to walk into him especially if has werewolf venom."

"Does he?" Elena asked.

"He's had it before."

"Fine." Buffy said. "You want to take some time to do recon? You get one hour. After that, we're going with our plan. But we do need some extra help. We need to try and get Willow and Bonnie here."

"Bonnie can't do magic." Caroline said.

"Really? Call her. Tell her Jeremy's life is in danger." Damon said. "Maybe that'll bring her out of retirement."

"We don't need her." Buffy said. "If we can get Willow back here, then we're good on the magic front. Damon, you and Elena are with me."

"Where are we going?" Elena asked.

"We're doing some recon of our very own."

* * *

><p>Buffy stood in Alaric's apartment and stared out the window at the town square below. Stefan was out there walking around the Grill. He was on the phone at the moment, but she wasn't sure with whom yet. She blocked out Damon and Elena searching the apartment behind her and listened to Stefan's half of the conversation.<p>

"Well you should. Damon does. So do Buffy, Caroline, Tyler, Elena…. If any of them get to Connor, then you just wasted a trip to Italy. I can buy us some time, but Buffy's getting antsy. So is Damon. So if you want Connor alive, you better get your hybrids on board with my plan."

Klaus. Stefan was talking to Klaus. Buffy shook her head. That didn't make any sense. And why was Klaus in Italy?

"Who was he talking to?" Elena asked, walking over to Buffy.

"Bonnie, hopefully." Damon said before Buffy could answer. "Maybe she decided to make herself useful again. I got it, babe." Damon held up the tunnel map and looked over to see that Buffy was gone. "Babe?"

"Where'd she go?" Elena asked. "I didn't even hear her leave."

"I hate it when she does that."

Buffy had gone out of Alaric's apartment and down to meet Stefan outside. She grabbed him before he could make it to the building and tossed him into the alley where she pinned him against the wall. "Why are you calling Klaus?"

"How did you…." Stefan started.

"You're seriously asking me that?" She rolled her eyes. "Why were you calling Klaus?"

"To let him know what's going on."

"You're trying to sabotage our rescue mission. Why?"  
>"I can't tell you."<p>

"Oh? Well, you're going to."

"Klaus will kill us all."

"He can try. You forget that I'm Original strong and he's in love with me. Two very powerful things. So start talking or I knock you out and lock you in the police basement and go ahead with the plan."

Stefan sighed. "There might be a cure."

"To what?"

"Vampirism."

"Impossible. In all of Giles' books and Willow's books and everything we've gotten from the Watcher's Council, there is no mention of a cure. We would've found it by now."

"There's also no mention of The Five in any of those books."

Buffy paused and thought about it. Klaus had mentioned something called The Five before they'd blown up the hospital supply room. "Half point to you because there were a couple of mentions, but nothing informative. So, Connor is one of the Five, but what do they have to do with a cure for vampirism?"

"Connor's tattoo is the map to the cure."

Buffy shook her head. "Klaus told you this?" She laughed. "Stefan, this is Klaus we're talking about."

"He and Rebekah told a pretty convincing story."

"Klaus compelled you."

"I promise you, he didn't."

Buffy looked at Stefan for a moment and decided to switch topics. "Why is Klaus in Italy?"

"He's searching for a sword. Rebekah said it's the key to reading the map."

"You do realize how absurd this sounds?"

"Yes."

Buffy sighed and paced away a few steps. "So we have to keep that wannabe Slayer alive?"

"Yes."

"Damon won't listen. He wants him dead."

"Then we need to stop him."

"What is it with people stating the obvious today?" She shook her head. "Let's find out what's going on in the Grill and then we'll figure out what to do next." Buffy moved off and before Stefan could step out of the alley, she was back. "Jeremy, Matt, and that girl April are all in there."

"Anyone else?"

"No." Buffy pulled out her cell phone and called Damon.  
>"Where did you go?" He asked as soon as he picked up the phone.<p>

"To help Stefan. My hearing's better. I worked out that there are three hostages. Along with Jeremy, Matt, and April are in there."

"Those two idiots are like danger magnets." Damon snapped.

"We have to get them out of there." Elena said.

"Again with the obvious." Buffy shook her head. "Damon, the rules of the game have changed. We need a new plan."

"Buff, the plan is to kill him." Damon said.

"I know, but with Matt and April in there, things are more dangerous."

"You are incredibly fast, babe. Clock's ticking. When it hits zero, we're going in." Damon waved from the window and hung up.

"Did he just hang up on you?" Stefan asked.

"I'm gonna kick his ass." Buffy growled.  
>"Welcome to my world." Stefan glanced up at Alaric's loft windows. "We need to subdue him."<br>"Stefan…."

"I know you don't like hurting him, but a little vervain and he's out cold. It buys us time." Buffy started to protest again. "I'll do it. He only needs to be mad at me."

"Then you have to do it alone. I'll stay down here."

"And Elena…."

"Has to stay up there with him."

"Got it." Stefan started to move off, but his phone rang.

Before he could answer it, though, Buffy had it out of his pocket and to her ear. "Hello, Klaus."

"Buffy! It's so lovely to hear your voice. But why are you answering Stefan's phone?"  
>"Why did you take a trip to Italy to dig up a sword that supposedly leads to a cure for vampirism?"<p>

"I can't trust Stefan with secrets, now I may just have to kill him."

"Oh, he can keep a secret, but you forgot how good my hearing is."

"All right, I'll give you that."

"So, what are you planning?"

"I've sent one of my hybrids to go in and handle the situation. You just need to keep Damon out of the equation."

"Stefan is on it now." Stefan nodded and headed back towards the loft. Buffy tossed him her phone. "Get the maps from his phone and load them onto mine."

"Got it." Stefan headed into the building.

Buffy turned and looked at the Grill. "Do you honestly believe this cure exists?"  
>"Rebekah better hope it does." Klaus said.<p>

"Klaus…."

He sighed. "I honestly don't know, love, but it never hurts to look."

"Yeah." Buffy hung up and looked at the Grill. Upstairs in Alaric's loft, Stefan and Damon were arguing. Then Elena and Stefan were arguing.

After a few more minutes, Stefan finally came out and joined Buffy on the street. "She's agreed to stay up there."

"I heard." Buffy said as he handed her phone back to her. "I also heard your plan."

"Well, I had hoped it was a Buffy worthy plan. Sounded like something you might do."

She brought the maps up on her phone. "Sounds like the exact plan I was going to suggest. We need to get some tools. Looks like we're busting through a wall into an old wine cellar."

* * *

><p>Buffy and Stefan headed for the entrance to the tunnels that was deep in the woods. Stefan was carrying a pickaxe. He'd been filling her in on the information Klaus had given him about the Five. Buffy had found a couple of mentions of them in Giles' books, but they weren't substantial. Klaus's information filled a lot of gaps.<p>

Buffy hit the send button on her phone and waited. Connor picked up the phone. "We're closed."

"From a real Vampire Slayer to a wannabe, this isn't how the job gets done." Buffy said. "So, I'm going to give you some advice that will do you a world of good: Free the hostages."

"Sure. I'll free them. As soon as you give me what I want. You and everyone like you dead."

"There's no one like me."

"You're a vampire."

"And you're an idiot. But I can help with that. I have some knowledge that you might be interested in."

"About?"

"What you are. What that tattoo means once you're done growing it out. I'll even throw in a bonus track about the Brotherhood of the Five. But all that pretty knowledge stays in my head unless you free the hostages."

"That's a weak move. You must be desperate."

"Use your brain. Klaus needs you alive. Whenever I get put into a situation like that, my curiosity is off the charts. How about yours?" The line went dead. Buffy shrugged and put it back into her pocket. "I guess his philosophy is 'ignorance is bliss'."

"Did you really think that would work?" Stefan asked as they descended into the tunnels.

"No. But it was worth a shot." They moved through the tunnels towards the Grill and Buffy stopped Stefan. "Do you hear that?" There was a clanging up ahead like someone was trying to chisel through rock or brick. "I'll bet that's Matt." She moved off and by the time Stefan caught up to her, she'd already broken through the bricks and climbed up into the Grill just as an explosion went off. Klaus' hybrid must've set off a booby trap.

Matt and April were standing at the kitchen doors watching the main room. April turned around and started to scream at Buffy's sudden appearance, but Buffy clapped her hand over the girl's mouth. "Shh!" She turned and helped Stefan up through the hole.

Matt came over and hugged her. "I have never been so glad to see you guys."

"Yeah, still not 100 with you." Buffy said as she wriggled away. "Turn your Bluetooth on." Matt did as she said and Buffy sent him the picture of the tunnel map. "Climb down and follow that map. Then give her to Caroline so she can compel her."

"What?" April squeaked as Matt pulled her away.

"Buffy, that guy's armed. If you go out there, he's going to kill Jeremy." Matt said.

"Not on my watch."

"Go." Stefan said, herding Matt and April towards the hole.

Buffy inched out into the main room and peeked around the corner. Jeremy was standing near Connor as Connor watched his tattoo grow from the fresh hybrid kill. Connor looked over and spotted her. He grabbed Jeremy and started shooting. Buffy dove behind the bar just as Connor pushed Jeremy away.

"Would you chill out?" Buffy called. "I'm here to help you."

"Buffy…." Jeremy said. The fear in his voice and the beeping sound meant that Connor had shoved Jeremy onto a detonator.

"That's my kid you just put in danger!" Buffy growled. She looked out and saw Jeremy staring at her in fear. The detonator was attached to a jar with nails floating in what had to be werewolf venom. She closed her eyes and sighed.

Stefan was lurking in the doorway to the kitchen, just out of sight of the main room. If he stepped out, Connor would shoot him. Good for Buffy, bad for Stefan. She needed to get to Jeremy since she was the fastest. She could get him away from the blast before the trigger even realized he was gone. She was also fast enough that Connor wouldn't realize it either.

Buffy waved Stefan back. "Connor! Put your gun down. I told you that real Vampire Slayers don't use those."

"Too bad you're not a real Slayer."

"I told you there's no one like me. Yeah, I'm a vampire, but somehow, I'm also the Slayer. I can still feel the Slayer power in me."

"That's the vampire power in you."

"I also said you were an idiot and you just proved me right again. I'm stronger and faster than any other vampire out there. Including the Originals. It's because I'm part Slayer, part vampire. And I did that to protect my family." Connor didn't reply. "You want to know how to hunt vampires and grow that tattoo? I'll show you. I can make you better. I'll even show you the other species of vampire."

"The vampires don't have species."

"You're wrong there. How about demons? Does that tattoo work on killing demons?"

"Vampires are demons."

"Not all of them. And I was talking _actual _demons. You know, crazy skin, weird eyes, sometimes they even come with tentacles or horns…. Or bone knives that pop out of their forearms."

"You're lying."

"Not a very good hunter if you don't know what's out there to be hunted. Don't you own books? Or a computer? Google Der Kindestod or Lurconis or a Thesulac demon. Seriously, there's so many of them. You could do a world of good taking those things out. Just put the gun down."

"Sure, I'll put the gun down as soon as you come out."

"If that's what it takes, then fine." Buffy started to stand up, but the side door suddenly burst open and Elena rushed in. Buffy and Stefan both sighed and rolled their eyes.

"Please!" Elena begged. "Don't hurt him."

Connor trained the gun on Jeremy. "You come any closer and he's dead."

"Elena, get out of here!" Jeremy said.

"He and Buffy are the only family I have left. Just let them go."

"You hear that? Your girl is watching. I will shoot the boy right in front of her." Connor yelled. "On the count of three. One! Two!" Stefan suddenly appeared in the main room, stepping out of his hiding place by the kitchen door. Connor trained the gun on him and Elena attacked. The gun went off and Buffy smelled Jeremy's blood on the air. She was grabbing him between one heartbeat and the next and disappearing with him behind the bar before the explosion went off. Stefan ducked back into the kitchen to avoid the venom soaked nails.

"Jeremy?" Elena called. Connor used the distraction and pinned Elena to the floor. She managed to stop the stake, but he was close to her heart.

Buffy grabbed Connor by the neck and tossed him away. "Stop trying to kill my family!" She hauled him up by his arms behind his back. "Elena, go to Jeremy." And with that, she was gone with Connor. Stefan followed her down into the tunnels.

"What now?" Stefan asked.

"We take him back to Klaus' place."

"Good work." Damon said, appearing in the tunnel ahead of them.

"It's over, Damon." Buffy said.

"I had to punch through a boiler room basement into a septic tank to get into this stupid tunnel…. Only to discover my brother _and_ my fiancée have betrayed me!"

"Stop being dramatic."

"Oh no, dramatic is how I'm going to kill that hunter."

"You're not going to kill him. Nobody is."

"Give me one good reason."

"I'll explain it to you later."

"Not good enough." Damon grabbed Stefan and shoved him against the wall. He pushed his fingers into Stefan's chest and grabbed his brother's heart. "I think you should explain now!"

Buffy sighed and rolled her eyes. She turned Connor in the opposite direction, back towards the Grill. "Run. But just remember, I will catch you." Connor took off and Buffy turned back to Damon. "Let your brother go."

"Explain!"

Buffy grabbed Damon's wrist and squeezed until it cracked. He let go of Stefan's heart and she pulled him away.

Damon looked at her in shock as he held his wrist. "You broke it."

"You were trying to kill your brother." She stepped towards him, but he backed away. It broke Buffy's heart to see him scared of her. She glanced at Stefan and sighed. "You can't kill the hunter because his tattoo is the key to a cure."

"A cure for what?" Damon asked.

"Being a vampire."

"Klaus told you there's a cure for vampirism?"

"Yes." Stefan said. "If Connor dies, then we'll lose it forever."

Buffy stepped towards Damon again, pleased that he didn't step away. "I know it sounds completely out of this world bonkers, but…. It's hope." She said. "Elena is suffering and I can't watch her go through it anymore. If there really is a cure, then I'm going to do whatever it takes to find it for her." Damon looked at her and nodded. "And for the record, I was not ok with Stefan vervaining you, but you are so stubborn!"

Damon smirked. "I thought you liked that."

"Not always." He moved towards her, but she held out her hand. "Uh…. Baby, you stink."

"I had to crawl through a septic tank because _someone_ took my daylight ring." Damon said pointedly to Stefan.  
>"Sorry." Stefan handed the ring back to Damon. "I had to buy us time."<p>

"Can we go find the hunter guy now?" Buffy asked. "I'd prefer it if he was locked up and not trying to kill us all."

"Sounds like a plan." Damon said.

They headed back through the tunnels with Buffy following Connor's scent. She began to panic, though, when Elena's scent showed up with the strong smell of blood and death right behind it. "Oh no." Buffy said. She rushed off towards the entrance, hopping over the small pool of blood on the ground. Damon and Stefan tried to keep up. At the entrance to the tunnel, Buffy listened hard. There was digging happening a little ways off and she followed the sound to where she found Elena digging a grave for the dead Connor. His throat was ripped out and his head was at an odd angle. Buffy closed her eyes. "Elena…."

Elena gasped and stopped digging. Her mouth was stained with blood. "I need to bury him. I killed him. I should…. I should bury him." She resumed digging and Buffy sighed.

Stefan walked over and went to touch her shoulder. "Elena…."

She jerked away from him. "Don't! Damon told me about your phone calls with Klaus. You said you were going to protect Jeremy! Keep me from this." She gestured at the dead Connor. "You said that I could trust you, Stefan."

"Elena, it's complicated." Buffy said.

"No, it's not complicated, Buffy! You wanna know why? Because he's dead now." Elena started to cry and looked at Damon. "You told me to kill him. So I did."

"I'm sorry." Damon said.

"I killed someone…. I killed someone…. I…. I killed…. I killed someone!" Elena started to sob and Buffy moved towards her. Elena tried to bat her away, but Buffy was too fast and too strong. She wrapped her arms around Elena and held her until she wrapped her arms around Buffy and sobbed into her shoulder.


	67. Chapter 67

_**A/N Sorry it took me so long to update this. My brother, sister-in-law, and niece came in from Alabama for Thanksgiving and I wanted to spend all my spare time with them. And I didn't want to give you a rushed chapter. Hope you guys like it!**_

Chapter 67

Buffy laid in bed and stared at the ceiling. She was in her room at the Gilbert house. Jeremy was in his room sleeping. Elena was in her room writing in her journal after a shower. Buffy had helped her finish burying Connor and then taken her home. Stefan had tried numerous times to talk to Elena, but she wouldn't have anything to do with her. She was getting madder at Buffy for not answering her questions about Stefan, but Buffy couldn't let her know she'd killed the answer to finding her cure.

Damon walked in, closing the door behind him, and slid into the bed next to her. "How is she?"

"How do you think?" Buffy said.

"Well, the good news is: The Brotherhood of the Five has five hunters. We just need one."

"Yes, because finding a lost contact lens in a haystack the size of China is the easiest thing to do."

"We have resources, Buff. We can do it." He kissed her temple. "We're not going to rest until we find this cure."

"Glad you're on board."

"Where you go I go." Buffy was suddenly missing from the bed. "Or not."

He got up to find her out in the hallway knocking on the bathroom door. "Elena? Are you ok?"

"I'm…. I'm fine." Elena called back. "Just…. Dropped my brush."

"It sounded like you dropped yourself. Are you sure you're ok?"

Elena opened the door. "Yeah. I'm fine." She glanced back at the bathroom suspiciously and then closed the door. Buffy raised an eyebrow at her. "I promise. I'm fine."

"Ok." Buffy watched Elena walk into her room and close her door. She glanced at Damon standing in the doorway to their room. He nodded towards the stairs and Buffy followed him down to the kitchen. "It sounded like she fell."

"Maybe she did." Damon said, reaching up into the cabinet and pulling down a bottle of bourbon and two glasses.

"I'm worried about her." Buffy accepted her glass from Damon and they headed out the back door. She settled down on the grass and looked around her. "I don't know what will happen to her if we don't find this cure."

Damon sat down beside her and took her free hand. "She will get through this. Whether we find the cure or not, I promise you that Elena will get through this."

"You saw her today…. After she killed Connor. She's not ok."

"I didn't want to be a vampire." Damon said quietly. "I was just going to fade away."

"I know."

"Hear me out." He took her hand against his heart. "I honestly believe now that I wasn't meant to fade away. That I was meant to become a vampire so I could be here, now…. With you. I've never been big on the whole destiny thing until you walked into my life. So, I think…. Maybe this was meant to happen to Elena. Everything she's going through now will lead to something so much bigger and better later on." He took a large swallow of his bourbon. "Hell, it took my bigger and better almost 150 years to get here."

Buffy smiled slightly. Damon rarely got gushy, but when he did…. "I love you so much."

Damon smiled and set down his drink. He gently held her face between his hands, moving her hair behind her ears. "I love you more than you will ever realize."

"I get glimpses of it." She leaned forward and kissed him. Damon moved onto his side and they laid down together, letting the kiss escalate.

A few hours later, they laid in the grass together staring up at the sky wrapped in each other's arms. It was the first calm, quiet moment they had had in a long time. Of course it would be broken. "You're not here. I…. I've got to be dreaming." Elena said from the kitchen.

"Who is she talking to?" Damon asked.

"Because you're… Because you're dead. You're a ghost. That's gotta be it. You're a ghost, that's what's happening right now. Buffy! Buffy!" Buffy jumped up and threw her clothes back on with Damon right behind her. "You're a ghost…. You're haunting me. You're a ghost. You're haunting me."

Buffy and Damon rushed into the house just as Elena grabbed a knife and stabbed Jeremy in the neck. "No!" Buffy cried. Elena dropped the knife.

"Oh my god!" Elena sobbed as Jeremy fell to the ground. Buffy and Elena went down with him. "Jer! Jer! Jer! Jer! No, no, no, no, no, no."

Buffy looked down at Jeremy's hand and saw that he was wearing his ring. "Elena, he's going to be ok."

"Jer…." Elena sobbed. Damon came over and held her to him as Buffy held the dead Jeremy in her arms.

Buffy reached over and moved Elena's hair out of her face. "Elena, what happened?"

"I didn't know it was him."

"Obviously. You said someone was haunting you. Who did you see?"  
>"The hunter. Connor."<p>

"Connor is haunting you?" Buffy looked around, but she didn't see any ghosts. "Is he still here?"

"No." Elena sobbed. "I'm sorry."

"It's ok." Buffy petted Elena's hair. "Shh, it's ok."

* * *

><p>Jeremy was lying dead on the couch while Elena paced in front of him. Buffy and Damon were in the room with her. It was early morning and the sun was out. Jeremy had been out for a while and Buffy was starting to worry. She was also keeping a lookout for any hunter ghosts. To her dismay, she also noticed the tattoo that had formed on Jeremy's hand. It was just like Connor's.<p>

"I can't believe this happened." Elena said. "What am I going to say to him?"

"Thanks for not ditching the family ring after it drove Rick crazy?" Damon asked. "You should have called Stefan."

"I don't want to talk to him. He's been lying to me and hiding things from me. He compelled Jeremy to forget god knows what."

"In all fairness, I mean, I think you killing him kinda trumps that. And you should have called Stefan."

"I don't trust him right now, Damon."

Stefan walked in the house and Elena looked at Damon incredulously as Stefan said, "Hey."

"PS, I called Stefan." Damon said.

Stefan walked over to Elena. "What happened? Why didn't you call me?"  
>"I just…. I need to go upstairs and shower. Clean all the blood off my hands." Elena walked out of the room.<p>

Jeremy gasped as he came back to life. "Welcome back." Buffy said, suddenly sitting by his side, moving by Stefan so fast that he didn't notice as he headed for the stairs. "How are you feeling?"

"What happened?" Jeremy asked.

"Long story, buy the e-book." Damon said.

Buffy rolled her eyes at Damon. "Elena got…. Freaked out a bit and you startled her…. While she had a knife in her hand."

Jeremy's eyes widened. "She killed me?"

"She didn't mean to."

He sat up and swung his legs over the side of the couch. "I startled a vampire?"

"She was freaked out already. Hey, did you happen to see Connor's ghost just before…."

Jeremy looked at Buffy like she was crazy. "No."

"Ok, just checking." Buffy glanced at the clock. "Hey, don't you have something with Bonnie at the school today?"

"Oh…. Uh, yeah. That occult thing with her professor guy."

"Why don't you go grab a shirt out of the laundry room and head out?"

"That actually sounds like a good idea." Jeremy stood up and headed out.

Buffy looked at Damon. "I need to make a phone call." She dashed upstairs to grab her phone and was outside in two seconds. With a sigh, she dialed Klaus's number.

"Buffy, what a pleasant surprise!" Klaus said.  
>"Doesn't sound like you mean it."<p>

"Why ever not?"

"I don't know. You just sound…. More fake cheerful than usual."

"Well, my plans for a hybrid filled future have been destroyed. It's not exactly a good day. But let's accentuate the positives, shall we? The hunter was one of Five. We'll find another, it may take centuries, but we've got nothing but time, right?"

"Now that voice I know. Who's getting killed?"

"Not your beloved Salvatore brothers, if that's what you're worried about. But I am concerned about your daughter. Have the hallucinations started yet?"

"Actually, that's what I'm calling you about."

"You know about them?"  
>"No, but there are two people in this house that can see ghosts and neither of us have, but Elena, who's never been able to, has. It doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure out that if a vampire kills a magical vampire hunter, there's gotta be some kind of magical repercussion."<p>

"Well, aren't you a smart one? Where are you?"

"I'm at my more modest home."

"How convenient," Buffy looked up to see Klaus walking up the sidewalk. "So am I." He hung up and walked over to her. "You look a bit rumpled."

"Well, Elena hallucinated that Jeremy was Connor and she stabbed him in the neck. I've been a little busy and haven't had time to change." She stood up, setting her phone down on the porch. "What do you know?"

"I killed the Original Five hunters. Did Stefan tell you that?"

"He did."

"When one kills a hunter there is a bit of a consequence."

"Like I said, I figured. What kind of consequences are we talking about?"

"The hunters were spelled by witches to kill vampires. If you prevent one from fulfilling his destiny then he'll take you down with him."

Buffy nodded. "Makes sense. What do we do?"

"Connor's death won't prevent him from making Elena his final vampire kill. She'll need to come with me now. I'll lock her up, keep her away from any sharp wooden objects."

"Are you insane? She's not going anywhere with you."

"Well, if we leave her alone, she'll take her own life before the day is out."

"She's strong."

"Is she? Believe me it's for her own good."

Behind them, the front door opened and Stefan stepped out. "What is he doing here?"

"Don't worry, Stefan. I'm not here to kill you." Klaus smiled. "I'm answering questions today."

Buffy looked at Stefan. "Since Elena killed Connor, she's been seeing him…. And talking to him, apparently. Klaus says that it's because he's trying to finish the job he started."

"What do you mean?"

"He's trying to make Elena his last vampire kill."

"How do we stop it?"

"By letting me lock her up and keep her safe." Klaus said.

"No. No way in hell."

Buffy turned back to Klaus, but before she could say anything, the front door opened and Elena ran out onto the porch and stopped. Klaus was suddenly dodging around Buffy and Stefan and grabbed her, carrying her off. Damon walked out onto the porch just after Buffy ran after Klaus. Neither Damon nor Stefan could track her.

"Klaus, stop!" Buffy yelled. She almost ran into him and Elena when he did. That's when she realized they'd run all the way across town and were now standing outside of Klaus's mansion.

"Buffy!" Elena cried.

"I'm glad you managed to keep up." Klaus said, still holding Elena.

"Give her back." Buffy said.

"This is the best thing for her. As her foster parent, that's what you want, isn't it?"

"Then I stay with her."

"What's going on?" Elena asked.

"That was the original plan, wasn't it?" Klaus asked, ignoring Elena. "I take her, you come with?"

"Yes." Buffy said.

"Then let's go." He turned and headed inside.

"Buffy, what's happening?" Elena asked as Klaus drug her into the house.

Buffy sighed as they headed down into the basement. "Klaus is going to keep you safe."

"Safe? Safe from what?"

"Yourself."

"What? What does that mean?" A hybrid opened a door to a room and Klaus drug Elena in. "Let go of me!"

"Certainly." Klaus let her go. "I apologize for the lack of windows. It's to preserve the art. And of course to prevent you from taking off your daylight ring and burning yourself to death in the sun."

"I'm not gonna kill myself. I would never do that."

"Oh, but you'll want to. I did. Problem is I'm immortal."

Elena looked at Buffy and then back at Klaus. "You went through this?"

"Yes, I did. For 52 years, 4 months, and 9 days. I was tormented, in my dreams, in every waking moment, relentless, never ending torture. It was the only period of my life when I actually felt time."

"So, you knew that this would happen if Connor died? That's why you got involved. Did Stefan know too?"

"All he knew was that the hunter had to be kept alive. You should have listened to him when he said he had it covered."

"What else does Stefan know?"

"Well, that's one of life's little mysteries, isn't it?" Klaus backed away and headed for the door.

"Buffy?"

"I'm not leaving, Elena." Buffy said. "I won't leave you. But I don't want anything to happen to you." Elena nodded, trusting Buffy. "Klaus, how did you make it stop?"

"I didn't." Klaus said. "Eventually it just stopped. The hallucinations tend to appear in strange forms." He looked at Elena. "Don't say I didn't warn you." Klaus walked out of the room with Buffy and the hybrid lackey shut the door behind them. Buffy touched the door and sighed. Klaus gently touched her shoulder. "She'll be ok, love."

"I hate this." Buffy turned and looked at Klaus, tears shining in her eyes. "Isn't there anything we can do for her?"

"You've got a powerful witch on your side."

"Willow!" Buffy reached for her phone, but sighed as she remembered she'd left it back at the Gilbert house. "Crap."

"Where is she today?"

"With Bonnie at the school." Buffy looked at the door again. "I won't leave her, but I need to get Willow. She won't trust anyone else though."

"Tell you what, I'll let your fiancé know where you are and have him send the witch somewhere."

"Let me tell him."

"You don't trust me?"

"Never have, never will."

"That hurts me." Klaus said, handing his phone over.

Buffy shrugged and dialed Damon's number. "Klaus! Where are Buffy and Elena? I swear, if you've hurt them…." Damon demanded.

"It's me." Buffy said.

"You're ok! You left your phone, I…."

"Listen, we're ok."

"Where are you?"

"Safe. For now. Damon, Elena's not going to be ok unless we fix this."

"What's happening?"

"When a vampire kills one of The Five, they're haunted by that hunter. They have hallucinations."

"What does that mean?"

"Connor's trying to get Elena to kill herself because he wants one last vampire kill. I need you to get Willow and have her find a way to break the curse. Stop the hallucinations."

"Aren't you coming to help?"

"I'm not leaving Elena with Klaus."

"You let him take her?"

"I let him lock her up so she'll be safe while he explains more to me about what he knows. I promise I'll be ok. If you guys find anything, call this number, ok?"

Damon sighed. He was obviously not happy about the arrangement. "Fine. Just…. Check in every now and then?"

"Ok. I will."

"Hey…. I love you."

Buffy smiled. "I love you, too."

Klaus took the phone and hung up on Damon. "Enough of that. Let's go upstairs, get you a change of clothing, and have a little chat."

* * *

><p>Damon sat at Alaric's desk in his old classroom in the dark. He opened up a drawer and found a bottle of bourbon. Taking it out with a smile, propped his feet up on the desk. "You're missing all the adventure, pal." He held the bottle up for Alaric and took a swig. Willow and Bonnie were getting Shane from the exhibit. Willow was starting to be a little wary of Shane, but if he had answers for Buffy, then she was willing to work with him. If he tried anything, she'd magic his ass to the middle of the Congo.<p>

"Shane, this is our friend, Damon." Bonnie said as she, Willow, and Shane walked in. "He's kind of an expert on this stuff too."

"I audited your class." Damon said. "Very enlightening."

"That's right, I remember you." Shane said. "What's your specialty?"

"The origin of the species."

"Ah, I think Darwin would arm wrestle you for that distinction."

"Not that species."

"You're into the monster stuff. All right, awesome."

"I was kind of hoping you might have stumbled upon this at some point, maybe." Damon pulled out the drawing of Connor's hunter's mark and handed it to Shane.

Shane took it and looked at it with a bit of surprise on his face. "This is the hunter's mark. Where did you get this?"

"My fiancée is a Vampire Slayer. She can see the tattoo and looked it up. There's not a lot of information on them and she's curious as to who's encroaching on her territory."

"A real, one girl in all the world, Vampire Slayer? I thought they were legend."

"Not so much."

"And not so much with the one girl part either." Willow said. "I helped her make all potential Slayers into active Slayers."

"You never mentioned any of this before." Shane said.

"Didn't think it was necessary." Shane looked taken aback at Willow's comment, but she just looked at him. He was smart not to say anything else since he was well aware that Willow's powers were the greatest he'd ever seen.

Shane looked at Damon. "Where is she? Can I meet her?"

"She's busy with her adopted daughter. Do you know anything about the hunter's curse?" Damon asked, getting them back on track.

"Legend says that if a hunter is killed by that which it hunts, then that person will be cursed to walk the Earth in torment until…."

"Until?" Bonnie asked.

"Until a new hunter is awakened and their legacy is passed on. They're called, well, potentials."

"Like potential Slayers? Only guys?" Willow asked. "Buffy's going to take serious offence to that."

"Buffy…. The Vampire Slayer?"

"She'll take offence to that, too. And you really don't want her to get offended."

Shane nodded. "Listen, I have a bunch of research on it. Why don't I go grab it for you?"

"That'd be great." Damon said as Shane handed the hunter's mark drawing back to Damon. "Hey, thanks."

Shane left the classroom and Bonnie looked at Damon. "How are we supposed to find a potential hunter?"

"Yeah, about that." Damon had pulled out his cell and called Jeremy. "Little Gilbert, your services are needed." He said when Jeremy answered.

* * *

><p>Buffy and Klaus walked around the expansive gardens on his estate side by side. He was telling her about his time under the hunter's curse. Buffy listened intently. She was trying to learn anything she could that would maybe help break the curse, but she only found herself feeling bad for Klaus. For everything he'd gone through. The things the hunter put him through were horrible. It also scared the hell out of Buffy that Elena could be going through all of that until they found a cure.<p>

"Buffy?" She looked up and found Klaus standing in front of her with a concerned look on his face. "Are you all right, love?"

"Sorry." Buffy shrugged. "I was just thinking about…. Elena."  
>"Well, you've got Willow on the case. I'm sure she'll think of something. Would you like to talk about something else?"<p>

"What would we talk about?"

"Anything." He slipped his hand into hers. "Tell me more about you."

Buffy thought about pulling away, but she didn't want to upset him. He might get angry, knock her out, and take Elena. "I thought you knew everything about me."

"Not everything is researchable. Like…. I still can't figure out why you love Damon so much."

For a moment she thought about snapping at him. His jealousy towards Damon was unfounded, but then she remembered that she did actually feel something for Klaus and maybe an explanation would help smooth that over. Somehow. "There's not any one reason why I love him. And it's not like I meant to fall in love with him." Buffy noticed the inquisitive look on Klaus's face. "I hated him for a long time. He killed my best friend. But somehow…. In all that hating…. Something happened. Something changed. Something got under my skin. He was…. Different. I saw a different side of him." One look at Klaus's face and she knew she'd said the absolute wrong thing.

"And why is that any different from me? Because he got there first?" He held her hand against his chest where his heart was. A heart she'd literally held in her hand only weeks ago. "Give me a chance to prove to you that I'm different. That I can love deeply and be loyal to you and you alone."

"Klaus…." She let go of his hand and moved away from him a few paces before turning back to him. "Ok, yeah…. I do feel something for you, but it's minute."

"It's still something."

"It's not something you should cling to. It's not hope."

"You came here willingly."

"I came here because you had Elena. I had to protect her."

"I'm trying to protect her."

"I know. And I appreciate that…."

"Why can't you just give me a chance?"

Buffy held up her left hand. "Because I'm engaged. I'm going to marry Damon."

"I can give you bigger and prettier baubles than that measly thing."

"It's not about diamonds, Klaus. It has nothing to do with jewelry at all. The ring is just a symbol."

"Forever is a very long time. People don't realize what they're promising when they wear that symbol."

"I'm not people."

"No, love, that you're not." He moved towards her and she held her ground. "If you have forever, then give me a year to prove to you that I can be everything you need. I'm not even asking you to promise me an eternity. Just a year."

"No."

"What's one year in the infinite years you have ahead of you?"

"A year of causing Damon pain and heartache and irreparable damage to our relationship because I'm out cavorting with you because I'm curious? I can't do that to him."

"You admit you're curious?"

"No!"

"The lady doth protest too much."

"Stop." Buffy looked back towards the house. She'd heard not good sounds coming from inside.

"Make me." He moved closer, but she held out her hand against his chest.

"No…. Stop. Listen."

Klaus was instantly on alert. They both ran back towards the house to find the door to Elena's room was open and the guard was missing. There was a groan and Buffy found Stefan leaning against a pillar with a lead pipe through his stomach and Elena was gone.

Klaus moved to attack, but Buffy held him back. "Stop!" She rushed over to Stefan and pulled the pipe out. "Are you crazy!? What the hell were you doing?"

"Trying to save Elena." Stefan said.

"So was I."

"With Klaus?"

"Yes. With Klaus. He's been through this, Stefan. He knows what to do. Haven't you talked to Damon?"

"Once I heard Klaus took Elena, I had to save her. I wasn't sure what your angle in all this was."

"My angle, as always, is to protect Elena. Which I can't do now because you've lost her." Buffy took Stefan's phone from him and dialed Damon's number.

"You can rest easy, brother." Damon answered. "We figured out how to solve our little Elena problem."  
>"Really? Because Klaus's phone hasn't rang."<p>

"Buffy? Why are you with Stefan?"

"Because Stefan just broke Elena out of the suicide watch ward of Klaus's house and lost her."

"What? Again?"

"She's in bad shape." Stefan said. "I tried to help her but she attacked me."

Buffy rolled her eyes at him. "I will deal with you later. Damon, we need to find her. Talk her down. Tell Stefan what needs to be done to end this and I'll meet you at her house."

"Buff, I think I need your approval on how to end this."

"Why? What's wrong?"

"Well…. To end the curse…. You have to activate the next hunter."

Buffy blinked. "Jeremy."

"Yeah."

"Can I talk to him?"

"He's with Bonnie. She doesn't like the implications."

"She never does."

"He's willing to help."

"Great. I get to choose between my kids." Buffy sighed. "If Jeremy fully understands what he's getting into, then let him do it. Give him a vampire to kill. I'm going after Elena. I'll meet you at her house." She hung up.

"What can I do to help?" Klaus asked.

"Jeremy needs a vampire to kill. Think you could rustle one up?"

"I've got one handy right here." He gestured at Stefan.

"Preferably not one of my family."

Klaus smirked. "I'll give young Jeremy one of my hybrids. Go save Elena."

Buffy squeezed his hand in thanks and disappeared.

* * *

><p>Buffy and Damon headed for Wickery Bridge. It had been Damon's idea to check there. Buffy had wanted to make sure she wasn't at their house or hers before she tried anywhere else. Sure enough, there was Elena talking to one of her ghosts.<p>

"You're…. you're right. I…. I…. I'm sorry I…. Mommy, I didn't mean to disappoint you."

"Elena." Buffy said.

Elena turned and looked at them. "Buffy? Damon?" She turned back to look at her ghost, but apparently it was gone. "How did you find me?"

"Didn't take a genius to figure it out." Damon said. "Third time's a charm."

"You were right, Damon. Vampires kill people. Stefan was right too. I can't live with myself."

"Look at you, being all glass is half empty."

"Can we just go talk about this before you do something crazy?" Buffy asked. Elena turned her head again and nodded. She looked back out at the water as the sun began its slow ascent in the sky. Buffy noticed that her hand was bare. "Where's your ring?" Elena didn't answer. "Where's your ring, Elena?" She looked at the sun. "We need to get you inside. What you're going through is a curse. We know how to break it, but we just have to get you inside."

"Damn it, Elena!" Damon rushed at her and tried to grab her, but she rushed around him and stayed a good distance away. He and Buffy were now on either side of her.

Buffy thought about rushing at Elena as well, but she was afraid Elena might do something stupid. She glanced down at her ring and yanked it off. "Elena…." She moved closer. "I need you to calm down, ok?"

"Please, Buffy…." Elena said. "Let me end this. Put your ring back on."

"No. It's not your time to go."

"It doesn't matter."

"You or me, Elena. That's the choice."  
>"I'm not making that choice."<p>

"That's the choice I make every day." She was suddenly standing next to Elena and her daylight ring was on Elena's hand. Elena tried to yank it off, but Buffy held her hand tightly. "You're life is more important than mine."

"I'm not worth it. You save the world. I just…."

"Elena, you are my daughter. As far as I'm concerned, your life is worth ten of mine."

Elena gasped slightly and looked around her. She closed her eyes and when she opened them, she seemed almost herself again.** "**He's gone."

Buffy smiled and stepped back. Elena and Damon started to hear a sizzling noise and Elena looked at Buffy. Her flesh was starting to burn. Damon looked over and saw the sun had started to rise. He rushed at Buffy, grabbed her and Elena, and threw all three of them over the bridge and into the water.

* * *

><p>Elena woke up in her bed a few hours later. She looked at her hand and saw that she had her daylight ring back on and Buffy's was missing. She slowly started to sit up, almost panicked. "I fished it out of the river for you so Buffy could have her ring back." She turned and saw Damon sitting on her window seat. "Little tip? Vampires hate to swim."<p>

Buffy walked in, wearing her ring and her left ring finger, and set down the tray of hot tea. "How are you feeling?"

"My head's clear." Elena said. "I can remember everything, but not like I lived it…. Like it was a really bad dream. You saved me. Thank you."

"Well, you know what they say about teenage suicide. Don't do it." Buffy sat down on the edge of Elena's bed and took her hand.

Elena smiled. "I just can't believe that I almost…."

"Don't worry yourself." Damon said.

"Yeah, but if it wasn't for you…."

"My fiancée would be dead and you'd be wearing her engagement ring. But I'm over it, so don't worry."

"So listen…." Buffy said. "I want you to know something. I know that you think Stefan's been lying to you, which, he has, and I've helped cover up some of it, but this rough patch that you two have been going through is not what you think. Everything that he's been doing…. He's been doing for you. To help you."

"Help me what?" Elena asked.

"There may be a way out of this for you, Elena." Elena looked at her, obviously confused. "There may be a cure."

"A cure…. For being a vampire?"

"Yes."

"How? When did you find this out?"

"I actually just found out the day before yesterday. And don't worry yourself with the how. We've got that covered." Buffy leaned over and kissed Elena's forehead. "Get some rest. Damon and I are going out."

"Are you coming back here?"

"Of course." Buffy stood up and followed Damon out of the house.

When they reached the sidewalk, Damon turned and pulled her into a tight hug. "Don't you ever do something like that to me again!" He said, shaking her slightly. "When I saw you burning…. It was the worst feeling in the world."

"I'm sorry." She held him tightly. "I didn't know what else to do. I had to make her see that killing herself wasn't an option."

"I need a drink. Let's go to the Grill." He wrapped one arm around her shoulders and they headed off in the direction of the town square. Damon took off his jacket first and then helped Buffy out of hers. They sat down at the bar and he ordered them glasses of bourbon. Buffy noticed him look at the seat next to him as he said, "Make that three." She smiled and took his hand.

Matt walked up and stood on the other side of Damon, blocking his view of Alaric's seat. "You're still saving a spot for Mr. Saltzman, huh?"

"I'd say we're in the market for a new drinking buddy. You're not qualified." Damon said.

"I know that you guys don't like me. But, I dug up some stuff about the explosion at the Young farm, I kind of need to tell someone about." Damon glanced at Buffy and she shrugged. He turned back to Matt and motioned for him to continue. "So, April mentioned that her dad knew that Professor Shane guy. Which wouldn't be creepy, except, he had all that info about the hunter's curse, and we live in a town where, you know, anybody who knows stuff is creepy until proven otherwise."

"You're on the verge of impressing me. Drive it home."

"I got the Sheriff to dig up the Pastor's phone records. Turns out he made like a call a day to the same number the last month he was alive. And on the day that the Council got blown up at the farm, he called it ten times."

"What was the number?" Buffy asked.

"The office of Professor Atticus Shane." Matt said.


	68. Chapter 68

Chapter 68

Buffy sat at the kitchen table sipping her coffee and reading the morning newspaper. Both Jeremy and Damon were still asleep. Elena came bounding down the stairs with a bunch of magazines in her hand. She trotted over to Buffy and smiled brightly. "Good morning!"

"You're up early." Buffy said, looking up at Elena. "And you're very cheerful for someone who just broke up with her boyfriend."

Elena shrugged and sat down across from her. "I refuse to dwell on the negative."

"Thinking positive? Good direction. What are all those magazines?" Elena dumped the magazines on the table and Buffy choked on her coffee. They were all wedding magazines. "Elena…."

"I just thought we should start planning. I read that it takes at least a year to plan a good wedding and since you're going to be a Salvatore that means it's going to have to be kinda big and…. What?"

Buffy was staring at Elena patiently, but something in her expression stopped Elena. "Look, I know exactly what this is about."

"What?"

"You're trying to get your mind off everything. I get it. But planning my wedding to Damon is not the right way to go about it."

"Why not?"

"Because one: I'm not even sure we'll be getting hitched any time soon."

"Why?"

"We've got a lot on our plates right now. And two: The Miss Mystic Falls pageant is coming up. You should be focusing on that."

"I'm not in it this year."

"But you're helping Caroline with it. You promised her."

Elena sighed. "I was really looking forward to helping you plan your dress and your bridesmaids' dresses and your flowers and, well, everything."

Buffy smiled. "I'll worry about all that planning when there's no more crazy to deal with."

"Crazy doesn't die down around here!"

"I don't really want my wedding crashed by the hounds of hell or something equally as crazy. Fighting in a wedding dress has never been high on my priorities. It's bad enough in formal wear."

Elena sighed again and put her chin in her palms. "Fine. What are you wearing to the pageant?"

"I haven't decided. All of my fancy dresses are at the boarding house."

"Most of your clothes are at the boarding house."

"Well, I live in two different places."

Damon came into the kitchen and kissed Buffy's hair. "Good morning ladies." He spotted the magazines and smiled. "Oh, did you convince her to set a date?"

Buffy started to answer, but Elena butt in. "Not yet, but we should all sit down and work on it." She smiled brightly. "I bought all of these for your bride to be in the hopes that we could start planning soon."

"Good idea. I knew I liked you for a reason."

"I can't win." Buffy said.

"Nope." Elena said. She grabbed one of the magazines and flipped to a marked page. "What do you think of stargazer lilies?"

Damon sat down with his own cup of coffee and looked at the magazine. "That's a lot of pink."

"Buffy likes pink. Besides, they'll go with red roses. See?" She showed him the picture of the bouquet she'd marked while Buffy groaned and slammed her forehead on the table.

* * *

><p>After Elena had left to go help Caroline with the pageant, Damon and Buffy had gone home to the boarding house to figure out what Buffy was going to wear the next day. They'd gotten tangled up in each other all morning and well into the afternoon after arguing about him influencing Elena to pressure Buffy about a wedding. Apparently he'd talked to Elena in the middle of the night while Buffy slept and expressed his desire to marry "the woman of his dreams".<p>

While they were dressing after a shower, Stefan had come home. Now he walked down the stairs with a bag over his shoulder. Damon intercepted him on his way out. "Where have you been?"

"Ah, you know, out." Stefan said. Stefan walked past Damon and towards the front door, but Buffy was walking down the hallway from the kitchen.

"Hey! Where are you going?" She asked brightly.

"Out."

Buffy looked at Damon and he shrugged. "Ok, I see shady Stefan is back." Stefan stopped and realized he was between both of them. "Please don't tell me that you're still working with Klaus."

"You obviously haven't heard. Elena and I broke up."

"Oh. Well, yeah. We knew that." Buffy shrugged. "It's your fault, though." Stefan looked at her incredulously. "Well, it is…. Sort of…. But that's…. whatever. Listen, I need to catch you up on everything. So, apparently, if we want to find the cure, we have to find a vampire hunter who can kill enough vampires to reveal the map on the hunter's mark. I really don't want Jeremy to be the sequel to Connor, so we need to find a different hunter."

"Ok. And?"

"And we were gonna ask Professor Shane, but it turns out he's shadier than you are." Damon said. "Matt Donovan connected him and the Pastor through phone records. Apparently, the two were very chatty the day that the Pastor blew up the Council."

"Ah, so you two are gonna confront Shane, threaten him, possibly kill him, that sort of thing?"

"Yeah, unless he tells us what he's up to." Stefan started to leave again, but Damon stopped him. "Or we could just blow it off and go get drunk. Brother bond over some Tri Delts while Buffy takes care of the kids."

"Hey!" Buffy protested.

"I'm not interested. Have fun." Stefan ducked out of the house and Buffy and Damon exchanged looks.

"This stinks of Klaus." Buffy said.

"I agree." Damon nodded. "Maybe we should go talk to him."

"No."

"Why not?"

"Because he's not going to just spell his plans out for us. I had to threaten Stefan last time."

"So you want to threaten Stefan again? Cause I am definitely down for that plan."

"Actually, no. I figure their plan is to find a hunter of their very own. I want to talk to Willow about the shady professor. She knew he was shady before we did."

"She did mention that."

"And if we can get him to tell us where another hunter is before Stefan and Klaus pick one up, then yay for us."

"Call your BFF." Damon smirked and ushered her towards her the stairs.

* * *

><p>Willow shook her head. "He refuses to leave me alone with his books. Bonnie won't even help me because I think she's got a bit of a crush on him. And now all he wants to talk about when I'm around is you."<p>

"Me?" Buffy asked. She and Willow were at the Grill with Damon having dinner and drinks. Damon had gone to the bar to get their drinks refreshed. "Why me?"

"Because Damon mentioned you were a Slayer and then my big mouth mentioned that I helped you make thousands of Slayers around the world. Now he knows you're _the_ Slayer because apparently he's been digging and he found stories on the internet about the collapse of Sunnydale. And he's smart, so two and two isn't a hard math problem for him…. Especially after we've given him big, honking, neon light clues."

"No, this is good."

"How is it good?"

"Because he's a fan."

"Who's a fan?" Damon asked, coming back and handing them their drinks.  
>"Shane."<p>

"Oh yeah, he really did seem interested in getting your autograph the other day."

"Well, they say you should never meet your idols."

"Buff, he knows some serious witchcraft." Willow warned. "I'd tread lightly."

"Don't need to." Buffy said with a smile.

"Why?"

"Because you're coming to the pageant tomorrow. You're going to keep an eye on Shane and if he tries anything, you can shut him down with a wiggle of your witchy nose."

"I love your brain." Damon said, kissing the side of her head.

Willow shook her head. "Why would he even be there? It's a silly pageant."

"He's a judge. Elena texted me about it earlier."

The red headed witch sighed. "I have to get dressed up again, don't I?" Buffy nodded. "Fine. I'll go. How fancy dressed are we talking?"

* * *

><p>April was preparing for the Miss Mystic Falls Pageant up in the room that Buffy had helped Elena get ready in. Elena and Caroline were with April helping her choose a dress. April held up two dresses, one red and one blue.<p>

"Blue." Caroline and Elena both said.

"Really? The blue seems a little safe." April said.

"Safe is good when it comes to the judges." Elena said.

"She's right." Caroline said. "Gracie Lockwood had a three foot slit her year and practically got laughed off the court." Elena smiled and laughed just as Buffy and Damon walked into the room.

"She got my vote." Damon said.

"Pig." Buffy retorted.

Caroline threw a black pair of balled up pantyhose at Damon. It hit him in the chest as she said, "Get out, lurker!"

"Ouch." Damon said sarcastically. "Where's Professor Shane?"

"Check the judges' table." Caroline pulled Buffy into the room and started to close the door on Damon, but he put his hand up and pushed it back open.

"Red one, definitely." Damon said.

"We've already agreed that the red one is a little bit too showy." Caroline said.

"It's a pageant. That's the whole point."

Caroline looked at Damon and placed her hands on her hips. "Did you win Miss Mystic last year? No. I don't think you did."

"Neither did Elena and she wore blue."

"Damon!" Buffy glared at her fiancé.

"Nobody cares what you think." Caroline said.

"I care." April said.

"See? April cares." Damon said. "Red, right, Elena?"

"The red is pretty." Elena agreed. Caroline's face fell and Damon smirked.

"And my work here is done. I'll meet you downstairs, Buffy." Damon walked out of the room.

Caroline looked back at Elena. "Uh, what happened to thirty seconds ago when you hated the red one? What happened to safe is good?"

Elena looked at her with a glazed look over her eyes. She shook her head and turned back to April. "Whichever one you want to wear, April." She walked out of the room and Caroline and Buffy watched her leave.

"What just happened?" Caroline asked.

"I'm sort of wondering that myself." Buffy said.

"Buffy, which dress do you think?" April asked.

"Uh…. The blue is pretty, but I agree with Damon. The red will get you noticed. And yes, Caroline, I've been in a pageant or two and I know what I'm talking about."

"Whatever. Listen, I need to talk to you." Caroline grabbed Buffy's hand and pulled her out of the room and across the hall into another room. She made sure there was no one there and shut the door. "Have you noticed that Elena has been strange lately?"

"Well, yeah…." Buffy started.

"I don't just mean the vampire thing. I mean…. Haven't you noticed the way she's been looking at Damon?"

"Not really."

"She told me that one of the reasons she broke up with Stefan is because she was starting to feel something for Damon. I know you're not threatened by her or anything, but…. That's weird, right?"

"Really weird, actually. Why didn't she tell me?"

"She's been scared of how you'll react."

"Does Damon know?"

"No. I don't think he does. He would mention that to you, wouldn't he?"

"Yeah. He definitely would." Buffy shook her head. "I don't understand…. Feelings are amplified after you're turned, so that means she's had feelings for Damon all along?"

"Actually…. She met Damon before she met Stefan. Damon compelled her to forget because that was before he met you and became sort of nice and slightly bearable. She told me all about it yesterday while we were setting up."

"Damon's never mentioned it to me. What exactly happened between them?"  
>"They flirted. It was before Elena's parents died and she was a really different girl back then. She would've done some serious flirting with a hot stranger like Damon. I guess when she started the transition and she started getting her compelled memories back…. Those flirty feelings came back and, well…. Amplified."<p>

"Did she tell Stefan any of this?"

"Yes. I told her she shouldn't have, but the damage was done. Stefan's really torn up about it."

"Why didn't anyone tell me?"

"I'm telling you!"

Buffy sighed. "Thank you. I appreciate the head's up."

"What will you do?"

"I don't know. Talk to Damon about it first, I guess. See if he knows anything about it." Buffy sighed again and looked at the ceiling. "As if I don't have enough to deal with."

"I'm really sorry. I just thought you should know."

"It's ok. I'm glad you told me."

"Oh, and while we're sharing…. Klaus is here."

"What? Why?"

"To see you! He is completely obsessed with you."

Buffy groaned and walked out of the room. "Good luck, April." She called as she headed for the stairs. Damon was waiting at the bottom of the stairs.

He smiled and met her half way. "Still not proper for a lady to walk down the stairs unaccompanied in a dress like that." Buffy was wearing an oxblood colored, lace, boat neck, long sleeved, mini dress that exposed her entire back and showed off her legs. The black, platform heels made her legs look longer than they really were. Her long hair was pinned up in a retro hairstyle with the left half of her hair pinned back and the rest flowing in long finger waves.

"You're hopeless."

"So what were you doing up there?"

"Talking with Caroline."

"What did Vampire Barbie have to say?" Damon stopped at the bottom of the stairs and turned to face her. "Anything interesting?"

"Actually, yes."

Professor Shane walked by just then, but stopped when he saw Damon. "Damon Salvatore. Looks like we travel in the same circuit."

"Professor Shane. Just the guy I wanted to see." Damon said, looking annoyed at the intrusion.

Shane looked at Buffy. "Hi, I'm Shane."

"Buffy." Buffy said. "Damon and Willow have told me about you."

Shane's face lit up like it was Christmas morning when he realized who she was. "It is a pleasure to finally meet you. Willow and Damon have told me a lot about you."

"Not too much, I hope."

"All good things."

"Well, I hate to cut this meeting short, but I promised Caroline I would help her keep an eye on things outside while she helped April." Buffy looked at Damon and then headed outside. She stood on the green among the tables and listened to Damon and Shane's conversation.

"So, I'm in search of another hunter." Damon was saying.

"Hunter?" Shane asked. "With a capital H? Why?"

"Same reason anyone needs a hunter. Loneliness, drinking buddy, or for golf."

"I thought you said you already had a potential."

"I did, but he ended up being a potential problem."

"There's nothing I can do to help you."

"Hmm, why don't you help me with this…." Damon stopped and faced Shane. "Why are you here? What's in your little lesson plan there, Professor?"

"You think too highly of me, Damon. I'm gonna go find the other judges." Shane started to walk off, but Damon stopped him.

"Hey, no pity votes for April Young, ok? I mean, just because her dad blew up a house with a dozen people in it doesn't mean she should get a tiara. But you knew him, didn't you? Because I hear you two racked up a pretty impressive phone bill."  
>"If you want to know something about me, Damon, just ask."<p>

"Ok. How did you convince the Pastor to kill all those people?"

"Did you just accuse me of mass murder in the middle of a high school pageant?"

"Where's your date, love?"

Buffy looked over to see Klaus standing next to her. "He's around. I'm helping Caroline."

"You look ravishing in that dress."

Just then, Willow walked up and gave a death glare to Klaus. "Still bothering Buffy, Klaus? Shouldn't you have found somebody else by now?"

"There won't be anybody else. She'll come to her senses one day." Klaus took Buffy's hand and kissed her knuckles before walking away.

"You just scared off an Original, Wills." Buffy said. "You're getting pretty scary."

Carol Lockwood took the stage to begin introducing the pageant. "Welcome to this season's Miss Mystic Falls." Everyone clapped as Damon and Shane stared each other down. Shane finally walked away and Damon watched him walk off. "We are so excited to showcase our most outstanding community leaders in the making."

"He's not that bad." Buffy said quietly.

"What?" Willow asked.

"Klaus. He's not that bad…. Once you get to know him."

"Oh, no…. Please tell me you're not thinking of…."

"No! I'm not. I'm just saying. He's a jerk, yeah, but he's not _that_ bad. Deep down."

"I think you need to get your head checked." Willow shook her head and walked off to go find Shane.

Caroline was onstage now and was about to introduce the contestants. "Hi, everyone, I'm Caroline Forbes. As the reigning Miss Mystic Falls, it is my honor to introduce this year's Miss Mystic Court." Everyone clapped for the girls. Buffy noticed Elena standing closer to the stairs, but she wasn't paying attention to Caroline. She was looking across the lawn at Damon. Music started playing for the introduction of the girls. "We begin the procession with Valerie Fell accompanied by Dylan Clark." There was a round of applause for Valerie as she walked down the stone steps. "Next, we have Amber Wolvertine accompanied by Hector Lindsay." Another round of applause was given for Amber.

"Have you seen Jeremy?" Matt asked, walking up to Buffy.

"He's probably with the escorts." Buffy said. She looked over to where the escorts were, but she couldn't see him.

"Yeah, Caroline told me to wrangle the escorts, he's not here. Did he tell you about his nightmares?"

"What nightmares?"

"The ones where he kills you and Elena."

Buffy looked at Matt in surprise. "Does Elena know about them?"

"I don't think so."

"Katherine Wilson accompanied by Eric Hanson." Caroline announced.

"I'll find him," Buffy said. "But…." April started to descend the stairs. "April's about to get abandoned."

"I got this."

"Ok."

Matt walked away as Caroline said, "And finally, we have a last minute entry, April Young accompanied by Jeremy Gilbert." April continued to walk down the steps but stopped and looked around for Jeremy. Caroline also looked around for Jeremy but kept a large smile on her face. Elena looked over at Buffy finally, but Buffy was melting back into the crowd. Matt walked up to where the escorts were lined up and held out his arm for April. Everyone applauded and April breathed a sigh of relief. She walked down the remainder of the stairs with a smile and took Matt's arm.

Buffy made her way over to Damon as the girls and their escorts began their dance. Damon watched them for a moment then looked over at Buffy. Caroline quickly walked down the steps and over to Buffy, who was getting on her phone as she made her way towards Damon. "Hey, what's with the last minute escort change? Where is Jeremy?"

"I'm calling him right now." Buffy said.

Elena caught up to them just as they made it to Damon. "What's going on?"

"He's not picking up."

"Who?"

"Your brother. He's missing."

"Do the math." Damon said. "Emo teen, open bar, it's fine."

"Matt said that Jeremy's been having nightmares about killing vampires and he's been hiding it from me."

"Relax, I'm sure he's fine."

"I have a bad feeling, Damon."

"If I'm not worried, you shouldn't be worried."

"Remember that whole 'I have a bad feeling and you need to trust it' thing? This is one of those."

Damon sighed. "Ok. I'll go look for him."

"Thank you." Buffy kissed him quickly before he ran off.

"What do I do?" Elena asked.

"You go home. Caroline and I will start asking around here."

"Maybe Damon's right. Maybe he grabbed a bottle from the bar and snuck off to the woods."

"No, Damon is never right." Caroline said. "Damon is sneaky and manipulative and rude, but he's never right. How can you not see that?"

"Uh, hey!" Buffy objected.

"I don't know, but why do I think that you won't hesitate to tell me?" Elena said, ignoring Buffy.

"Fine, friend-tervention. I think your so called 'feelings' for Damon are really starting to cloud your judgment and I don't like it." Caroline said. "And neither does Buffy!"

Elena looked at Buffy with wide, panicked eyes. "I…. Uh…."

"She told me." Buffy said. "I didn't say the cloudy judgment thing, though, since I only just found out. But you could have told me yourself."

"It's not like I'm in love with him or anything, but…. He…. I…."

"You don't even stand a chance!" Caroline said.

"Caroline, calm down." Buffy said.

"And this is why I didn't want to tell Buffy because now she thinks I'm trying to steal her fiancé." Elena said.

"I don't…."

"Well, the thought of you two together really makes us both want to barf." Caroline said.

"No…."

Klaus noticed Buffy's rising panic at the situation and made his way over. "Easy, Caroline, you're making a scene." He said.

"Wow, Caroline, thank you for making this very difficult time so much easier." Elena said before walking away.

Caroline stood there with a blank look on her face. "How did I become the bad guy?" She marched off in the opposite direction and left Buffy standing with Klaus.

Klaus moved from standing next to her to standing in front of her. "Let's get you a drink. You look like you could use one." He led them inside to get a bottle of champagne and two glasses as Buffy told him what had just happened. They were walking around the pond by the time she finished. "So, being a vampire's changed her?" Klaus asked.

"But being a vampire only amplifies who you already are. It doesn't turn you into a completely different person."

"It's very peculiar." Klaus smirked and Buffy knew that look. It meant he knew something she didn't.

"What am I missing?"  
>"It'll all make sense eventually."<p>

Buffy sighed. "I hate cryptic."

"You're a smart girl. It won't take you long to figure it out."

Buffy sat down on a stone bench. "We just need to find the cure for her and this will all go away."

Klaus placed the champagne down next to her. "I'm working on it." He sat down next to her and started to open the champagne bottle.

She watched him for a moment as he poured the liquid into the glasses. "Would you ever take it?"

"Now, why would I want to cure myself of being the most powerful creature on the planet? Hmm?"

"So there's not one single moment in your whole life that you wanted to be human?"

"How about you?"

"Sure. Lots of times."

"Why?"

"Because I hated being the Slayer. It ruined my life. I lost friends. At first it was just because they didn't like who I'd become, then death started taking them away. I lost the first man I ever loved and I ended up having to send him to hell. I had a boyfriend that tried to compete with me. He ended up letting vampire whores suck his blood because he wanted to know what I felt when I let Angel bite me. He wanted to…. Understand me. My little sister was the target of an angry hell god bent on killing her. And every night was a life or death battle that I never knew if I was going to win or lose."

"And now?"

"Now…." She looked across the yard for her friends or Damon, but they weren't there. Off trying to find Jeremy she hoped. Klaus patiently waited for her. She finally looked back at him. "Now I wouldn't trade any of it in. I like who I've become."

"You should. You're amazing." He handed her one of the glasses and sipped at his.

"Your turn."

"My turn?"

"To answer my question."

He looked at her for a long moment, holding her inquisitive gaze. To his amazement, he realized that she really did want to know. That she really was interested in his answer. "Once…. I was on a trek in the Andes and a hummingbird flew up to me. It just hovered there, staring at me, its tiny heart was pattering like a machine gun. And I thought, what a thing, you know, to have to work that hard every day just to stay alive. To be constantly on the verge of death and how satisfying every day must be that it survived. And that was the only time I thought about being human."

"Thank you."

"For what?"

"Being honest with me."

"You're welcome."

"Jeremy…." Buffy noticed him come out of the house with a determined look on his face. He made his way through the maze of tables, but April intercepted him.

"Hey, where have you been?" April asked.

"Hey, sorry…. I, um, I got stuck at work." Jeremy said.

"Jeremy, if you were too chicken to do the dance thingie then you should have just told me."

"No, no, I knew the dance. I watched some lesson online like a hundred times."

"You did?"

Jeremy saw Professor Shane get up from a table. "Hey, what's that Shane guy doing here?"

April turned and looked at him. Shane waved at her and she waved back. "He's a judge. I talked to him about my dad. I mean, he said that he had never seemed depressed or suicidal or anything, so…."

Jeremy spotted Elena across the lawn talking to a girl. Buffy didn't like the look she saw on his face as he continued to stare at his sister. "Your dad?" Jeremy asked distractedly.

"Yeah, um, you know, I figured I'd explore every possibility, even the bleak ones. What are you looking at?" She turned around to see what Jeremy was staring at.

Jeremy looked down at her as she looked back at him. "Your dad was doing the right thing for this town. The whole Council was. They died heroes." He pushed past her and headed towards Elena.

"Not good." Buffy said. She headed towards Jeremy as Caroline, Elena, and Carol took the stage.

"And now, the moment you've been waiting for." Carol announced as the girls lined up. "Caroline, would you do the honors?"

Caroline walked to the microphone as Elena stood behind her with the tiara and sash. "This year's Miss Mystic Falls is…." Caroline opened the envelope. "April Young." Everyone in the crowd applauded as April smiled and looked as if she was about to cry.

Jeremy changed course and headed inside the house. Buffy glanced at the stage where Caroline was taking the tiara off the cushion Elena was holding. Elena looked out into the crowd, but Buffy and Jeremy were already inside the house. When Buffy found him, Jeremy was sitting in an empty room. He placed one of the stakes against his palm and pushed on it until he began to bleed.

"Where have you been?" Buffy demanded.

Jeremy stood up. "Connor was right. All I can think about is killing vampires."

"You're nothing like Connor."

"I want to believe that. And I know I don't want to hurt you, but everything inside of me is telling me to drive this stake through your heart."

"That would be the hunter thing, then. No wonder Connor was a psycho."

"And you're a vampire."

"Yeah, but I'm also a Slayer."

"You're a vampire."

"Whatever. Drop the stake, Jeremy." Buffy grabbed Jeremy's hand and noticed that he was bleeding. "Really? Trying to trap me?"

"It was for Elena."

"Well, she's not here, so you'll have to deal with me." Jeremy tried to lunge at Buffy, but she easily held him at bay. "Stop it." He lunged again. "I don't want to hurt you." He activated a wrist launched stake and managed to stab her through her forearm with it. She knocked him backwards and went to rip the stake out of her arm.

Jeremy kneeled down to pick up his stake, Matt walked into the room. "Jeremy!"

"Get out of here, Matt." Jeremy said.

"Jeremy, you don't want to do this, ok. That's Buffy! It's that stupid mark on your arm."

"Shut up, Matt!"

"Jeremy, look at me! I'm human and I'm telling you not to hurt her."

Suddenly, Stefan rushed into the room, grabbed Jeremy, and held him against the wall. "Get him out of here, Matt!" Stefan pushed Jeremy towards Matt and Matt grabbed him, rushing out.

"This is your doing, isn't it?" Buffy said, crossing her arms and glaring at Stefan.

"I'm starting to think that when a Hunter kills a vampire, the urge to keep killing gets stronger."

"Jeremy's been with you this entire time, hasn't he?"

"Yes."

"Tell me that you haven't been making him kill vampires, Stefan."

"We need the map to get the cure."

"If getting my humanity back means stripping Jeremy of his, then I don't want the cure." Elena said from the doorway. Damon had heard the commotion and gone to get her. He stood just behind her, looking at Buffy's bloody arm.

"He's the only way to fix all of this." Stefan said to Elena.

"You mean me. The only way to fix me. You don't have to love me like this. This is who I am now. The old Elena died when she went off that bridge. Let her go." Elena turned and walked away. Stefan looked at Buffy, knowing that she was going to hurt him if he stayed, and ran out after Elena.

Damon walked over to Buffy. "Are you ok?" He inspected her arm, but it was already healed.

"I'm fine." Buffy said. "Where have you been?"

"Having a little talk with Shane. He told me something interesting."

"What's that?"

"The cure is sealed by magic. The only person who can break the seal is a Bennett witch."

"Of course it is." Buffy rolled her eyes. "Why does she always have to be the answer to magical stuff in this town? Why can't it be Willow? I'll even take the psycho Amy Madison over Bonnie!"

Willow walked in just then. "What about Amy?"

"Even if we find the cure for Elena, we need Bonnie to open the seal on it." Damon said.

"No wonder you'd would take Amy. Bonnie's useless. I'm getting frustrated trying to help her. Honestly, I'm thinking about calling the coven that Giles sent me to. They'd probably do more good than Shane."

Buffy sighed. "I just want to take a vacation far, far away from all of this."

Damon smirked. "It's called a honeymoon."

Willow laughed and Buffy shook her head. "I need to talk to Elena and Matt." She moved off to find the two teenagers.

* * *

><p>Damon opened the front door and found Elena waiting outside holding her luggage. She walked in the house and Stefan walked out of the parlor. They looked at each other for a long moment. Buffy took Damon's hand and pulled him away.<p>

"I can't stay at home anymore." Elena explained as Buffy and Damon headed upstairs.

"Pick a room. I'll crash somewhere else." Stefan said. The front door shut and Buffy assumed Stefan had left. Elena made her way up the stairs and past Damon and Buffy's room.

"Are you ok?" Damon asked, watching Buffy's worried face.

"So, I've been meaning to talk to you all day…. About Elena." Buffy turned to look at him. "Did she tell you one of the reasons that she broke up with Stefan?"

"No. When I talked to her the other night, she asked how the wedding planning was going since you won't discuss it and I told her I wish it was going, but you're slightly opposed to it."

"I'm not opposed to it, I just don't want to add the stress of planning a wedding to a Founding Family member to everything else that we've got to deal with." Buffy waved her hand, swiping away that branch of conversation. "What else did you talk about?"

"Nothing. Just the wedding and that I wanted it to happen and I wished someone would knock some sense into you that crazy in this town doesn't go away."

"What?"

"Crazy doesn't die down around here."

"Elena said that earlier."

"Well, it's true."

"No…. She said the _exact_ same thing."

"She was just repeating what I said." Damon shrugged, but Buffy's worried face didn't dissipate. It only deepened. "What are you thinking about?"

"She's acting like…." She placed her palm against her forehead and shook her head. "He said I would figure it out. This is what he was talking about."

"What are _you_ talking about? And who's 'he'?"

Buffy started to pace and talk to herself. "Every time Elena's had a problem, you've been the magic solution. Today, Elena was worried about Jeremy and you told her to relax and she listened. When Elena started feeding, you said that she could only drink blood straight from the vein. When she tried to drink from animals, she couldn't keep it down. And blood bags…. There's not one vampire in the history of vampires who couldn't drink blood from a blood bag. Not even the other kind of vampire."

"Babe, I don't understand."

Buffy stopped pacing and looked at Damon. "You said she couldn't, so she couldn't. You like the red dress, Elena likes the red dress. You said to kill Connor and she killed Connor."

"Are you saying…."

"What if it's possible? Your blood made her a vampire. I mean, it's rare, but it happens."

"She can't be sired to me."

"What if she is?"

"She can't be."

"One of the reasons she broke up with Stefan is because she has feelings for you."

Damon blinked. "What?"

"Caroline said that you and Elena flirted when you first met her. She said that Elena remembers that meeting now and when you become a vampire, feelings get magnified. Honestly I don't think a simple flirtation would actually result in feelings strong enough to break up Stefan and Elena, but being sired…. That's a whole different story."


	69. Chapter 69

Chapter 69

Buffy stood at the window looking out at the gardens below. Damon was sleeping in bed only a few feet away. She hadn't been able to sleep at all. Damon still wasn't sure about the whole sire bond thing with Elena. Buffy was pretty damn sure. She'd called Stefan to let him know her theory. He seemed pretty shocked, but eventually accepted it. Caroline said that it made perfect sense. Buffy had thought about calling Klaus, but decided against it. She didn't want to talk about sire bonds and accidentally tip him off to the fact that his hybrids were breaking the bond to him and moving on.

Downstairs, Elena shut the door behind her on her way to school. Willow was making coffee in the kitchen. Elena had talked to her for a few minutes, but it had sounded a bit awkward. Buffy was the only one in the house that hadn't slept.

Damon stirred behind her and looked over at her empty side of the bed. "Babe?"

"Over here." Buffy said.

He turned and saw the look on her face. "You didn't sleep."

"No."

Damon sighed and sat up. "Come here." She walked over and sat down on the edge of the bed, curling on leg under her and facing him. "She's not sired to me, babe."

"Yes, Damon…. She is sired to you."

"She's listened to you. You told her not to commit suicide."

"Only because I chose to die in her place and that would make you unhappy." While Damon tried to think of another example, Stefan walked through the front door. "Keep trying, but you'll figure out that I'm right." She got up and headed downstairs.

"Hey." Stefan said, stopping on his way into the library. Buffy followed him in. "You look rough."

"I didn't sleep." She sat down in one of the chairs facing Stefan as he leaned against the railing. "Damon and I argued about it for a while and then he went to bed. He still doesn't believe me."

"Make him believe you."

"How?"

"Yeah, Stefan," Damon said, walking in as he buttoned his shirt. "How will you make me believe? Clap your hands really loud? I'm not a fairy."

"It was your blood that turned her. She's been different since day one because of you. You can't deny that."

"Sure I can! I finally got Elena to a good place about being a vampire and you can't stand it. She's happy."

"Prove me wrong. Prove _us_ wrong. Tell her it's ok to drink from a blood bag."

"She can't. Her weird doppelgänger body rejected the blood from the bag,"  
>"Because you told her to." Buffy said. "Remember? You said that she had to drink warm, human blood from the vein."<p>

"She almost died to make you happy!" Stefan accused.

Buffy stood up and walked over to Damon. She wrapped her arms around his waist and kissed his chest. "Ask her to drink blood from a blood bag. Tell her how happy it would make you if it worked."

Damon groaned. "You are way too good at manipulation."

"I was taught well."

"Fine! But when her body rejects this blood, which it will, your apology is going to be epic."

"The epic-y-est."

"I'm talking sexcapades that will bring the roof down and a serious discussion about setting a wedding date."

"Damon!"

"Swear or I'm not doing it."

Buffy sighed. "Ok. I swear. But I'm right."

"We'll see." He kissed her forehead and let her go, walking out of the room.

Buffy and Stefan exchanged looks and sighed. "Maybe I should go with him." She suggested.

"You think he'd lie?"

"No. But he'll be upset when he finds out that she's really sired to him. Whether he'll admit it or not, he loves Elena like I love her."

Stefan nodded. "Go with him."

* * *

><p>Damon and Buffy walked into the school and searched around for Elena. She was standing with Caroline and Bonnie in the hallway next to some lockers. Caroline was asking if Damon and Buffy minded them crashing at their place. Damon rolled his eyes at Buffy and she smiled slightly. Apparently Elena was planning a girls' night in.<p>

"I can't go home because my brother is trying to kill me and Buffy, so their place is mine now, too." Elena spotted Damon and smiled slightly. "I'll see you in a bit." Buffy followed Damon towards an empty classroom and Elena joined them a moment later. "Oh…. Hi…."

"Hey." Buffy said, crossing her arms.

"Is everything ok?"

Damon smiled and held up a blood bag. "You forgot your lunch."

Elena shook her head and looked at Buffy in confusion. "I can't. You guys know I can't."

"Well, the last time we tried it, the circumstances were less than optimal and I think, maybe, you should just give it another try. See if it works. I really think it will." Elena looked at the blood bag unsurely. "Please? For me?" She looked at him for another moment before opening the bag and sucking in a big gulp. Damon glanced at Buffy as Elena took another, more enthusiastic sip. "You ok?"

"I'm fine." Elena said, pausing in her drinking. "It tastes like blood. Last time it was like hot garbage." She smiled and started to drink again.

"You sure you're ok?"

Elena laughed slightly. "Better than ok! Maybe last time it was a bad batch or something. I can't believe this! I don't have to hurt people anymore!" She smiled and hugged him suddenly. After a moment, she seemed to remember that Buffy was there and backed off. "Sorry."  
>"No. I'm happy too." Buffy said. "You weren't into drinking from humans, so this is good."<p>

"Yeah!" Elena hugged her tightly.

"You should get to class, though. I would hate to have to ground you for bad grades." Buffy smiled slightly as she let Elena go. Elena bounced out of the room with her blood bag and a big grin on her face.

Damon sighed and sagged against the desk. "You were right."  
>"I didn't want to be." Buffy said, moving over to him.<p>

He took her hands in his. "I'm going to fix this."

"How?"

"It's…. Kind of a long story." Buffy's eyebrow lifted. "One I promise to tell you. Come on."

* * *

><p>Stefan walked into the library and found Buffy sitting in a chair staring at Damon as he rifled through trunks of papers and other things he'd collected. From the look on Buffy's face, she wasn't pleased with her fiancé. Stefan sighed and moved over to sit next to her. "What are you guys doing?" He asked.<p>

"Elena's sired. You two were right, I was wrong." Damon said. "Happy?"

"No. I'm not happy. I was looking forward to your guys' wedding." Buffy turned her glare on him and he smiled tightly at her. "So, uh…. What are we going to do about it?"

"I'm working on it." Damon handed Stefan an old postcard. "Here…. Remember that?"

"New Orleans."

"1942 to be exact."

"What was in New Orleans in 1942?"

"Other than bourbon and beads? Us, Stefan."

"Oh, yeah…. What was the name of that girl you used to hang out with?" Stefan was just poking fun at Buffy's jealousy, but the look she shot Damon said that it was a sore subject.

"She was…. No ordinary girl." Damon said, glancing a little nervously at Buffy. "That was Charlotte. She was crazy about me from the moment we met. So, of course, when she asked me to turn her…. I did." Buffy snorted.

"I take it this story gets a little more involved than I want to know about." Stefan said.

"Uh…. Well…. This one particular night was…. Special." Damon said. "I was arranging a dinner meeting for her and I asked her to watch my drink. I told her to show no mercy. I was just kidding, of course, but…. She killed this sailor for knocking my drink over. That was my first clue."

Stefan looked at Buffy and then back to Damon. "She was sired to you."

Damon sighed. "Ah! Phew! Here…." He handed Stefan a coaster with a name and address on the back.

"Who's Valerie La Marche?" Stefan asked.  
>"The witch that I found to help me break little Charlotte's sire bond." Damon stood up. "Pack your bags, little bro. We're going back to Bourbon Street." He looked at Buffy. "I'll pack yours up, too."<p>

Stefan watched his brother leave the room and looked at Buffy. "You're jealous of Charlotte?"

"Not really. She was sired to him." Buffy stood up. "What I'm pissy about is how he broke it off with her."

"He got a witch…."

"No. The witch flaked out on him. So he just left his chippy waiting. We'll probably get down there and she'll still be waiting."

"Ah." Stefan said.

"I really don't like dealing with my significant other's exes. They always end up trying to kill me."

"Charlotte's not as bad as Katherine."

"I'm not just talking about Katherine. Angel's ex tried to kill me…. And Spike's ex tried to kill me."

Stefan smirked slightly. "Well, you're still standing, so Charlotte's got something to worry about."

"She's still sired to him. Which means I'll feel bad if I have to kill her." Buffy headed out of the library calling for Willow to pack her bags cause she was going on a road trip, too.

* * *

><p>Buffy, Willow, Damon, and Stefan walked down the crowded Bourbon Street. There were people drinking and dancing in the street. Lights were everywhere. It wasn't even Mardi Gras yet.<p>

"Well, the city's the same." Stefan said. "It's brighter."

"Have you been back here since '42?" Damon asked.

"Nope. Not since I shipped off the join the war effort and you didn't."

"Somebody had to entertain the ladies who'd been left by their menfolk."

"You're such a hero." Buffy quipped. Her cell phone went off and she reached into her pocket to check it.

Damon looked over her shoulder and smirked. "Good news? Elena's at home with the girls where she can't get into any trouble. Bad news? I think she got into the Dom."

"You told her to make herself at home." Buffy said.

"You told her, so she does, right?" Willow asked. "Don't bitch about missing expensive champagne then."

Buffy and Stefan laughed at Willow and Damon snorted. "The sire bond's not that literal."

"Really?" Stefan asked. "Name one thing that you've asked her to do that you haven't gotten."

"You know what?" Buffy said. "End of the road on this conversation."

"She's right. I'm sorry."

"What did you say?" Damon asked.

"I said I'm sorry. As much as I hate this sire bond thing, I shouldn't really take it out on you. It's not your fault."

"Good." Buffy said. "Great. I'm glad you two are on the same page. Now let's find this witch, get this spell, and get home."

"What? You don't want to see if you enjoy New Orleans enough to consider it for a honeymoon spot?" Damon asked with a smirk.

"One: Not when there's a certain sired ex possibly hanging around in town. And two: Honeymoon's are supposed to be exotic and romantic. This place is neither for me."

"Ok. So I need to look at the rainforest or a private island."

Willow raised her hand and bounced a little. "Oh! Oh! I vote a private island _with_ a rainforest."

Damon pointed at her. "Now _that's_ what I'm talking about. Two points for the maid of honor." Willow beamed and Buffy shook her head at the two of them. Damon stopped in front of a townhouse and sighed. "Well, this is where the witch lived."

"Were you expecting to find the same exact witch in the same exact place?" Buffy asked.

"No, but since I couldn't remember where the store was, I figured it would give us a start."

"Or here's another place to start." Stefan said. "You think Charlotte might be in New Orleans?"

"Uh…." Damon glanced at Buffy nervously. She was watching him with a passive expression on her face. "Yeah…. Maybe…."

"Where was the last place you saw her?"

"The corner of Bourbon and Dumaine."

"He told her to count every brick and every building in New Orleans." Buffy said. "Oh, and he'd meet her on the corner, but he never showed."

"That's just…. Wrong." Willow said.

Stefan nodded and started to walk off. "Where are you going?" Damon asked.

"The corner of Bourbon and Dumaine to see how literal the sire bond is." Stefan kept walking and Damon sighed. He looked at Buffy and Willow and Buffy gestured for him to follow his brother.

"There's no way she's going to be in the same spot." Damon said as he followed Stefan with Buffy and Willow behind him. "Not after 70 years."

"What are we going to tell Elena?" Stefan asked Buffy. "We can't just lie to her."

Buffy shrugged. "Let's just find a way to break the sire bond first. Then I'll deal with that."

"Good answer." Damon said. "Would you ladies care to get a drink?"

"I kind of want to explore New Orleans." Willow said. "It's got so many different types of magic down here. I can feel it on the air."

"I'll join you, Damon." Buffy said. "I think I need one." She took his hand and moved away from Willow.

"I'll stick with Willow." Stefan said. "Let you two love birds enjoy New Orleans together. Maybe the all-powerful witch here will stumble upon the spell we need."

"Au revoir!" Damon said as he and Buffy headed off. Buffy wrapped her arms around Damon's arm and laid her head against his shoulder. Damon smiled and kissed the top of her head. "Lovey dovey all of a sudden? I like it."

"It's exhausting being mad at you." Buffy said.

"So don't be mad at me."

"You don't always make that an easy choice."

"Isn't that one of the many reasons you love me so much, though? I keep you on your toes."

Buffy laughed. "Yeah. That's why eternity with you is going to be so interesting."

"It's good to know that you still want to spend eternity with me."

She stopped and turned to face him. "Damon, I'm not being all cold footed because I don't want to marry you. I do want to marry you. I really, really do…. But I'm being serious when I say that I don't want that special day to be ruined by something crazy happening. We are completely surrounded by crazy at the moment."

Damon gently took her face in his hands and kissed her. "Babe, you are a vampire Vampire Slayer and I'm your vampire fiancé. We are completely surrounded by crazy all the time."

"You know what I mean."

"Yes. I do. But if we keep waiting for the right time…. It might never happen."

Buffy sighed and was about to reply, but a figure darted out and tackled Damon to the ground. He cried out and Buffy grabbed the vampire's hair, hauling her away from Damon. She tossed her a few feet away and then helped Damon to his feet.

"Are you ok?"

"She kissed me!" Damon cried.

Buffy looked over at the other vampire as she got to her feet and stared at Damon in wonder. "Damon. I always knew you'd come back for me. I must've counted every brick on every building in New Orleans."

"So, literally every brick." Buffy said, looking at her fiancé. "I take it this is Charlotte." Charlotte moved towards Damon and tried to wrap her arms around his neck, but Buffy grabbed her shirt and yanked her backwards.

Damon moved back a step and said, "Charlotte, please tell me you had a full life and you've done something other than counting bricks."

"Of course I have. I'm not crazy." Charlotte glanced at Buffy. "Why won't she let me touch you?"

"Because he's _my_ fiancé." Buffy growled.

"And you really don't want to piss her off." Damon said, dodging around Charlotte to stand behind Buffy. "So, uh…. Why are you still here…. If you've led a full life?"

"You know when someone breaks up with you, and there's this song that reminds you of them? First you hate it, but then it brings back all the good memories of them. Counting the bricks is my song and I've been playing it for decades."

"That's a really long time stuck listening to the same song." Buffy said. "I mean, after so long, Call Me Maybe is going to get _really_ old. And could you stop trying to molest my future husband?" Charlotte dropped her hands and Damon sighed with relief. Then a thought occurred to him and he groaned slightly. "What's wrong?"

"You're not gonna like my idea." Buffy waited for him to continue. "Charlotte, here, knows New Orleans better than anyone in the world."

"Oh." Buffy rolled her eyes. "Well, she's sired to you, so she has to do what you say. Tell her to stop trying to molest you and stay at least ten feet away and I'll go along with this plan."

"Really? That easy?" Buffy shrugged and Damon smiled. "All right. Charlotte, stay at least ten feet from me at all times because Buffy will kill you. It's her job being a Vampire Slayer and all."

Charlotte looked like she was going to cry, so Buffy said, "Ok, five feet. Jeez, I'm such a softie."

Damon smirked slightly and looked back at Charlotte as she moved back five feet. "Good girl. Ok, so…. We need your help finding someone."

* * *

><p>Damon and Buffy walked into the magic store and looked around. It was standard fare for a magic shop. Lots of things Buffy remembered being in The Magic Box back in Sunnydale could be seen around this store. She smiled slightly, remembering the days spent there, and wished that Willow was with her. They had texted Stefan and Willow where they were, but the two of them were too far away. They were on their way, though.<p>

A woman walked out from the back. "Can I help you?"

"Hi. We're looking for a witch." Damon said. "Sorry, no time for pleasantries."

"I'm sorry…. I don't understand."

"Look…." Damon spotted a sign behind the counter. "Nandi, is it? Let's skip the part where you pretend that you don't know what we're talking about. We need a spell to break a vampire's sire bond. Now, there was a witch here named Val. Ring any bells?"

"She was my great grandmother."

"She had a grimoire and it had a spell. She said it was dark magic and it required twelve human souls."

"Whoa!" Buffy said. "Back up…. Twelve humans souls? Sacrifices?"

"I was hoping the recipe had changed."

"There's no magic like that here." Nandi said. "I sell herbs and homeopathic remedies and dress it up with a little witchy woo-woo for the tourists, but I don't practice."

"Ok, one: that's a lie. There are things in this shop that aren't just for tourists and suppliers won't sell them unless the owner of the shop knows what they are and what they're for."

"How do you know that?" Damon asked.

"Giles." Buffy looked back at Nandi. "And two: we're leaving because I'm not dealing with human sacrifices." Buffy started to leave, but Damon turned back to Nandi.

"Just tell us where we can find someone like your great grandma who can break the sire bond and won't flake out on us like old Val did."

"Damon!" Buffy snapped.

"There's no one." Nandi said. "All of her stuff is gone. The grimoires, her journals…. We lost it all during Katrina. If a spell like that ever existed, it's gone for good."

"Thanks." Buffy turned and walked out of the door.

Damon sighed and followed her out. "The witch is lying."

"Yeah. I got that part. Did you miss the spiel about me calling her out on that?"

"Come on, Buff! Don't be like that."

Buffy stopped and rounded on Damon. He backpedaled a few steps to avoid running into her and to make sure he was out of reach if she tried to slap him. "Human sacrifice, Damon!? Are you serious!?"

"Extreme circumstances call for extreme measures."

"Not that extreme!"

"You killed for Elena. You killed for me. Why is this any different?"

"Because I will not just go grab and kill twelve random people for a spell! One that may not even exist."

"That woman…. She's powerful. Val wasn't her great grandmother. She was her mother."

"I don't care. Magic that dark…. Damon, I've seen what it does to people. My best friend, the most kind and gentle person that I know, flayed a guy alive and almost destroyed the world because of dark magic. It doesn't need to be messed with."

"Maybe she'll have another way. A better way. Can we please at the very least just ask her?"

"Ask? You don't ask."  
>"Ok, then can we please go good copbad cop on her and get her to talk? She can give up the spell and Willow can figure it out from there. No human sacrifice, no dark magic included."

Buffy shook her head. "Fine. As long as we are crystal clear that there will be no human sacrifices."

"Deal. Nobody gets killed."

* * *

><p>Nandi was doing some work at the counter when Damon entered the shop again. She turned and looked at him. "What are you doing here?"<p>

"Calling you out. You are not Val's great-granddaughter." Damon said. "You're her daughter. You're 80 years old. You don't look a day older 50. You're a practicing witch."

"Get out of my store."

"Give me what I want." He started walking towards Nandi, but she turned and used her powers to try and hurt Damon.

"Ow, ow, oh…." Damon shook his head. "Not gonna work."

"What…."

Buffy walked in from the back of the shop. "I have a friend who's a powerful witch. I got tired of this other witch using that spell on me and mine, so my witch fixed it. Look, we don't want any trouble. We just need your help. That's all."

"I told you there's no one here who can help you. The kind of magic my mother practiced, it's unnatural. Witches don't even call it magic. We call it expression."

"Is that like black magic?"

"Worse. Channeling the power of human sacrifices calls on darkness that can't exist on this plane without swallowing it whole. She sold him a bill of goods about breaking the sire bond because she wanted access to that power," Nandi turned to Damon. "And you gave it to her when you killed those 12 people."

"Are you saying there's no spell?" Damon asked.

"The bond can't be broken with magic. A vampire only bonds to her sire when she has feelings for him before she turns…. Human feelings. Vampirism only heightens those emotions. You want her free? You have to set her free. Tell her to live her life without you, and never think of you again, to stop caring about you, and then leave her. That's the only way around the sire bond."

Buffy and Damon exchanged looks from across the room. Elena had felt something for Damon before she'd become a vampire. "Thank you." Buffy said, walking past Nandi. She took Damon's hand and led him out of the store.

"Elena…." Damon started.

"From the flirtation, maybe?"

"Can't be. I mean…. Come on! That was a long time ago and she was compelled to forget it." He started to continue, but a thought occurred to him.

"What?" Buffy asked.

"Before you got here…. I did hit on her some."

"That doesn't explain having feelings for you, Damon! That was almost two years ago."

"We just need to ask her."

"You seriously want to ask Elena when she started having warm and fuzzy feelings towards you?"

"It's the only way we'll find out. Sitting here guessing isn't going to help."

"Ok. Fine. But let's put this sire bond work around to the test." Buffy started to walk off, but she stopped. "Do you think…."

"What?"

"I had feelings for you before you turned me. Why am I not sired to you?"

"Probably because you weren't exactly human before you turned."

Buffy nodded and started to walk off. "Damn. It would explain why I let you get away with murder."

* * *

><p>Damon and Charlotte were inside a pub that morning while Buffy, Stefan, and Willow waited outside. Stefan and Willow had enjoyed touring New Orleans while Buffy and Damon had been dealing with Nandi. They were still laughing and talking about the things they'd checked out, but Buffy's ear was on the conversation going on inside that pub.<p>

"So, you're just leaving me again?" Charlotte said.

"No. I need to get on with my life…. With my fiancée…. and so do you." Damon said.

"I don't want to live without you."

"If you want to make me happy you will. You just forget about me. You'll never think of me again, and you'll find someone new, and you'll be happier than ever." Charlotte started to cry. "Please just stop crying."

"I'm never gonna be able to forget about you."

"Yes, you are. And I'm never gonna be happy until you realize that you're never gonna have the life that you deserve if I'm in it. Goodbye, Charlotte." A moment later, Damon walked out and joined them.

"How'd it go?" Stefan asked.

"I set her free." Damon said, wrapping his arm around Buffy's waist tightly.

"Must've been hard: doing the right thing. Especially when it's not something you want to do."

"Get to the point, Stefan. You don't think I'm gonna be able to do what I need to when I have to tell Elena to stay away from me."

"Well, I mean, selflessness isn't exactly one of your most obvious character traits, Damon."

"Yeah? Well, one of these you're gonna realize you don't know me half as well as you think." Damon whistled for a cab.

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"I didn't go to Egypt with you because Lexi was right."

"Lexi?" Buffy asked.

"She said that me going to Egypt would've been a bad influence on you. That I was the reason you went all Ripper in 1912 and that I would end up doing it again. So…. I didn't go. I was there…. At the train station…. And I just couldn't bring myself to hurt you like that again. I walked away."

"I didn't know about that." Stefan said.

"Yeah, well, next time I'll hang a billboard."

"I know it may seem like I'm being unfair about this, like I'm upset about losing Elena to you even though that's not actually true, but after all this is over, if she never feels the same way about me as she used to at least it'll be her choice."

"The dreaded C word. I know what I have to do Stefan." Damon got inside the taxi with Buffy and Willow followed them. Stefan climbed into the front seat after a moment and the taxi drove off.

* * *

><p>Buffy and Damon walked into their house and found Elena cleaning up champagne bottles from the sleepover. Stefan had gone to Caroline's and Willow had decided to go check on Bonnie. Elena didn't look over at them, but she still noticed that they were there. "Hey." She said.<p>

"Hey back." Buffy said.

"How was your night?" She turned around and looked at them.

"A little bit awful. Yours?"

"Same. "

"So, Elena, um…. we need to talk."

"I know that I'm sired to Damon." Buffy and Damon exchanged surprised glances. "Caroline told me. That's what you guys were doing, isn't it? Is there a way to break it?"

"Not exactly. Can we, uh…. Sit?" Buffy gestured to the couches. Elena took the one across from Damon and Buffy. "Ok, look…. I'm not good at beating around the bush, so I'm going to cut straight to it. Sire bonds happen because the vampire has feelings for their sire before they're turned."

"Oh." Elena looked away guiltily.

"It's ok." Damon said.

"It's not! You're Buffy's fiancé. You're like my step-dad. It's dysfunctional!"

"A little bit." Buffy smacked Damon's arm lightly. "What?"

"Why didn't you talk to me about it?" Buffy asked.

"Because I was scared how you would react. Honestly, it wasn't serious…. I thought…. You know…. Just a crush on my adoptive mom's boyfriend…. He acted so different around you and the way you talked about him…. Yeah, Stefan and I were perfect for each other, but that became the key word: Were. When he turned into the Ripper…. I don't know…. Damon…. You cared for me and…."

"Like a daughter, Elena." Damon said gently.

"I know! I was confused and sad and…. I'm so, so sorry! Now it's led to this…. Mess."

"It's ok." Buffy stood up and walked over to sit next to Elena. She took her hand and squeezed it. "It's not the first time in history something like this has happened." Elena looked at Buffy dubiously. "Ok, human wise…. The crush-on-mom's-boyfriend thing has happened. I'm not sure about the whole sire-bond-making-it-worse thing."

"Is there a way to stop it?"

"Yes. No spell either."

"So, what do we do? Let's do it."

"I have to release you." Damon said.

"But we're not going to do that until Jeremy gets fixed." Buffy added.

"Why not?" Elena asked.

"Because it involves making you leave."

"Leave?"

"Not the town or the state or anything, just…. You're not going to be around me." Damon said. "But since you're kind of stuck living here since your brother wants to kill all of us, I don't want to make it uncomfortable for you."  
>"Does that mean that I won't be around you anymore?" Elena asked Buffy, panicking.<p>

"Of course not." Buffy said. "You're not sired to me. But as far as we can figure out, the only way to get around the sire bond is to have you stay away from Damon. At least until we can find the cure."

Elena sighed. "Ok." She placed her face in her hands. "God, I'm so embarrassed."

"Don't be." Buffy looked at Damon as she hugged Elena. "Damon's sexy and he knows it." Elena laughed slightly and Damon smirked.


	70. Chapter 70

_**A/N Sorry it took me so long. Turns out that Christmas when you're older and have people to buy for is a very busy season. Not to mention, I was bad and waited till the last minute on some gifts. Whoops! Enjoy! :)**_

Chapter 70

Buffy opened her eyes and realized she was wrapped in Damon's arms still. They'd finally gotten to sleep in their own bed without any interruptions. She'd rested her head on his chest as she'd fallen asleep and hadn't budged an inch all night. Damon was still asleep, but he had a small smile on his face. Buffy smirked and slid a hand up his chest and he groaned, moving his body towards her hand.

"Morning." Buffy said, kissing his chest.

"Hi." Damon said. He opened his eyes and looked down at her. "We should be all the way naked."

Buffy laughed. "Only a couple of pieces to take off to make that happen."

Damon smirked and bucked underneath her so she was all the way on top of him. He started to slide his hands up her ribcage, but Elena knocked on the door. "Are you guys awake?"

Damon groaned and rolled his eyes. "No."

"Bonnie just called. She's teaching Jeremy how not to kill me today. Do you guys want to come?"

Buffy was suddenly standing at the door in just Damon's buttoned down black shirt. She opened it as Damon covered himself. "How is she planning to do that?"

"She asked Professor Shane for his help. He can hypnotize Jeremy."

"Well in that case…. Sure. Count us in. I'll drive."

"Ok. I'll meet you downstairs."

Elena walked off down the hall and Buffy shut the door, turning back to Damon. "This Shane guy is just wriggling his way in, isn't he?"

"Should we put a stop to it or let him keep wriggling?" Damon asked, getting out of bed.

"Let's see what he can do with Jeremy. I'll text Will and make sure she's going to be there. If he does anything fishy, Willow can shut him down."

"I like having your best friend around. She's a lot handier than Bonnie."

* * *

><p>Buffy pulled up in front of the Gilbert Family lake house with Damon in the passenger seat and Elena sitting in back. Jeremy was outside of the house, chopping wood. He pulled the axe out of the log he had just chopped in half and placed it into a tree trunk. He obviously thought that no one noticed him pick up a sliver of wood. He stared at it before throwing it down and picking the axe back up, chopping another piece of wood.<p>

"Well, I see the work hasn't started." Damon said.

"Bonnie's waiting for us." Elena said.

Just then, Bonnie hurried out of the house and over to Jeremy. "Jeremy."

Jeremy walked out in front of the car and looked at them. "They shouldn't be here."

"They're here to help you. Do you trust me?" Bonnie wrapped her hands around the handle of the axe which Jeremy was still holding with a firm grip.

"Yeah. Yeah, I trust you." Jeremy released his grip on the axe and Bonnie took it from him.

She threw the axe aside and took his arm in her hands. "Let's go inside." Bonnie led Jeremy back towards the house as Jeremy continued to look at Buffy, Elena, and Damon. As they approached, Shane opened the front door and walked out towards Bonnie and Jeremy with Willow. Buffy, Damon, and Elena climbed out of the car and Willow headed over to meet them.

"Any shady business from him?" Buffy asked in a low voice.

"Not yet. He's willing to help Jeremy." Willow said. "Jeremy is really anti-vampire. I've tried touching his mind a couple of times, but it's incredibly dark with his hatred of vampires. I'm scared to go any deeper." Buffy squeezed Willow's hand gently.

"Ok, listen, we are ready to get started," Shane said. "But before we can do that, we need her." Jeremy looked out the front door and saw Elena and Damon approaching. "In here."

"This is your house now, Jer." Elena said as Jeremy walked closer to the front door. "You have to invite me in."

Jeremy stared at Elena but didn't invite her in. "Go ahead, Jeremy. Invite her in." Shane said.

Jeremy continued to stare at Elena and hesitated for a moment longer before saying, "You can come in. You too, Buffy."

"Thank you Jeremy." Buffy said as they walked in.

Elena stopped in front of Jeremy and looked up at him. She gently touched his arm and walked past him, setting her bags on a counter. Jeremy looked down at his arm where she'd touched him and suddenly grabbed a small wooden stake from his waistband. Before he could reach Elena, though, Buffy had his arm twisted behind his back and the stake thrown out the door. She kicked his legs out from under him and made him fall face first to the floor. Jeremy struggled to release himself from her grip, but Buffy was stronger and way more experienced with fighting.

"Take some deep breaths, Jer." Buffy said. "If you keep struggling, I'm going to end up breaking your arm. I really don't want to do that."

"Then let me go." He growled.

"You need to calm down first. You want to kill vampires, you need to learn to control your emotions. They can be your greatest strength or your greatest weakness." Jeremy struggled for a moment before taking a deep breath. "Good." She released him and stepped back. "If I offer you a hand up, will you take it?" Jeremy sighed and took her offered hand. He chose not to attack her. Buffy smiled slightly. "Progress. I like it."

"Good job, Jeremy." Shane said.

Damon's phone rang and he sighed. "It's Stefan." He walked towards to car and answered it.

Buffy turned to Willow and noticed Shane looking at her with admiration. "Yeah. Vampire Slayer. I know a little something about fighting."  
>"That was amazing." Shane said. "I've read so much about Vampire Slayers and their abilities…. You don't seem to fit the profile."<p>

"I never have. They broke the mold when they made me."

"Why did you become the thing you were sworn to destroy?"

"To protect my family from something I couldn't fight as a normal Slayer. Besides, this type of vampire isn't like the other type."

"There's more than one type?"

"And here I thought you were an expert on all things supernatural."

"I've researched vampires, sure, but not in depth. My field is the occult…. More specifically witchcraft."

"You're missing out. There's a whole, very large, very scary world out there." Buffy nodded and headed out to join Damon.

"Well, he's not walking around with it. Check the rest of the house." Damon was saying.

"I am. I haven't found anything." Stefan said on the other end of the line.

"Try the sock drawer. People leave the sketchiest stuff in sock drawers."

"I'm gonna need real ideas, Damon."

"Here's two: Kill Tyler before he goes to Klaus or, since Klaus has suddenly become MVP in our relay race for the cure, tell him about the hybrids and he'll kill Tyler."

"Nobody's killing Tyler." There was a rustle of papers and Stefan made a quizzical noise.

"Hello? Stefan?"

"Look, I know it's a touchy subject, but do you know where Elena is today?"

"She's here at the lake house with me and Buffy trying to figure out how to deprogram Jeremy."

"You didn't break the sire bond?"

"Buffy and I decided not to until Jeremy was cured of his hatred of his sister and his foster mom. Safer that way."

"How are you planning on fixing that?"

"Bonnie has enlisted Dr. Evil in her plan. Buffy has enlisted Willow's help to thwart him in case he does anything fishy. Gotta go." Damon hung up on Stefan. "Everything good?"

"Peachy." Buffy said. "Professor Shadypants was gawking."

"A celebrity was standing in front of him." Damon shrugged. "I'd gawk too."

"They're setting up in there. Wanna see how this works out?"

"Sure." He wrapped an arm around her shoulders and they walked into the house together.

Inside the lake house, Shane had started up the pendulum of a metronome which ticked slowly back and forth. There were candles lit around the living room, encircling the group. Shane tightened some thick leather straps around Jeremy's wrist to finish tying him into a chair. Jeremy had his eyes shut and appeared to be in a trance. Willow stood off to the side, still facing Jeremy and Shane while Bonnie and Elena sat next to each other across from Jeremy.

"All Jeremy feels when he sees a vampire is a burning desire to kill them." Shane said. "Even if consciously he doesn't want to. As in your case," He gestured at Elena. "It's his subconscious that's calling the shots."

"Persuasion helps reverse your subconscious thoughts." Bonnie said.

"Think of it as kind of a conditioned response, right? See vampire, kill vampire. What I'm doing is creating kind of a middle step. It's like a detour, where his subconscious learns to recognize you as someone he loves, someone he wants to protect. And that gives him a choice. He can choose to take the detour instead of the conditioned response." Shane sat on the table next to Jeremy and looked at Elena. "Ok. Talk to him. He'll listen."

"I'm not sure what to say." Elena said.

"You chose to do this here at your family's vacation house, right? So, maybe just start by telling him why."

"Every holiday, we came here. This place was family. And when mom and dad died, Jenna made us come here and we thought it was an awful idea, but it was like they were here with us." Jeremy opened his eyes and looked at Elena. "They would have wanted us to stick together, Jer. To fight for each other, no matter what."

"Jeremy, how do you feel about Elena right now?" Shane asked.

"She ruined our lives." Jeremy said. "She's not even my real sister. She's just the reason that everyone I've ever loved has died. She means nothing to me. I will kill her even if that means I die myself." Shane rapped his knuckles against the wooden table and brought Jeremy out of his trance. Jeremy looked from Shane to Elena. "Did it work?" Nobody responded and the look of disappointment on their faces was enough of an answer.

Elena sighed and walked out of the house. Willow looked at Shane skeptically for a moment before sighing and heading out to the front porch. Buffy and Damon decided to follow her. "Everything ok?" Buffy asked, sitting down next to her best friend. Damon stood in front of the girls, leaning against a pillar.

"I'm not sure. This isn't exactly magic that he's doing." Willow said. "It's just your basic hypnotism. I never studied that. So I'm not exactly sure if he's actually helping Jeremy or doing something else."

"What would you suggest doing?" Damon asked.

Willow sighed. "Well, going into his mind…. You know, like I did with you when Dawn got taken."

"Why don't we try that?" Buffy asked. "It worked out great for me."

"Buffy, you saw how hard it was for me to get to you. Jeremy's mind…. From what I could see before…. I wouldn't know how to navigate that. I had some idea with you because I've known you for so long and I know everything there is to know about you."

"What about Elena?" Damon asked. "Could she do it?"

"No." Willow shrugged. "It's a witch thing. Honestly, when I did it to Buffy, I shouldn't have been powerful enough to do it. I just didn't know what else to try."

"You've always underestimated yourself." Buffy said. "You had a ton of power when you did that spell to give Angel his soul back the first time."

"I don't feel all that powerful right now. I feel like I'm letting you guys down by not knowing how to fix Jeremy."

"I have an idea." Damon said. Buffy and Willow both looked at him. "Using a vampire to suppress the need to kill another one isn't gonna work on a Hunter. It's like dangling a cheeseburger in front of someone on a master cleanse. We just need to find someone else to attach Jeremy's warm and fuzzy detour feelings to."

"Bonnie." Buffy said.

"Exactly. Baby Gilbert has warm and fuzzies about her."

"That's brilliant, Damon!" Willow said. She bounced up and headed back inside the house.

"She gets excited about the most random things." Buffy shook her head at her best friend.

"Think Shane can hypnotize Elena out of a sire bond?" Damon asked.

"I doubt it."

"It would make it a lot easier. I feel like that's making you choose between us."

"It's not a choice."

"It feels like it. Those kids need you. I can't ask you to stay with me all the time."

"You can stay at the house with me."

"Not if Elena is supposed to stay away from me."

"It's not like it's permanent. We'll find the cure for Elena, no more sire bond, and we can resume like normal. Until then…. We'll figure something out."

Shane walked outside just then. "That was good thinking, Damon. Using Bonnie, I mean."

"Yeah." Damon shrugged. "So, if your hypno herbs work, we should be singing 'Kumbaya' around the fire by dinner. So now, tell me why I'm not killing you? Why are you after the vampire cure?"

"I didn't say I was looking for the cure, but I can tell you where to find it."

"Klaus' sword will tell us where to find it."

"The sword will lead you there, sure, but so can I."

"How?" Buffy asked.

"Cause I've already been there."

"Well, that's a convenient bargaining chip." Damon said. "How do we know you're not lying."

"I can prove it." Shane gestured for them to go into the house. Buffy and Damon exchanged looks before heading inside. Shane went over to a bag and brought out a large wrapped something.

"What's going on?" Elena asked, walking in from the back deck.

"The good professor says he knows where the cure is and he has a way to prove it." Damon said.

"Seriously?"

Shane set the package down and unwrapped the cloth from around it. Damon just scoffed. "It's a rock."

"It's not just any rock." Shane said.

"Hmm, so is this that silly little wives tale that you told at the occult exhibit?"

"Right, long story short. Once upon a time, there was a witch named Silas who loved a girl and wanted to be with her forever, so he and his best friend, another witch, made an immortality spell and then Silas' best friend got jealous and killed Silas' girl before he had a chance to make her immortal. Well, cursed to an eternity without his one true love, Silas finds a way to reverse the immortality spell and then before he has the chance to take it, his former friend buries him underground, leaving him and the cure to rot."

"So, it's a cure for immortality?" Willow asked.

"Human blood is the life force of an immortal. No more immortality, no more need to feed on blood. You dig up Silas and you've got your cure." He pulled the piece of paper with the Hunter's mark that Jeremy had drawn and laid it on the table. He pointed to the first part on the hand. "This is the mark of the Brotherhood of the Five. And up the arm, you have the murder of a girl by a witch. The symbols in the vines are your map, which obviously, you no longer need. When this mark is complete, it will contain the spell that we need to dig up Silas."

"And where'd you say he was buried?" Damon asked. "Oh, I forgot, you didn't."

"You've threatened to kill me, what, like three times already this week."

"Yeah."

"The location is how I'm gonna survive your bad moods." Buffy laughed at Shane's remark and Damon glared it her.

"And what's in it for you?" Elena asked. "If not the cure, then what?"

"I'm in this for Silas. Up until this point he's only been myth."

"So write a thesis." Damon said.

"Would you rather be the guy who writes about Noah's Ark or the one who sails it down the Hudson River?" Shane stood up and folded the paper with the Hunter's mark drawing.

Damon held his hand out for the drawing. "I'm not buying it."

"You don't have to buy anything." Shane looked over at Elena. "You just have to believe that I can fix your brother. And when his Hunter's mark is complete, I'm gonna take you to the cure." Shane walked out of the room.

* * *

><p>Elena had pulled out a box of Christmas decorations from a closet. Bonnie and Jeremy were in another room with Willow. They were working on fixing Jeremy using Willow's way of getting into Jeremy's head. Damon was sitting on a side table with Buffy leaning against him between his legs. He was lightly running his hand up and down her ribs and playing with her neck.<p>

Elena placed the box on the coffee table. "We should take these decorations home with us. We could use the holiday cheer." She said to Buffy.

"Look at you, suddenly Polly Optimist." Damon said.

"I think Shane's gonna get us through this. I trust him." Damon scoffed and shook his head with a roll of his eyes. "But you clearly don't."

"Well, Willow's actually the one to thank for this one." Buffy said. "Her method will work a lot better."

"And maybe because I think he blew up twelve people at the Young farm." Damon said.

"What?" Elena gasped.

"Little tip, Professor, I heard you before you even took your first step."

Shane was standing in the doorway behind Damon and Buffy. "I see we're back to the false accusation part of our relationship."

"What is he talking about?" Elena asked Shane.

"Damon discovered that I was in contact with Pastor Young prior to the explosion at the Young farm. And the Pastor was severely depressed. He had lost his wife to cancer and he sought me out for a little supernatural assistance. I tried to help but he was too far gone. I just…. I never expected that he would take eleven innocents with him."

Jeremy and Bonnie suddenly entered the room with Willow right behind them. "Elena." Jeremy said, looking right at his sister. Buffy moved closer to Jeremy when she noticed he had a stake in his hand. "It's ok. I think we've got this."

Bonnie walked towards Elena. "Elena, don't move, ok? No matter what."

"Jeremy, remember the detour. Choose the right path." Shane said.

Jeremy nodded and started to walk forwards. He stopped by Buffy and looked down at the stake. He took a deep breath and held the stake up for Buffy to take. "Here…. You're better with these things than I am." Buffy smiled and Jeremy wrapped his arms around her tightly. He motioned for Elena to join them and the three of them held each other, all smiling and laughing. They were finally a family again.

* * *

><p>A little while later, Buffy, Elena, Jeremy, Bonnie, and Willow were all gathered around the Christmas decorations. They were laughing and telling stories as they went through the boxes. Damon had gone outside to call Stefan and let him know how things were. He sat out there now watching the festivities.<p>

Jeremy pulled out a string of mistletoe and laughed. "Hey, check this out."

"Jenna used that to make out with Logan Fell." Elena said.

Jeremy set it down as Buffy looked out onto the deck where Damon was sitting on the railing. She grabbed the strand of mistletoe and walked out to him. "Of all the drama, you're missing the actual fun part." Damon turned to look at her and smiled when he saw her holding the mistletoe over her head.

He leaned down and kissed her, moving her hair behind her ears. "It's good to see you like that. All normal with your kids. I want to be a part of that."

"Then come on."

"I've got to set Elena free."

"Yeah."

"It really does feel like I'm having to let you go, too."

"Why?"

"Because you need to stay with them. Elena needs you. Jeremy needs you. They need you more than I do. I can't be selfish and ask you to stay with me."

"Are you breaking up with me?"

"No! God no. I would stake myself before I did that. I'm just saying…. That's what it feels like…. For me…."

Buffy sighed and looked back at Elena and Jeremy. Jeremy did need her, but Elena…. She'd proven more than once that she was perfectly capable of taking care of herself. Jeremy needed someone to guide him. To train him. And out of everyone in his life, Buffy was the only one fully qualified to fill that role. She couldn't leave him.

"I'll stay here." She finally said. "Elena can go home and Jeremy can stay here. I've got to train him to fight vampires. Here would actually be perfect for that."

"What are you saying?"  
>"I'm saying that I want your help training Jeremy. Release Elena. Send her home. I can check on her by phone or Willow can stay with her." Buffy took Damon's hands. "I don't want to hurt you. Ever."<p>

"You can't choose me over your kid, Buff."

"My kid is 18 years old and very capable of taking care of herself. My other kid, however, needs both of us." Buffy turned around and caught Elena's eye. She motioned for her to come outside and join them.

Elena smiled and bounced outside. "So, are we planning a wedding now?"

"Ha! No." Damon said. He smiled slightly. "I wish."

"What's up?"

"I'm releasing you."

"What?"

"You're gonna go home."

"Wait…."

"I'm gonna stay here with Jeremy. Help him complete the mark. Buffy and I will teach him how to hunt. We'll protect him and we'll kill vampires without you. I'm setting you free, Elena. This is what I want. This is what will make me happy."

Elena blinked for a few seconds and then sighed. "Ok. If that's what you want." She looked at Buffy. "Are you coming home?"

"No. I'm staying here." Buffy said. "Out of everyone Jeremy knows, I'm the only one that's actually qualified to teach him how to be a vampire hunter."

"I'll keep an eye on her." Willow said, standing in the doorway. "I don't have any plans to leave any time soon."

"What about Kennedy?"

Willow shrugged. "She's not talking to me at the moment. Apparently I put the needs of my best friend over the needs of my girlfriend way too much. I've decided I don't care anymore. You've been my best friend for a long time…. You've saved my life way more times than I can count…. And I figure that I owe you big time for not having your back in Sunnydale because I chose to listen to everyone else and not believe you about Caleb and the First and the scythe."

"Wills…. I'm sorry."

"Don't be. If my girlfriend doesn't understand how important family is, then I don't understand why she'd be important to me. Family first." Willow smiled brightly and Buffy walked over and hugged her best friend tightly.

"Can we put up the decorations?" Elena asked.

"Sure." Buffy glanced at Jeremy laughing with Bonnie. "Just…. Leave some for here? I'd like some holiday cheer too."

"Ok. Sure." Elena smiled and walked away.

"You released her?" Willow asked. Damon nodded. "It's not forever. We'll get to the cure and make Elena human again. Then you guys can go back to being a crazy, loving, yet slightly dysfunctional family."

"What if it doesn't work?" Buffy asked quietly.

Willow smiled. "I made thousands of Slayers all over the world. So, if this Silas guy can figure out a spell to cure immortality, then so can I. Hope is never lost when you have a super witch for a best friend."

"I kinda love you."

"I kinda love you, too."

Damon hopped down off the railing and kissed Willow's cheek. "If it wouldn't garner a knockout by my fiancée, I would totally ask you to join us for a three way. That's how much I'm loving you." He grinned wickedly and both girls smacked his arms.

"Way to ruin the moment, bonehead." Willow said.


	71. Chapter 71

_**A/N Sorry if it sucks. I worked on it all day today. I feel like it's kind of all over the place, but I'm not sure. I'll let you guys decide.**_

Chapter 71

Buffy sat out on the dock and stared out at the water. The day was beautiful around her. It wasn't too cold, but then again she was dead and the weather had never really been that much of a problem. She'd gotten the call from Liz that Carol Lockwood was dead. They were ruling it an accident in the official report, but Liz made it very clear that she'd been killed. The bad thing was, Buffy knew who had killed her.

Klaus had killed Carol Lockwood and she hadn't been there to stop him. Even worse, he'd told her he was going to do it. Picking up her phone, she replayed Klaus's message.

"Why am I calling you? Why do I want you to not be angry at me for what I had to do? My hybrids betrayed me. Tyler betrayed me. And I feel like you knew all of this. I feel like you should've told me about everything. Why didn't you tell me my hybrids were going to betray me? Or did you not know? Too far up Damon's ass to care, I wonder? Now they're all as good as dead and when I find Tyler…. He's going to suffer. Even if I have to kill everyone he loves before I kill him. And I see exactly who I'm going to start with right now. Mummy dearest…."

Buffy looked at her phone and played it one more time before setting it down and hanging her head. She hadn't told Damon about the voicemail. Since listening to it, she hadn't really had much to do with anyone. She was seriously slacking in her duty to Jeremy.

Damon had decided to call Matt up to help Jeremy. He swore that Jeremy wasn't ready to take on a real vampire yet. They were up by the house sparring while Damon looked on. He was distracted by Buffy's melancholy mood, though, and found himself staring at her. Carol had been their friend, but she was taking it hard. Harder than he'd expected her to react. She'd barely slept a wink in the almost two weeks they'd been up here and she hadn't eaten since before they'd arrived at the cabin. Her usually glowing blue eyes were now cloudy and dark.

Damon ignored Matt and Jeremy and headed down to sit with Buffy. "Hey."

"Hey." She said without looking at him.

"Buff…."

"I'm fine."

"And I'm the Queen of England."

She set a steely glare on him. "Nice to meet you, Liz."

"Buffy, what's wrong?"

"He killed her, Damon."

"Yeah. After his crazy little massacre of his hybrids, I'm pretty sure Klaus is the one that killed Carol Lockwood."

"And I should've stopped him."

"You couldn't have known he would do it." She huffed and looked away again. Damon sighed and took her hand. "Even if you had known…. Elena and Jeremy are more important. We were here for our family."

"Yeah. Of course."

"Look, if you want to go to the memorial at the school today, then go. I've got Jeremy covered up here."

"I don't care about the memorial."

"That's a lie."

"Whatever. What are Jeremy and Matt doing? Playing?"

"I think they're supposed to be sparring."

"That's not sparring. That's playing." She rolled her eyes at them and looked back out at the water. "Sometimes I wish that we had left Mystic Falls when we had the chance."

Damon looked over at her. "I thought you loved it here."

"I do. But bad things follow me everywhere I go. Elena's a vampire. She's sired to you. Jeremy's a vampire hunter that, up until a week ago, wanted to kill me even though I'm on his side. Willow's broken up with Kennedy she's planning to move to Virginia. Klaus is on a rampage…. I feel like this is all my fault."

"It's not. Really it's not. If you weren't here, things would probably be a lot worse than they are. Elena would probably be dead."

"She _is_ dead."

"You know what I mean. You're a huge part of everyone's lives around here and you only make things better." Damon stood up and held out his hands to her. "Let's go make Jeremy better. Honestly, I've exhausted my knowledge of fighting. It's time the pro took over."

Buffy looked at him for a moment and sighed. "Fine." She took his offered hands and stood up. They walked over to Jeremy and Matt and sat on the picnic table. Buffy took her melancholy and filed it away for a while so she could concentrate on Jeremy's moves.

"Go ahead. Make your move." Jeremy taunted.

"I drove up here to be your wing man, not to kick your ass." Matt said. Jeremy swung a punch at Matt's hand mats and Matt shrugged. "All right." He attacked, but Jeremy overpowered him and slammed him to the ground, pulling his shoulder to the point of popping it out of socket. Matt tapped out. "Ok! I get it! I get it!" Jeremy let him go. "You're a bad ass."

Jeremy looked up and noticed Buffy sitting with Damon. "Buffy! Hey! Did you see that?"

"I couldn't really miss it, Jer." Buffy said. "It was in slow motion."

"Then teach me something useful! That's what you promised. We've been here for days and all you've done is sulk while Damon barks orders."

"Ok, fine." Buffy hopped off the picnic table and grabbed a stake. "Don't say I didn't warn you."

"Hit the bench, quarterback." Damon said to Matt. "The Karate Kid wants a shot at the title."

"Jeremy, you're not ready for this." Matt insisted.

Buffy ignored Matt and tossed Jeremy the stake. Jeremy caught it with a twirl and charged at Buffy. He looked around, confused when he realized she wasn't there anymore. Suddenly he was caught in a headlock with his own stake pressed against his heart and Buffy's hand around his throat. "I've got two ways to kill you now and I barely batted an eye." She applied pressure to both areas. "Tick tock goes the clock for little Jeremy Gilbert. I haven't fed in days, so I'm not at 100%."

"You're also a super vampire." Matt said.

Damon smirked slightly, but a pizza delivery truck pulled up. "Really? Again?"

Jeremy tapped out and Buffy released him just as the cute delivery girl walked up. "Double pepperoni three days in a row. You guys eat anything else?"

Damon was suddenly standing behind her with a wad of money. "Why? Are you offering?" She turned around and looked up at him. He handed her the money. "It's a little something extra to cut off the pizza pipeline for a couple of days. No matter how much they beg, don't come back."

The girl looked at Jeremy and Matt apologetically. "Sorry guys." She headed back to her truck and drove off.

"What? You're going to starve us now?" Jeremy asked.  
>"If that's what it takes to make you a hunter." Damon said. "Now run around the lake. Twice."<p>

Jeremy looked at Buffy, but she shrugged. "Sounds like a good idea. Get that muscle and endurance built up." She looked at Matt. "You should join him."

"Why?" Matt asked.

"Because you'll get pizza when you get back." Damon said, waving the box at him. Matt threw down his hand mats and took off after Jeremy. Damon turned to Buffy. "Not a bad start to your half of the training. Might I suggest a blood bag?"

"I'm not hungry." Buffy said.

"Buffy, you almost took a chunk out of Jeremy. You haven't eaten in almost two weeks and you haven't touched a bottle of alcohol to curb the cravings. I'm surprised the quarterback isn't a dried up husk somewhere at the bottom of the lake."

"I'm just…. not hungry."

"Is this some sort of guilty Stefan-like thing?"

"No!"

"It is! What are you feeling this guilty over? Carol Lockwood's death?"

Buffy sighed and sat down heavily on the picnic bench. "I knew that Klaus killed Carol before Liz even called."

"How?"

"Because Klaus left me a message telling me he was going to kill Carol."

"Why would he call you?"

"Because he was angry with me for knowing about Tyler turning his hybrids."

"Why didn't you tell me?"

"Because you hate anything having to do with Klaus and his feelings for me."

"You could've told me."

"And what would that have done? I still feel guilty…."

"You shouldn't feel guilty."

"Maybe if I hadn't ignored Klaus's phone call, I could've talked him out of it."

"He was angry. There was no talking him out of it."

"Then why did he call me? He said he didn't want me to be angry at him. He wanted me to understand why he did it."

"Why he went psycho and killed all of his hybrids and then took out Tyler's mother to boot?"

"I feel guilty because…. A small part of me actually feels like they may have deserved it." Damon started to protest, but Buffy cut him off. "I've been there too…. Once…. And I actually do understand why he did it. I've been betrayed by people who were supposed to be loyal to me. My best friends…. My Watcher…. My little sister that I died so she could live…. They all kicked me out of my own house."

"You didn't murder them all for it, though."

"No. But I was pissed…. And hurt…. And I did feel like walking away and letting them all burn with Sunnydale."

"But you didn't."

"Cause I had someone to talk me back from the ledge. I would've done that for him, Damon. I should have! He was calling me to talk him down from the ledge and I ignored him."

"So what you're saying is that you consider Klaus a friend?"

"Maybe…. Yeah…. No…. I don't know! He does have feelings, though…. Granted, they're a little misplaced sometimes, but they're there and…."

"Do you have feelings for him?"  
>"No."<p>

Damon stood up and moved away from her a few steps. "Don't lie to me."

"Damon, I love you. I want to marry you. I said yes to you. It doesn't matter what Klaus says or does, nothing will change that."

"That's not answering my question."

Buffy sighed. "All the times I was pushed on him because he had feelings for me…. He's not all bad. In fact, he could be a very valuable asset if we let him."

"It's a yes or no question, Buffy. Do you have feelings for Klaus?"

"No."

Damon sighed and moved towards her. "Are you sure?"

Buffy stood up off the picnic table and moved closer to Damon. "I love you. Nothing will ever change that. Angel came back into my life with a permanent soul. Do you know how many times I dreamed about that? And I told him no…. For you."

"I love you." He grabbed her and kissed her passionately, pulling her tight against him.

"Get a room." Jeremy called as he finished his first lap around the lake.

* * *

><p>Buffy shook her head in disapproval. "I don't like this."<p>

"It'll save his life. He's not exactly the Flash." Damon argued. Jeremy was sitting in front of him loading wooden bullets into a gun clip.

"You know how I feel about guns."

"You would think with that pretty scythe of yours that you would consider upgrading the rest of your weapons collection."

"One: Guns are stupid. Stakes, knives, swords…. That's how you kill vampires."

"If you're a Slayer and have superpowers to be able to wield them properly."

"I have super powers." Jeremy said, putting the clip in the gun and handing it to Damon.

"Not like hers." Damon took the clip out and dislodged all the bullets.

"And two," Buffy added. "That scythe is older than Klaus. It's not modern."

"It looks a lot more modern than your sword collection." Damon looked at Jeremy and handed him the empty clip. "Now do it like your life depends on it. Cause it does."

"Don't act like you care about my life." Jeremy said, standing up. "You care about the hunter's mark and you care about curing Elena so she's not sired to your ass."

"Both require you to be alive. Which is why I've updated our relationship status to 'it's complicated'."

Buffy rolled her eyes. "Jeremy, Damon actually does care about you. He's just too stubborn to admit it to anyone but me." Damon glared at her. "And I care about you being able to defend yourself. You do have a minuscule amount of super strength to you now and I can show you how to use it."

"Then show me! You keep talking about it." Jeremy said. "Do something!"

"It takes time and patience. I didn't become the best Slayer out there by walking into a vampire nest and getting myself killed right off the bat. This kind of skill takes time to build up to. My first group of Potentials didn't get to fight a vampire until almost a month after starting their training with me."

"We don't have a month."

"Elena's a vampire with a lot of witchy protection around her. She's really not going anywhere anytime soon." Jeremy smirked slightly. "Glad I can still make you smile."

"Yeah. Yeah."

"I'm sorry, am I interrupting playtime?" Klaus asked, walking up to them from the woods.

"What the hell are you doing here?" Jeremy asked.

"I'm simply appreciating the sights and smells of nature. Neither of which presently include rotting vampire flesh, so I'm a bit concerned. How many vampires has he killed?"

"I'm not throwing my kid out into the world halfcocked, Klaus." Buffy said, crossing her arms defiantly.

"Still not hearing a number. Twelve. That's a number. That's how many of my hybrids that I slaughtered with my sword. Three. That's how many days it took to quell the urge to kill your brother after he knowingly watched as I walked into a death trap. One. That's the number of purposes you serve." He advanced on her and Jeremy backed up. Buffy didn't budge an inch. "You are here to grow Jeremy's mark. So, I'll ask again: How many vampires has he killed since he's been here?"

Buffy shrugged. "Zero."

"That's a pity. I'm going to need that cure sooner rather than later. Hybrid shortage and all." Klaus stepped back from Buffy. "How can I help?"

"You know…. Now that you mention it…. Jeremy, watch and learn." Damon suddenly had the gun loaded and shooting at Klaus's chest. He got off three shots before he dropped his arm. Klaus growled in pain and leaned against a tree. "That was for Carol Lockwood." Damon tossed the gun on the picnic table and walked off towards the house. "I'm going out to get you some blood, Buffy. You need to eat."

"Jeremy, go with him and take Matt?" Buffy asked.

"You gonna be ok here with him?" Jeremy asked.

"I can handle him." Jeremy nodded and headed after Damon. Buffy continued to stare at Klaus.

"Gonna shoot me too, love?" Klaus asked.

"I'm sorry."

Klaus blinked at her. "What?"

"I said I'm sorry." She walked over to him and helped him to sit on the picnic table.

"Your boyfriend shouldn't have shot me."

"Oh, no…. He definitely should have. I mean, he really had every right to shoot you because Carol was his friend, too. But that's not what I'm apologizing for." Klaus looked at her and waited. "I'm sorry for ignoring your phone call."

"That's nothing new. Why apologize now?"

"You were calling me to talk you down from doing something crazy. Like killing Carol Lockwood."

"Wrong there." Klaus winced as she yanked a bullet out of one of the wounds.

"Oh please. You don't call looking for my approval ever. You were looking for a friend."  
>"I don't consider you a friend."<p>

"That's a lie." She ripped another bullet out and tossed it away. "I think I'm the only friend you've got."

Klaus stopped her hands from ripping out the last bullet and held them. "You consider me a friend?"

Buffy sighed. "A dysfunctional, kinda creepy, definitely annoying friend. But…. Despite your flaws…. You were right. You're not _that_ bad." He moved in to kiss her, but she pushed him back. "Except when you do that."

"It wouldn't be the first time you've kissed me."

She rolled her eyes. "_You_ kissed _me_."

"You kissed me back."

Buffy reached in and yanked the last bullet out, causing him to yelp in pain. "As far as I'm concerned, it never happened."

Klaus smirked. "Still haven't told Damon that you kissed me?"

"I'm not getting into this with you."

"Would you like me to tell him?"

She smiled. "Yeah. See how well that goes over." Buffy stood up and headed for the house.

* * *

><p>Later that night, Damon was sharpening stakes by a fire in the woods. Buffy was lounging by the fire, watching him. He had brought her several bags of blood and she'd downed about five of them before she was full. Now she felt so much better and Klaus had disappeared.<p>

"You're doing your creepy stare again." Damon said, glancing at her.

She shrugged. "It's not creepy. I'm just watching you."

"Analyzing what I'm doing wrong."

"Nope. Actually, I was just wishing you had your shirt off while you were working. The show would be so much better."

Damon smirked and stopped whittling. "Someone's feeling much better."

"I get cranky when I'm hungry."

"And sexy when you're full." He set down the stake and crawled over to her. "This is kind of romantic." Damon started kissing her neck. "Just the two of us by a fire in the woods." His lips moved up her jaw line. "The only thing between us is our clothes."

"That can be remedied." Buffy said, sliding her hands up his shirt.  
>"Is this a private party, or can anyone join?" Klaus asked, suddenly appearing by the fire.<p>

"Seriously!?" Damon growled. "It's a private party. Go away." Klaus ignored him and sat down on the log that Damon had vacated. Buffy and Damon sat up and looked at Klaus. "If you're here for pay back go for it. Then you would be suck babysitting the little hunter that could."

Klaus inspected the stake Damon had been working on. "You know if you adjust your angle a little bit, you'll find a shaper edge."

"I know how to whittle thanks. Now I know why those hybrids hated you. You're annoying."

"Actually I'm just perplexed as to why Jeremy hasn't killed any vampires."

"He needs to know how to protect himself before we hunt down his first vampire nest." Buffy said.

"He's not a potential Slayer. He's a Hunter. So…. Let's play a little game, shall we? Jeremy needs more victims and there's a whole town just down the road with people waiting to be turned into vampires for the slaughter."

"You don't think that occurred to me Klaus?" Damon asked.

"Tragedy is Damon: It did occur to you. You just chose to ignore it. My guess it you did it to impress your fiancée."

"It's called sparing lives." Buffy said. "You should try it sometime. That kind of thing always impresses me."

"Well, I've already made the necessary corrections."

"What did you do?"

"Don't worry. I didn't touch Matt, but his little pizza girl might…."

Buffy was out of the woods and running into the house just as Jeremy staked the pizza delivery girl. She helped him out from under the now dead and decaying vampire and Jeremy held out his arm. The tattoo began to grow, filling in and resembling Connor's.

Damon rushed in just then. "What happened?"

"Jeremy's just grown his mark." Buffy said, examining it. "Are you guys ok?"

"Fine." Matt said.

"Jer?"

"I'm good." Jeremy said.

"Was she always a vampire?" Matt asked.

"No." Damon said. "Klaus turned her and sent her to Jeremy."

"That guy is nothing but trouble." Jeremy said.

"I know." Buffy said. She sighed. "We need to get rid of her before someone realizes we were probably her last delivery. Hopefully we weren't, but I don't want to be caught with a body."

"I'll bury her." Damon said.

"I'll help. Jeremy, Matt…. Stay inside and don't invite anybody else in. Ever."

"Got it." Jeremy said.

Damon grabbed the pizza girl's body and hauled her up over his shoulder. Buffy followed behind him, looking for any sign of Klaus. "Did you honestly think about turning people in town?" She asked as they drove away.

"The thought crossed my mind." Damon said. "But we should probably try and do this the legit way." Buffy was silent and Damon looked over at her. "What? You actually thought about it?"

"The thought crossed my mind." She sighed. "What's happening to me? I never, ever, ever think like that. Lining innocents up for the slaughter…. All for a cure?"

"A cure for Elena." Even to Damon that was starting to sound like a weak excuse. Elena was doing fine as a vampire. She was a lot more indestructible than before, too, so Buffy didn't have to worry about her as much.

"Is it a vampire thing? Not caring about the human race as much as I used?"

"A little bit."

Buffy nodded. "Well, that kinda sucks."

"It's an instinct. They're just food…. Most of them. When you live forever, a human life is so fleeting and who wants to make a human friend or a lover and watch them wither away and die?"

"I was going to live forever before I became a vampire."

"So, be honest with yourself…. Did you feel like you were better than most humans even before you became a vampire Vampire Slayer?"

"That's one of the reasons my friends kicked me out of my house before Sunnydale was destroyed. They said I felt like I was better than them."

"Did you?"

"If I'm being 100% honest…. Yeah."

"And you are. You're better than every one of them."

"Who says?"

"Fate. Destiny. Whatever it was that made you the amazing Slayer you are. Buffy, you are better than every one of us because you have died so many times for the people you love. You became a vampire to protect the ones you love. If that's not enough of a good excuse for feeling better than humans…. Even your best friends…. Then I don't know what is."

Buffy shrugged. "I guess."

"I know." He stopped the car and got out. "Maybe we should just let Klaus go through with his plan. Let him turn all those humans into vampires."

She shook her head. "They don't deserve that."

"Who says?" Damon said as he grabbed the shovel and the body from the trunk.

Buffy shot him a glare just as her phone started ringing. She plucked it out of her pocket. "Hello Elena."

"Hey Buffy." Elena said.

"I hope your day's going better than mine."

"Not really. Rebekah kind of kidnapped us today."

"She did what? I'm going to kill her."

"We're all ok. Willow saved us, but that wasn't until after I told Stefan I wasn't in love with him anymore."

"Elena…."

"It's not about Damon. I promise. So much has happened over the last year and seeing him as the Ripper…. Especially when he almost drove me off Wickery Bridge himself just to prove a point to Klaus…. It changed my feelings for him. I still love him. I always will. I'm just not…. In love with him anymore. You get what I'm saying, right?"

"I do. Yeah. But I'm guessing he didn't take it well."

"He asked Rebekah to erase me from his memories."

"Extreme."

"She didn't. She wanted to make him suffer."

"I'm so sorry, Elena."

"How's Jeremy?"

"He's good. Learning quickly."

"Thanks for looking out for him."

"It's what I do."

"Listen…. I really miss you guys."

"I miss you, too, Elena."  
>"Can I come up for a visit? Just a quick one. After everything that happened today…. I need to get away for a little bit."<p>

Buffy glanced at Damon for his thoughts on the subject. He paused in his digging and shrugged. "I suppose. Bring Willow."

"I will. Thank you! I'll see you soon."

Buffy hung up and looked at Damon. "I should call Klaus and tell him to do it."

"What?"

"Elena needs this cure. She's miserable as a vampire. She just told Stefan she doesn't love him anymore."  
>"Are you sure?"<p>

"No. But how else are we going to get this stupid cure?" Buffy hit the call button on her phone.

* * *

><p><em><strong>AN 2: When I get time, I'm going to elaborate on the "Willow saved us" line with a chapter in Footnotes. As I was watching the episode, I saw Willow coming in and being a badass towards Rebekah and scaring the pants off her and maybe Kol, Bonnie, and Shane as well. Could be fun.**_

* * *

><p><em><strong><span>AN 3: And I really wanted to thank you guys for being so awesome. Your thoughts and kind words really helped me out this week after losing Tucker. His sisters are making my family smile. They've got a serious sibling rivalry happening that's keeping us entertained. Whoever said that dogs don't have human emotions should be taken out and beaten with a really big stick for being so stupid. Galway and Ireland (yes, I have a thing for the country and named my two girl dogs after the country and one of its counties) are so jealous of each other, it's ridiculous. Best thing I've seen yet: Ireland took over Galway's bed, so Galway went and left Ireland a present on hers. *Smh...*  
><strong>_


	72. Chapter 72

Chapter 72

Music was playing and dead bodies were lying all around the bar. Klaus had told Buffy and Damon where to meet him. He'd already taken it upon himself to start turning the town. Jeremy, Matt, Buffy, and Damon walked in and Jeremy and Matt gawked at all the bodies. Klaus was sitting at the bar pouring himself a drink.

"I was beginning to worry you boys wouldn't find the place." Klaus looked at Buffy. "And lady."

"What the hell?" Jeremy asked.

"Did you kill all these people?" Matt asked.

"Not exactly." Klaus stood up. "They're in transition. Killing them is your job." He pointed at Jeremy.

"You said you were going to convince Klaus to do this another way!" Jeremy accused, looking at Buffy and Damon.

"Well, we thought about it, and then we realized: his idea was better." Damon said. Klaus smiled and Jeremy stared at Damon in disbelief.

Buffy started to say something, but one of the bodies on the bar started to move. "Crap." She turned to Jeremy. "Look, we need vampires that we know will grow your mark."

"No way. I'm not doing this." Jeremy said.

"What makes you think you have a choice?" Klaus asked.

"Jer, you have to kill vampires to complete the hunter's mark so we can get this cure for Elena. She needs it. You're in a bar full of…. Well, almost vampires. It's time to get your hunt on."

"You said I wouldn't have to kill any innocent people." Jeremy yelled.

Buffy closed her eyes and sighed. "I know. But I got a phone call from Elena earlier this evening and…. We need this to happen sooner rather than later."

"Buffy…."

"I'm going to be right here beside you, ok? You're not in this alone."

"They're innocent people, Buffy."

"They're not people anymore."

"Enough!" Klaus shouted. "Have at it or else."

"I don't take orders from you, dick." Jeremy dropped the stake he was holding and stepped away from Buffy. "Hunters can't be compelled."

Klaus laughed and walked up to Jeremy. Buffy moved to stand beside him, glaring at Klaus. He stopped and looked at Jeremy. "You're right. I can't compel you. But if your conscious is getting in the way, then, allow me to make this easy for you. Because, I can compel them." He gestured at the vampires in transition as a compelled woman walked around feeding them her blood. "I'm going to give you a two minute head start. Then, I'm going to send every vampire in here after you. You kill them or they kill your friend Matt."

"Oh, wait a second!" Matt protested.

"No, no!" Damon protested. "You turn them, he kills them. That was the deal, Klaus."

"I'm taking artistic license." Klaus said.

"You know he can't take them all at the same time." Buffy said.

"With the greatest Vampire Slayer to ever walk this earth as his coach, he'll be fine. It's Matt I'm worried about."

"Damn you, Klaus." She turned to Jeremy. "Go get the weapons out of the car. Damon and I will be right behind you." Jeremy ran out of the bar. "Both of you." Matt followed Jeremy.

"If I hear an engine start, I'll kill Matt myself!" Klaus called.

Buffy turned to Klaus and decked him hard, knocking him to the ground. "My kid. My rules. Stop putting him in danger!"

"I wouldn't have to if you would do your job and grow that mark!"

"I am doing my job as his legal guardian by protecting him and teaching him the right way to kill vampires. This little set up you've created is the complete opposite!" She turned and stormed out after Jeremy and Matt.

Damon smirked at Klaus. "Defriended." He followed Buffy outside and found her grabbing two stakes.

She handed him one. "Go after the boys. I sent them through the woods back towards the cabin."

"What are you gonna do?"

"Be a Vampire Slayer." She twirled the stake in her hand and smirked.

Vampires started to pour out of the bar and Damon headed after Matt and Jeremy. Buffy waded in and used her heightened abilities to disable the ones unlucky enough to be near her. A few managed to get past her and into the woods, but she trusted Damon to take care of them.

Klaus came out and grabbed her arm, hauling her out of the fight. "What are you doing?" He demanded, gesturing at the five dead vampires on the ground.

"What's it look like?"

"Those are for Jeremy."

"I've just made his odds a little better." She glanced after the vampires running after Jeremy and Matt. "Let me go."

"No. You're not supposed to kill them, Buffy. Jeremy is. Don't ruin this."

"This cure is important, but I will not allow you or anyone else to harm those kids. And you know I can stop you."

Klaus glared at her for a moment longer, but sighed and held his hands up in surrender. "I'll call them off Matt and back here. They'll be waiting for Jeremy in the bar."

"Thank you."

"I wouldn't do it for anyone else." He headed into the woods, leaving Buffy standing by her car.

Buffy glanced around and then got in her car and headed back to the lake house. Jeremy, an injured Matt, Damon, Willow, and Elena were all in the house. She parked the car and got out, looking around for any stray vampires. Klaus had managed to get them all before they attacked the house.

"Buffy!" Damon opened the door and she walked in. "Are you ok?"

"Klaus called them off." Buffy said, shutting the door and locking it. "Just in case."

"I put up a protection spell." Willow said. "No vampires in or out with the exception of you, Elena, and Damon."

"Thanks." Buffy hugged Willow quickly and then walked over to Matt. "Are you ok?" She inspected his neck.

"I'll be ok." Matt said.

"What is going on, Buffy?" Elena asked.

"When did you and Willow get here?" Buffy asked, grabbing the first aid kit.

"Don't change the subject."

"Klaus, Damon, and Buffy made a deal to have Klaus make vampires for me to kill." Jeremy said. "But in true Klaus form, he changed it up and compelled them to go after Matt to force me to kill them."

"You didn't kill any." Damon said. "Buffy did all the work."

"What the hell were you thinking?" Elena snapped. "All I wanted you guys to do was to teach him how to fight."

"He's not the best student in the world."

"Wait. Now, this is my fault?" Jeremy asked.

"Stop talking."

"Elena," Buffy sighed and paused in her cleaning Matt's wound. "I know you're angry, but this way was the easiest, fastest, and safest way to complete his mark to get you the cure."

"I don't care about the cure, Buffy." Elena said. "Not if it means putting the people that I love in danger."

"Hey, there would of been no danger if he hadn't gone all bleeding heart." Damon said.

"He killed someone. These were innocent people."

"The mark grew, didn't it?"

"Ok, look, we just need a plan." Buffy said. "There's a group of compelled vampires hanging out at the bar in town. The sun is about to come up, so they'll have no way to escape. Jeremy, Damon, and I can head down there and take them out."

"Just line them up for the slaughter?" Elena gasped.

"That was the plan." Buffy put the gauze on Matt's neck and taped it off. "Elena, I know it's tragic. I get it. We also agreed that he had to kill them. So you get to take Matt home and Jeremy, Damon, and I will finish this."

"Are saying I should leave him here?"

"Yes. He will be safe. I promise. Completely controlled slayage. Ok?"

"I don't like this."

"Yeah? Who does?" Buffy shook her head and headed back to her room.

Willow glanced at Damon and followed her best friend. "Is everything ok?" She asked, shutting the door behind her.

Buffy was lying on the bed, staring at the ceiling. "I don't feel guilty, Wills."

"What do you mean?"  
>"About letting Klaus turn those people. I don't feel bad about it. Hell, I would've done it myself."<p>

"Are you planning on going on a massacre soon?"

"Not that I know of."

"Then you're fine."

"I should feel guilty about those people. I signed their death warrants."

Willow shrugged. "I'm not gonna lie. It is kinda messed up." Buffy snorted. "But you do know that Klaus would've done it anyway, right? Whether you asked him to or not. He turned that pizza girl without you telling him to."

"Yeah."

"Buff, I get it. You're not human anymore. You haven't been for a long time. I think it's my fault."

"What?" Buffy sat up and looked at Willow.

"When I brought you back…. And it went wrong, but you still came back…. You weren't the same. You were different. Not in a bad way. But you just weren't you. You were harder and less forgiving than you used to be. I just wrote it off as being disoriented and angry about coming back from heaven…. But I think it wasn't that."

"Spike did say I came back wrong."

"You're not evil. Not by a long shot. You're just…. Not human. And I'm floating in the same boat. Ever since I did that spell to change all the Slayers, I've been…. More."  
>"You haven't aged."<p>

"I noticed." Willow shrugged. "I kind of always knew that we would end up like this one day. I knew the witchcraft would do something to me. I just always thought it would kill me, honestly. Especially after what happened when Tara died."

"I'm glad it didn't. I'm glad you're here and I won't lose you, too. I'm tired of losing people I love."

"I am too." Willow smiled and took Buffy's hand. "We'll get through all of this and on the way, I think we'll figure out where our lives are heading."

"I can only hope for the good." Buffy said.

* * *

><p>"Do you really think they're at the bar?" Jeremy asked as he, Buffy, and Damon got out of the car.<p>

Damon opened the trunk as Buffy said, "Klaus promised."

"Yeah, cause that's always reliable."

"Look, where else are they gonna go anyway?" Damon asked, pulling out weapons and handing them out. "It's all cabins and vacation homes. They can't get in anywhere."

"Fine. Let's get this over with." Jeremy locked the crossbow into place

"Listen, just go one at a time." Buffy said. "Only shoot for the heart. Don't hesitate and don't miss."

"I got it."

Buffy eyed the crossbow. "Maybe I should've given you a sword."

"You still could."

She shook her head after a moment. "No. Distance is good." Jeremy sighed and headed for the bar. Buffy and Damon followed him in. Music was playing on the jukebox in the corner, but other than that it was deathly quiet. They walked in cautiously, Buffy taking the lead. A giant blood smear covered part of the floor. "Something's not right." She glanced at Damon and then followed the trail of blood to the back storage room. They were greeted by a giant pile of vampire corpses in the corner.

"Looks like we're going to have to find some new vampires to waste." Damon said.

"What the hell happened?" Jeremy asked.

"I confess." They turned around to see that Kol had entered the room. "I did it."

"Kol?"

"Jeremy, good to see you, mate. Sorry about the mess. Ugh, it was a little crowded when I arrived, and I prefer more intimate gatherings. We four need to have a little chat." Kol took a sip of alcohol. "Care for a drink?"

"He's underage and I don't like you, so let's just cut to it." Buffy said, moving Jeremy behind her.

"You know, my brother bragged about his plan to complete Jeremy's hunter's mark. It's easy enough to track this lot down. They were all hiding in the shadows. Now, killing young vampires is easy…. Or old ones, for that matter."

"Why? What's it to you?"

"Because you fools in your zeal to find the cure, you risk waking somebody very dangerous."

"Oh…. You must be talking about Silas." Damon said.

"What do you know of him?"

"Nothing. I don't want to. Not our problem."

"Isn't it? A few hundred years back, I came across a group that worshipped Silas. His followers told me that he would rise again, and when he did, he would trigger the end of all time. You know, being an immortal, you can see why I'm opposed to time's ending. So I murdered all of them. And now, here you are willing to risk raising him in your search for the cure. I can't exactly sit back and let that happen, can I?"

"We're not going to back off the cure because you were told one too many scary bedtime stories." Buffy said.

"Jeremy, we were mates in New York. You're a smart lad. Would you call off this imbecilic treasure hunt?"

Jeremy held up the crossbow. "I'm not calling anything off, mate."

"I could kill you. But then, I'd have to deal with the hunter's curse. And I…. I don't particularly feel like being haunted for the next century. Better idea. I'll just rip off your arms." Kol rushed at Jeremy, but Damon rammed Kol into the wall.

"Buffy, Jeremy, run!" Damon yelled.

Buffy grabbed Jeremy and hauled him out with her super speed. She got him to the car and shoved him in, handing him the keys. "Go home."

"But…." Jeremy started.  
>"Go!" Buffy ran back into the bar, but Damon and Kol were gone. She did a perimeter search, but they were just gone. She punched the wall beside her and left a gaping hole before yanking out her cell phone.<p>

"Did Jeremy kill all the little vampires, love?" Klaus answered.

"No. Your little brother did."

"What? Kol?"

"Yes. And he took Damon. Where are you?"

"I'm at my house."

"I'm on my way." Buffy hung up and took off running. She was at Klaus's door in less than half an hour. He opened the door and she pushed past him. "This is your fault, you know."

"Come in."

"You started this when you forced Jeremy to kill those vampires."

"And now my little brat of a brother has gone and made things worse. Well, he never did like Damon. I suppose I should do something, shouldn't I?"

"Call him off, Klaus."

"You are in no position to make demands, love."

Buffy shoved Klaus to the ground and pinned him there by his throat. "How about now?"

"I do love this position." He smirked and bucked his hips against her. She shook her head at him and moved away, sitting against a wall. Klaus sat up and smiled. "Whilst I'd like to cure your daughter to make more hybrids, I do have other reasons for finding the cure. Not the least of which is destroying it so you lot can't use it against me. Besides, if he kills Damon, I get you all to myself."

"Klaus…. Please…. I'm begging you."

Klaus sighed, slightly hating his love for her for making him soft. He rolled his eyes as he got out his cell phone and called Kol, standing up. "Little brother. Just two days home, and I'm told you've already gone and made a mess."

"Come on, Nik. I was only having some fun." Kol said.

"Those vampires were for my hunter."

"I'll make some more. There's no shortage of people."

"Where's Damon Salvatore?"

"I gave him a good and proper beating just for old time's sake."

"Yes. Well, you've had your fun. Now let him go and come home. Avoid any more trouble, or you'll find yourself back in a box."

"Hey. No need to be nasty about it."

"On the contrary, I find nastiness to be essential whenever my siblings try to sabotage me. Listen closely, Kol. Stay away from the Gilbert boy. You understand?"

"Fine. I won't touch him. You have my word." Kol hung up and Klaus looked at Buffy standing by the fireplace.

"You see? Damon's fine."

"You're incredibly thick then." Buffy snapped. "Your brother has compelled Damon to hurt himself."

"Probably."

"Klaus…."

"He's going to let him go once he's gotten it out of his system."

"Klaus!"

"Buffy…. Just go home and watch Jeremy closely. Kol will go after him eventually and he'll need your protection."

"Can't you just dagger your brother?"

"Are you asking?"

"Sure."

"I'll think about it."

Buffy shot him a glare and marched out of the house. She headed over to the Gilbert house and found Elena in the kitchen with Willow. Buffy's car was parked out front, but Jeremy wasn't in the house. "Are you ok?" Elena asked, walking over and hugging her.

"I'm fine." Buffy looked at Willow and Elena together. "But Kol got Damon."

"What?" Elena gasped.

"Klaus called him and he's supposed to be letting Damon go. I don't trust him though."

"Do you know where they are?" Willow asked.

"No. Kol ran off with Damon while I was making Jeremy leave."

"I can try a locator spell. I just need some supplies." Willow walked out of the room and started to head into the study, but a knock on the door surprised her. She opened it and sighed in relief. "Damon."

Buffy was suddenly there, startling Willow, and had her arms around Damon. "Are you ok?"

"I'm ok. Nothing a little bourbon can't fix. Is Jeremy here? I just want to talk to him really fast."

"He's at the Grill." Elena said. "He wanted to check on Matt."

"Well, I should go apologize to him. I was…. I was pretty tough on him today."

"No you weren't." Buffy said.

Damon shrugged. "I feel like I was. He really doesn't believe that I have his best interests at heart." Buffy looked at Damon curiously, feeling like something was off. Damon noticed. "What?"

"Nothing."

"Why are you giving me your creepy stare?"

"Am I? Guess I'm just looking for anything Kol did to you."

"I told you I'm fine."

"Ok. I want to check on Jeremy, too. Willow, can you stay here with Elena?"

"Of course." Willow said.

* * *

><p>Matt was clearing a table at the Grill when Buffy and Damon walked in. Damon headed straight for him. "Don't you ever take a night off?"<p>

"I took two days off to help you out at the lake house, remember?" Matt said. "I almost got killed."

"Where's Jeremy?"

"He's in the back I think."

"Hmm." Damon walked around Matt, heading for the back room. Buffy spotted Jeremy first and noticed Damon make eye contact with him. From her vantage point, she saw Damon's eyes start to vamp out and he crossed the restaurant toward Jeremy.

Buffy used her much faster speed and grabbed Jeremy, taking him in the back. She ripped off the metal plate covering the entrance to the tunnels and shoved him in. "Go. Run fast."

Damon rushed in and looked surprised that she was there. "Damon, just stop."

"Where's Jeremy?"

"Gone. Kol must have compelled you. He knows that if he kills a Hunter, he'll go through the hallucinations until a new one is activated."

"If I find Jeremy…. I'm gonna kill him." He tried to run down into the tunnel, but Buffy caught him.

"Damon, stop!"

"You need to kill me."

"Oh yeah, cause that's happening." She said sarcastically, stopping another attempt to get down into the tunnels.

"Then knock me out and go after Jeremy. Get him far away."

"I can't knock you out and leave you here unconscious for anybody to find. What if Kol…."

"Then get Matt to move me."

Buffy sighed. "Fine." She backhanded Damon and he fell to the ground, unconscious. She pulled him into the back of the room and went after Matt. She found him by the bar. "I need your help."

"With what?" Matt asked.

"Damon. He's been compelled by Kol to kill Jeremy. I've knocked him out and stashed him in the back. I need to go after Jeremy so I need you to babysit Damon until he wakes up."

"How am I supposed to babysit Damon when he's bent on killing Jeremy?"

"I'm sure you'll think of something." She grabbed his wrist and pulled him to the supply room. The _empty_ supply room. "Damon?"

"Where did he go?"

"He was knocked out!"

"Are you sure?"

Buffy shifted her weight from foot to foot. "Ok, I didn't use all of my strength cause I didn't want to give him permanent brain damage. But I thought that was enough to keep him out for a little while." She glanced at the entrance to the tunnel and sighed. "I'm going to stop him. Cover this up as soon as I'm through." Matt nodded and watched Buffy disappear into the tunnels.

Buffy moved into the tunnels and closed her eyes, stretching out her senses for Jeremy. She heard Damon yelling, "Jeremy! Get out of here! Do you hear me? Don't stop. Kol compelled me. There's nothing I can do!"

Buffy used her super vampire Vampire Slayer speed to whiz past Damon and after Jeremy. He was hiding in an offshoot where Tyler had been hiding out when he was just a werewolf. Jeremy started to let out a yelp, but Buffy had her hand clamped over his mouth. She looked down at his bleeding hand with a questioning look. He held up his gun with the wooden bullets.

"Seriously? You're being hunted by a vampire, and now you're bleeding?" Damon appeared a moment later to find Jeremy's jacket on the ground in front of Buffy and Jeremy missing. "Where is he?"

"You're not getting to him, Damon." Buffy said. She held up the gun and pointed it at him.

"You hate those things."

"It's all I've got at the moment."

"I know. You're gonna have to shoot me." Buffy cringed and shot Damon in the stomach. He fell to his knees, but looked back up at her. "In the heart, Buff. I'm not gonna be able to stop myself."

"I just need to hit you harder this time." She aimed the gun at his head and fired. Jeremy came out as Damon hit the ground and she grabbed him to her, running as fast as she could through the tunnels before Damon woke up. They made it out into the woods and Buffy held Jeremy's hand up. "Well, at least it's healing." She tore off part of her shirt and wrapped it around his hand.

"Should we keep moving?" Jeremy asked.

"We can't run forever. I gotta marry him at some point." Buffy heard footsteps behind her and she turned, gun pointed, as Damon came running out of the tunnels. "How the hell do you keep waking up so fast?"

"It's the compulsion." Damon said. "You need to shoot me in the heart."

"I will _not_ kill you."

"Jeremy…. You're a Hunter. You do it. You know you want to."

"No. I don't."

"What!?"

"You're Buffy's fiancé. I don't want to hurt her."

"Thanks." Buffy said.

"Two vampire killers standing here and neither one of you will humor me."

"Nope." Buffy and Jeremy both said.

"Maybe I can help." Stefan said, suddenly holding Damon against a tree. "Hey, brother. Long time, no see." He snapped Damon's neck and Damon collapsed.

"You have a serious issue with snapping your brother's neck all the time." Buffy said, hugging Stefan tightly. "I am so glad for that right now."

"You're welcome. Are you guys all right?"

"Yeah. Kol compelled Damon to kill Jeremy. We need to contain him so he doesn't do that."

"Well, the cell downstairs at our house is vacant."

"Good. You take Damon there. I'll take Jeremy home and away from Damon."

* * *

><p>Buffy sat in the living room at the Gilbert house staring at nothing. Willow and Elena were cleaning up in the kitchen and Jeremy was sitting at the table watching them all. There was a knock on the door and Elena, Willow, and Jeremy all turned to look. Buffy was already at the door, opening it before Klaus could knock a second time.<p>

"Good evening, love." He said.

"What do you want, Klaus?" Buffy asked.

"I've come to fetch my Hunter. Seeing as how my brother's become a liability, Jeremy will be safer with me."

"I think I'll pass. I've killed enough people for you today." Jeremy said.

"You think you're safer here? Clearly you don't know Kol. He'll stop at nothing to get what he wants. So, strange as it may seem, I'm your best bet."

"Sorry, but I think we'd rather take our chances." Elena said.

Klaus looked at Buffy. "You speak for them. What do you think?"

"I think I've got this one covered." Buffy said. "Goodnight, Klaus."

"Fine. But when Kol does come…. And he will come…. Be sure to let me know. Preferably before he burns your nice little home to the ground. And as for you, Hunter, there's no shortage of people to turn or loved ones to threaten, so sleep well. We'll plan on finishing our work tomorrow." Klaus blew a kiss to Buffy and turned to leave.

Buffy rolled her eyes and shut the door. She turned to look at everyone and a brilliant idea came to her. "We're going to kill two birds with one stone."

"What?" Willow asked.

"This is never going to end at this rate. If Kol doesn't kill Jeremy first, then Klaus is just gonna force him to kill more innocent people. How many is it gonna take? 10? A hundred? A thousand? But, if you kill one Original vampire…."

"Their entire sire line will die with them." Elena said, catching on to Buffy's plan.

"That's thousands…. Maybe tens of thousands of vampires. Kol compelled Damon to kill you, Jeremy. So, my little non-girl Vampire Slayer in training…. You're gonna kill Kol instead and I'm gonna help you." Buffy smiled brightly.


	73. Chapter 73

Chapter 73

Buffy moved around the house cleaning up after Matt and Jeremy. Willow was in the kitchen doing the dishes and Elena was on the phone with Bonnie. Stefan had asked Buffy and Elena to stay away from Damon. Elena would definitely let Damon out if he told her to since she was sired to him. Stefan had asked Buffy to stay away because she wouldn't like seeing Stefan bleeding Damon dry to keep him weak. Such a good brother-in-law.

"Where are you?" Elena asked. Buffy glanced over at her and listened to Bonnie's response on the other line.

"I told Caroline that I'd take her place at the decade dance prep, but none of the rest of you showed."

"I know. I'm sorry. I had to, though. Buffy has Jeremy and I under house arrest because Kol wants to kill Jeremy and Klaus wants to take him on some vampire-slaying road trip while I'm not allowed to leave because one or both of those Originals might use me to get to Jeremy."

"And since neither of them are invited in, it's the only place I can keep them safe." Buffy said into the phone, startling Elena with her sudden appearance.

"Why does it sound like you're under fire?" Bonnie asked.

"Apparently we're living in a fraternity house now." Elena said, glancing at Jeremy and Matt in the living room playing a loud video game.

"I'm training." Jeremy said.

"Me too." Matt added.

"Train yourself to do some dishes." Buffy said. "And put these weapons away before someone tries to use one on his sister." She paused and glanced at Willow. "Oh my god, I'm my mom!"

"That's not entirely a bad thing, Buff." Willow said.

"Listen, Buffy has a plan to end all of this." Elena said. "She wants Jeremy to kill Kol."

"She wants Jeremy to kill an Original?" Bonnie cried.

"Think about it. Kol's sire line must stretch to the moon by now. If Jeremy kills Kol, every vampire that he's ever turned, not to mention everyone that they've turned, will die. Which means the Hunter's mark will be complete and we'll have our key to finding the cure."

"I'm on my way. We'll figure it out. Do you think Caroline will notice if there's only 89 red balloons?"

"Yes!" Buffy called. She stuck her hands under the water over Willow's hands with a laugh, but it quickly turned into a grimace and she yelped in pain, yanking back and bumping into the island counter.

"What's wrong?" Elena asked as Jeremy and Matt rushed into the kitchen.

"What happened?" Bonnie asked.

"Somebody put vervain in the water!" Buffy said, wringing her hands out as the burns healed.

"You've got to be kidding!" Bonnie cried. "It was my dad. Had to be. I'll call him." She hung up and Elena set down her phone, walking over to check on Buffy.

"I'm fine." Buffy said, gently pushing Elena's worried hands away. "Already healed. Just try to stay away from the water."

"I'll go out and buy us some bottled water." Willow said.

"Be careful." Buffy warned, grabbing her keys and handing them to her best friend. "Kol could be anywhere."

Elena's phone rang and it was Bonnie again. "Kol just attacked me at the school."

"Are you ok?" Elena asked.

"I got away, but he was trying to kill me."

Buffy walked out of the kitchen and headed upstairs to her room. She grabbed her phone and dialed Stefan's number. "Damon's fine." He answered. "I locked him up with all the creature comforts he deserves."

"Thanks. But that's not why I called." Buffy said. "Kol just tried to kill Bonnie."

"What? Is she ok?"

"Yeah. It seems like Kol is pretty intent on murdering everyone who's looking for that cure."

"Yeah, Klaus has me trying to convince Rebekah to give up her dagger so he can take care of Kol."

"I don't want to just dagger Kol. I want Jeremy to kill him."

A motorcycle revved up to create noise. Buffy figured he was trying to cover their conversation. "What did you just say?"

"I became a vampire so I would have the power to take on an Original. I've fought Kol before so I know that can hold him long enough for Jeremy to get a clean shot."

"And then what? Klaus and Rebekah will kill every one of us out of spite. They may be dysfunctional bickering luntics, but they stick together no matter what."

"Then it's a good thing that you're looking for the dagger. You can use it on Rebekah. She can't exactly come looking for revenge if she's laying in a box."

"Yeah, I can't do that."

"I know you can't because vampires can't use the dagger, but Matt can. It's not like she doesn't deserve it. And don't worry about Klaus. I can take care of him."

"How?"

"I'll figure it out. I just know that once we get this cure, none of this will matter because we can use it against them."

"All right fine, but how do you plan to lure Kol in?"

"He's a talker, so I'm going to make him talk. You just work on Rebekah." Buffy sighed. "Seriously, how is Damon?"

"You really want to know?"

"Yes."

"I drained him not long after I first got him here so he wouldn't be strong enough to escape. I've been feeding him small tubes of blood so he doesn't desiccate. He's not happy about it."

"I imagine not." She paused. "Wait…. If you're going to work on Rebekah, who's watching Damon?"  
>"Well…."<p>

"No…."

"He offered."

"Of course he offered, Stefan! He's got Damon alone with him now and Damon's not exactly at 100. You know how he gets when he's like that. And there's no telling what Klaus will tell him."

"He promised to be on his best behavior."

"I swear to god, Stefan, if this backfires I will hurt you so bad."

"It'll be fine, Buffy. I gotta go." Stefan hung up before she could argue any further. She stared at the phone in disbelief for a moment.

"Everything ok?" Elena asked, poking her head into the room.

"No." Buffy sat down on the edge of the bed and sighed.

"You wanna talk about it?"

"Stefan left Klaus to watch after Damon and make sure he doesn't come after Jeremy. I mean, Stefan of all people knows exactly what Klaus will say to hurt Damon while he's weak."

"Damon knows that it's all a lie." Buffy looked at Elena. "It is all a lie, isn't it?"

"Which part?"

"You have feelings for Klaus?"  
>"Not…. <em>Feelings<em> feelings. But…. There's…. It's complicated."

"How complicated?"

"Klaus knows that I have a minute amount of feelings for him because he heard me telling Stefan after I desiccated him and now he's promised to make my life a living hell until I tell Damon myself that I feel something for Klaus."

"So tell Damon. He'll understand."

"Seriously, Elena? You're sired to him. Tell me how happy that would make Damon if I told him that I felt something…. Even a tiny, ice-cube's-chance-in-hell, itsy-bitsy something for Klaus."

"Not very. But he has to look at it that you love him and you chose him."

"It doesn't matter how many times I tell him that. He's always been self-conscious about himself when it comes to our relationship. Like he can't believe that I love him. There is nothing about this that he will understand."

"You love him. You're not leaving him. He'll see it one day."

"And until that day, I'd like him to never know about my weirdo feelings for Klaus." Buffy sighed. "Is Bonnie ok?"

"Yeah. She's gotta head home for a little bit, but then she's coming over."

"That won't be necessary."

"Why?"

"Because I'm going to talk to Kol about a truce."

"What?"

"Stefan is going to distract Rebekah and look for the dagger to take her out of the picture. Klaus won't give up the opportunity to torment Damon all day. That gives us plenty of time to get Kol talking, learn more about why he's so scared of Silas, and have Jeremy stake him."

* * *

><p>"Jeremy Gilbert." Kol answered. "Nice to see I'm still on your speed dial, mate. Hey, you want to meet up at the batting cages?"<p>

"Actually, it's his legal guardian." Buffy said, glancing at Jeremy as he loaded up the weapons. Willow and Elena stood off to the side watching her while Matt waited by the back door.

"What a treat! The lovely Miss Summers. I never get to talk to you. In fact, I was just thinking of all the clever ways I could have your youngest killed and leave you a pretty message with his body, but I think I might just settle for ripping off his illustrated arm instead."

"Now why would you piss off the person that kicked your ass? I thought you were supposed to be clever."

"I am clever, darling. And you didn't kick my ass."

"We'll just agree to disagree on that point. Where are you?"

"Why?"

"I want to call a truce and talk to you in person about Silas."

"You want to talk about Silas?"

"I'll meet you wherever you want."

"I'll tell you what. How about I come to you?" The doorbell rang and everyone turned in surprise. Jeremy cocked his gun and pointed it at the door. "If you want a truce, open the door and invite me in."

Buffy looked at Willow and motioned to her head. _What do we do?_ Willow thought.

_Tell Matt to go help Stefan find the dagger. You, Jeremy, and Elena are staying here._

"I'm waiting. Let me in and let's talk truce."

"Wouldn't that be kind of stupid to invite you in?" Buffy said, stalling as Willow looked at Matt and used her telepathy to tell him Buffy's message. He looked startled, but quickly nodded and rushed out.

"On the contrary. I can't kill your little Jeremy with my own two hands or I'll suffer the hunters curse and spend the next 20 years trying to off myself in gruesome ways. And I've heard that vervain's back in town, so I can't compel you to kill him either. So I think it's fair to say you're semi-safe, for now."

Buffy moved from the kitchen as Jeremy and Elena went into the living room. Willow stayed by Buffy's side as she opened the door for Kol. "You'd think being alive for over a thousand years would teach me some manners, but I couldn't resist stopping by." He said as he rolled up his iPhone earbuds. "Are you going to invite me in?"

"Jer?" Buffy said.

"Come in." Jeremy said, glancing at Elena.

Kol smirked and stepped over the threshold. "You know the thing I love about the modern age is music anytime you like." He put his phone and earbuds in his pocket, giving Buffy a clear view of the white oak stake in an inner pocket inside his jacket. "So…. this is the part where you offer me a drink so we can have a proper chat."

Buffy held up her hand and stopped him. "First, I want to set some ground rules. Elena and Jeremy are not a part of this. You leave them alone. In fact, they need to go up to their rooms."

"What?" Jeremy cried.

"No!" Elena protested.

"Go." Buffy ordered. _Make sure Jeremy stays ready._ She thought at Willow.

_Stay close._ Willow thought at Jeremy. He glanced at Willow as he and Elena walked up the stairs to let him know he'd heard.

"Fair enough." Kol said. "Good mothering skill, by the way."

"Thank you." Buffy said. "Second, this is my friend Willow. Not sure if you've heard about her."

"I believe my brother has mentioned a Willow. Something about a witch, I think."

"A very powerful witch. The very witch that created the thousands of Slayers all over the world, actually. So one wrong move and you will be very sorry you ever crossed her."

Kol glanced at Willow. "Very well." He glanced over at the video game that Jeremy and Matt had abandoned. "Do you mind if I play while you rustle up some drinks?"

"Help yourself. I'll be back." Buffy glanced at Willow and though, _Keep an eye on him._ Willow nodded and stayed in the doorway between the hall and the living room. Buffy headed down to the basement where Damon had decided to start stashing alcohol. She looked around at the bottles and decided there was no way that she was giving Kol any of the good bourbon. There were a couple of bottles of wine that Buffy had insisted on having and then there was a bottle of gin. She wrinkled her nose at it, but finally sighed and grabbed it.

Upstairs, Kol was staring at the game, his fingers moving over the controls with rapid speed. "Sorry, all I seem to have is the old people alcohol." Buffy said.

Kol turned around and paused the game. He began to walk over to the kitchen. "Yeah, that's the problem with people today. They have no drinking imagination. Turn-of-the-century New Orleans…. Now, they knew how to make a drink."

"You lived in New Orleans?"

"We all did. Till Niklaus shoved a dagger in my heart."

"Why? What did you do?"

"What makes you think I did anything? Has your alliance with my brother softened you to his horrors? Or are you, in fact, actually in love with him as he claims?"

"I'm not in love with Klaus!" Buffy growled. She took a deep breath and made sure she didn't chuck the gin bottle at his head. "Look, Klaus and I had a mutual interest in finding the cure…."

"Had?"

"Yes. I'm willing to give up looking for it if you promise to leave my kids alone." Kol didn't reply and Willow shrugged behind him. Buffy picked up a mixer she'd found with the gin. "Now, can you teach me how to make this?"

Kol took the mixer and moved past her into the kitchen. "Would you ladies like one?"

Buffy looked at Willow. Willow shrugged and said, "Sure, why not?" Kol took the bowl of ice that Buffy pulled from the freezer and put the ice in the drinks. Willow looked at Buffy and Buffy shrugged. Willow rolled her eyes and said, "You're really good at that game. Are you sure you spent the last hundred years locked in a coffin?"

"I'm a quick learner. Speedy reflexes. It's not much like the real thing, though, is it?" Kol turned his gaze on Buffy. "You've killed a human, haven't you? Or are you one of those Mary Sue vampires?"

"I'm not a Mary Sue. I've killed. Everyone in this room has. But I'm guessing your number's a lot higher than ours."

"You lose track over the years as I'm sure you'll find out." He smirked. "So are we going to talk about Silas or just jibber-gabber?"

Buffy shrugged and gestured to the living room. Kol walked over as Buffy pulled out her phone. There was a text from Matt saying, "No dagger yet. Need time." She rolled her eyes and followed behind Willow. "Nobody else seems to think Silas exists, so why do you?" Buffy asked.

"I used to run with some witches. Africa in the fourteenth century. Haiti in the seventeenth century. New Orleans in the nineteen hundreds. They all knew about Silas…. That he needed to stay buried." Kol looked at Willow. "I actually hold witches in high esteem." Willow just gave him her resolve face and it actually made his smirk dim.

"Why are you so afraid of him?"

"They said if Silas rises, he'll unleash hell on Earth. I happen to like Earth just the way it is."

"That's fairly biblical." Willow said.

"Well, that's the other problem with people today: they've lost faith. And in that loss, they no longer know who they should fear."

Buffy sipped the drink Kol had made and grimaced. "Ew. Still not a fan of gin."

"It's an acquired taste."

"Well, I'm not acquiring it. I'm getting a bottle of wine."

"What if I said I don't believe you?"

"Ok…. Sorry I lied about only having gin. Can't blame a girl for wanting to horde the good stuff."

"It just seems odd that you'd be so willing to give up something you want so much for Elena."

"I would do anything for my kids, but if what you're saying about Silas is true…. What does it matter what I want if it puts everyone else in danger? Did you forget that I have a habit of sacrificing things I want for the good of world? It's kind of part of the Slayer gig."

"Well, this has been enlightening." Kol set down his glass. "Thanks for the drink." He headed for the door and Buffy and Willow exchanged worried looks. "I'll take your request for a truce under advisement."

"Is there any chance you could be wrong about Silas?" Willow asked suddenly before Kol could walk out the door.

"Trust me, some things are better left buried." Kol nodded and walked out.

As soon as the door shut and Buffy was sure Kol was gone, she groaned and sat down on the stairs. "Crap!"

"When was Jeremy supposed to come down and kill him again?" Willow asked.

"I'd like to know that too." Jeremy said, walking down the stairs with Elena.

"He's got the stake with him." Buffy said. "Grab your stuff, we're going after him." She jumped up and headed for the kitchen with Jeremy. "Wills, you…." The doorbell rang and everyone looked at it.

"It's probably Bonnie." Elena said.

"You didn't call her to tell her not to come over?" Willow asked. Elena shrugged as Buffy headed over to the door.

"I've considered your request for a truce. Request denied."

"Run!" Buffy yelled, slamming the door on Kol.

"I'm sorry! I've already been invited in!" Kol kicked the door open and walked in only to see everyone was gone. "Hide and seek? Fine by me."

Buffy, Willow, Jeremy, and Elena stood in the study and waited for Kol to walk by. She shushed them and walked over to the slightly open door. Kol pulled out his cell phone and walked towards the kitchen. Buffy pulled Elena and Jeremy over and pointed upstairs, mouthing the word _fast_. Elena nodded and took Jeremy upstairs using her vamp speed.

"Did you know that your darling Slayer and her witch are trying to kill me?"

_Must be talking to Klaus._ Buffy rolled her eyes at Willow.

_Are you sure you're ready to take him on?_ Willow thought.

"Don't pretend like you're not in on it. Your obsession to find the cure clearly triumphs any sibling loyalty you once felt. I'm going to rip off Jeremy's arm, then kill Elena just for sport…. And as for your precious little Slayer…. Well…." Kol laughed. "Then, I'm coming for you."

_At least he doesn't think you're a big deal._ Buffy thought.

_That kind of hurts my feelings._ Willow pouted.

_Get upstairs and get Jeremy. He's the one that needs to be ready. I'll take care of Kol._ Buffy stepped out of the study and used her speed to go into the kitchen, around Kol, and grab one of her crossbows.

Kol turned around and she shot him in the leg. He screamed in pain and she rushed over and kicked him in the face. Kol hit the doorframe between the kitchen and the dining room and Buffy was on him again, punching him in the face and stomach. He shot out an arm and knocked her back a couple of feet, but she was on him again barely a heartbeat later, her eyes changing and her fangs descending.

Kol did his best to block her blows, but she was fast. Faster than he remembered from their last fight. She was getting stronger. That made him nervous. Buffy slammed his head into her knee and flipped him onto his back. He groaned in pain and she yanked the white oak stake out of his pocket.

Jeremy came running down just then and caught Buffy's attention. Kol took the opportunity to grab one of the swords off the table and shove it through her abdomen, pinning her to the wall. He went to grab the white oak stake, but Elena tackled him across the kitchen. She pinned him to the cabinets and Jeremy grabbed the extendable faucet spout. He sprayed Kol with the vervain water and Kol grunted as Elena moved away. Jeremy kept the water on Kol as Willow pulled the sword out of Buffy.

Buffy threw the white oak stake to Jeremy. "Jeremy, now!"

Jeremy caught the stake and shoved it in Kol's heart. Kol screamed as he caught on fire and tried to run, but Willow shot out her hand and used magic to pin him to the floor so he would continue to burn. Jeremy and Elena rushed over to Buffy, but her attention was on the door.

Klaus was standing at the open door and was obviously pissed. "What did you do?"

"We didn't have a choice. He was trying to kill us!" Buffy said, moving Jeremy and Elena behind her.

"Lies. He never would have gotten inside if you didn't set a trap for him."

"You said you were going to put him down too." She tried using a calm reasonable voice, but Klaus was beyond calm and reasonable.

"I was going to make him suffer on my terms!" He looked dead at Buffy now. "I'm going to burn this house to the ground. And then, when you try to flee for your lives, I'll kill you all without blinking."

"You kill us, you'll never get to the cure." Jeremy said. "You'll never be able to make any more hybrids."

"Hush." Buffy commanded.

"You really think I care for an instant about my bloody hybrids?" Klaus shouted. "I want it so I can destroy it. I would have killed you all the second we dug it up. But now, I'm just going to watch you burn instead."

Willow stepped forward just then and Klaus grabbed his head and started screaming. Her hair started to turn white and her eyes began to glow. "Invite him in."

"Willow…." Buffy started.

"I have a plan."

"Invite him in, Jeremy."

"Come in." Jeremy said after a moment of hesitation.

Still screaming, Willow closed her held out hand and yanked like she had a rope attached to Klaus. She flung him in the living room and dropped her hand. Klaus growled and got to his feet. He lunged at them and Buffy prepared to attack, but Klaus slammed into a barrier. Her punched at it and went towards the kitchen, but he hit another barrier.

"Good thinking, Will!" Buffy said. She walked over and took the white oak stake out of Kol's body.

"You can't do this to me." Klaus growled.

"I'm fairly certain we can and just did."

"You stay here, Klaus." Willow said. "We'll get the cure and then deal with you later."

"I will hunt all of you to your end!" Klaus screamed as Buffy, Willow, Elena, and Jeremy walked out the door. "Do you hear me? Do you?"

* * *

><p>Later that night, Jeremy was pacing in front of the fireplace at the boarding house. He kept staring at his bare arm while Willow, Elena, and Bonnie sat on the couches. Buffy stood in the doorway leaning against the frame. Damon was upstairs getting cleaned up. Bonnie had joined them and told them about her dad having a supply of vervain and that they had tried to use an intervention on her. Willow had sent Buffy a mental message that they would have to do the same eventually.<p>

"It didn't work." Jeremy said.

"It took time for Finn's line to die off." Buffy said. "It'll work."

"What if it doesn't?"

"Where's that Gilbert optimism." Damon asked as he appeared behind Buffy. She turned around and hugged him tightly. "Sorry I missed all the excitement."

"I'm just happy to see you." Buffy said. She searched his face for any signs of Klaus opening his mouth, but he was genuinely happy to see her.

Stefan walked in just then with the tombstone. "Looks like I didn't miss much. Got the Silas headstone."

"We're just waiting for Jeremy's mark to grow." Elena said as Stefan put the tombstone down. "Klaus is trapped in our living room."

"Temporarily." Willow said. "I had to draw on the new moon to bind the spell. We have three days to find that cure. Four max."

"If we don't, we might as well look up Katherine Pierce and see if she wants some company in hiding. Cause he will come after us." Jeremy said.

"We'll find it." Buffy assured him. "Now, that we got Rebekah taken care of, all we need is professor Shane, and then, we'll have everything we need."

"Yeah, I didn't uh…. I didn't dagger her." Stefan said.

"What? Why not?" Elena asked.

"I didn't need to. She's on our side."

"On our side? Did you…. Did you really just say that?"

"Yeah, she handed over the headstone. I mean, she wants to find this cure more than any of us."

"Why would you possibly think that we could trust her?"

"Let me guess, she pledged her allegiance to you while you were naked in the sack?" Damon asked.

"I bet you were just dying to get that out, weren't you, Damon?" Stefan snapped.

"Oh, was that supposed to be a secret? Maybe you should have made that a little clear while you were bleeding me dry in the cellar."

"Yeah, to keep you from killing Jeremy."

"Stop it, both of you." Buffy said. She turned to Stefan. "But I'll warn you now: you have officially made Rebekah your problem. If she gets out of line, I expect you to take care of it."

"She won't get out of line." Stefan promised.  
>"We'll see about that."<p>

Jeremy started screaming suddenly. He ripped off his shirt as the mark grew up his arm and across his chest. "It's happening." He gritted out.

"Oh my god…." Elena gasped.

"You can see it?" Buffy asked. Elena nodded as they all watched the mark grow.

"Here we go." Damon said.


	74. Chapter 74

_**A/N Sorry it's taken me so long. I started my new job this week (yay!) and it's jam packed. So much to learn! My brain is excited by the prospect of learning new things in my career. Plus I've been housesitting for my parents and my mom's computer is dead as doornail. It wouldn't be so bad if she didn't live so far away from my house. *sigh* But I'm finally back at my house (yay! I missed my bed!) and I hammered down tonight to get you this chapter. Enjoy!**_

* * *

><p>Chapter 74<p>

Damon was sharpening a knife on the beach with Buffy sitting next to him. He glanced over at her and smiled slightly. Her face was turned up towards the sky and she was leaning back like she was sunbathing. Her eyes were covered by her sunglasses, but the set of her mouth told him she was distracted and not in a good way. "What are you thinking?"

"I was thinking 'why couldn't they have hidden this cure in Hawaii or an island off the coast of Italy?'" Buffy said. She looked over at Shane. "Where the hell did you take us anyway?"

"Two hundred miles off the Nova Scotia mainland." Shane said. "If you recall, the whole point was to hide the cure on the world's most obscure, desolate island."

"Oh yeah?" Damon said. "I thought the whole point was that no one found Silas, the oldest, deadliest freak in the world."

"Yeah, that too." Shane held out sunscreen and offered it to them. "Sunscreen?"

"Is that a joke?" Buffy asked, one eyebrow raised over her sunglasses.

"Right." Shane wandered off and Damon shook his head.

"Can we kill that guy when this is over?" He asked.  
>"You've got my vote." Buffy said. She glanced over at Stefan who was tying a knot in some rope while Rebekah was standing there glaring at Elena as she walked past.<p>

"You know, you're not really helping." Stefan said.

"You're perfectly capable of tying a knot." Rebekah said.

"You giving Elena the evil eye? It's not really helping."

"She killed my brother, tried to get you to put a dagger in my back. She's lucky all she's getting is the evil eye."

"Actually, I killed your brother." Buffy called. "I came up with the plan and I handed Jeremy the white oak stake. You want to hate someone, hate me. Leave Elena out of it." She smiled brightly at Rebekah.

"I already hate you."

"Beks, why don't you just admit that you're jealous of Elena because Stefan loved her and not you and get it over with?" Rebekah growled and rushed at Buffy. Buffy was faster and she suddenly had the white oak stake out and pointed at Rebekah's heart. "Try me, princess."

"You wouldn't."

"Oh, wouldn't I? I've just spent an ungodly amount of hours cooped up in a van with you alternating between complaining and glaring at Elena and then complaining some more about being on a boat. My tolerance only stretches so far." Rebekah backed down. "Smart girl." Buffy twirled the stake expertly and stuck it back in her bag.

"Looks like someone forgot her team-building exercises." Damon said as he smirked at her.

"Stefan just brought her here to make it seem like he's moving on. With any luck, we'll only have to tolerate her for a few more days and then we'll find the cure and never have to deal with her again."

"Human Rebekah…. I can't imagine her without fangs."

"You know, you guys have never talked about what you'll do with the cure, once we find it. Will you take it?" Elena asked them.

"I don't like to speculate." Damon said at the same time Buffy said, "I seriously doubt it."

Damon looked at Buffy. "You don't want to?"

"I haven't been human in a very long time. I doubt I'd even know how to do it." Buffy said. "Besides, you met me post-Lexi, remember?"

"I think Lexi would've taken the cure." Stefan said.

Buffy shrugged. "Maybe. Maybe not. But she helped me accept who and what I am and…. I love it. I wouldn't give it up for anything."

"You wouldn't even give up the vampire part?" Elena asked.  
>"No. It's not so bad." She shrugged and headed over to see what Willow was doing with Jeremy. "You know, he's underage, Will."<p>

"And I'm gay." Willow shot back as she took another picture of Jeremy's tattoo.

"That's…. comforting." Jeremy said.

"Are you saying I'm not hot?" Jeremy blushed and Willow laughed. "Boy, I have come a long way from high school."  
>"So, what have you got figured out?" Buffy asked.<p>

"These symbols must have been left for the hunters, so they could find the cure. And this must be the story of Qetsiyah and Silas. According to Professor Shadypants, Silas asked Qetsiyah for help making a spell for immortality. She helped make him immortal, only to learn that he planned to use the same spell on another women, not her. When she found out, she wigged."

"So, Qetsiyah killed the other woman?" Jeremy asked.

"Yes. Silas was immortal so she couldn't kill him. That's why she trapped him in a cave and buried him alive instead."

"Does it say anything about the Hunter's purpose in all this?"

Shane came up behind them with Bonnie. "I was wondering when you'd ask. Qetsiyah created a cure for immortality and then she buried it with Silas, hoping that he'd take it and die, and end up on the other side with her for all eternity. But he wouldn't give her the satisfaction. So, many centuries later, her descendants created the hunters to find him, cure him, and kill him. You know what? I'll explain on the hike. Come on. We gotta get going."

Damon walked over with Willow and Buffy's backpacks and Elena trailing behind him. "Ladies." He handed over their bags to them and Jeremy put his shirt back on.

Shane took the lead with Bonnie right behind him. Elena joined Jeremy behind them with Buffy, Damon, and Willow grouping up third. Rebekah and Stefan took up the rear. Buffy kept a close eye on Shane. Willow had brought up her worries about Bonnie's newfound abilities. Expression was a dark form of magic and she had a spell ready to bind Bonnie's powers if things got out of hand.

Ahead of them, Shane took out his phone and tried to make a call, but it beeped like it had no service. "Satellite phone lost its signal." He announced.

"Well, that's a good sign." Damon said.

"Is anyone else a little creeped out?" Elena asked.

"So then leave." Rebekah said. "Out of everyone, your presence is the least necessary."

"Please don't start." Stefan said. "Buffy will use that stake."

"I'm merely stating the facts. Jeremy has the spell on his body. Bonnie is the witch that unseals the cure. Shane is the human compass. Willow is the backup witch. Buffy is the Slayer and Jeremy's legal guardian. He can't go on a trip like this without her. You and I have the tombstone, which does god knows what. And Elena has no point."

"What about me?" Damon asked.

"You have a nice behind."

Damon smirked as though it was an acceptable way to be useful and Buffy groaned. Stefan laughed at Rebekah. "I wouldn't let the woman who has the stake that can kill you and the power to use it know that you're checking out her fiancé's backside."

"Words to live by." Buffy threatened. "Key word: Live. You won't be if you don't put your eyes back in your head."

"You're very grumpy today." Rebekah said, moving up next to Buffy.

"I have every reason to be. I'm stuck on an island with the Complaint Queen, a shady professor, and a witch who can barely control her powers…."

"Willow?"

"Hey!" Willow protested.

"Bonnie. And when I get back home, I've got to deal with Klaus and your other brother trashed my kids' house while he was dying. Grumpy doesn't begin to cover it."

Rebekah didn't say anything to that. She just fell back with Stefan. Damon took Buffy's hand as they continued walking.

* * *

><p>It was nighttime on the island now. They'd been hiking all day with small rests for the humans. Shane was still babbling on about the history of the island. "Centuries after Qetsiyah died, there were these miners who were excavating a well on the island. They suddenly went mad. They bled themselves dry. No apparent reason. So, the legend spread that these miners, in exchange for a drop of their blood, saw visions of their lost loved ones in the well they were digging. The word traveled and explorers sought out the well to see if the legend was true."<p>

"So, the well was magic?" Bonnie asked.

"Well, you know, some people believe the voices of lost souls were just a wind vortex whipping through the caves, and visions were caused by inhaling the island's poisonous plant life."

"And what do you believe?" Elena asked.

"I believe in magic. My wife and my son died within months of each other. And so…. I decided to try the well out for myself. I offered up my blood and I waited. When nothing happened, I decided to go down into the well. I saw my wife. I saw her eyes, her smile. My blood let me see her again."

"Yeah, got it." Damon said. "Don't eat the poisonous flowers."

"Wait. Stop. Stop! Stop." Everyone stopped and looked at Shane. "Is everybody paying attention?" He picked up a large rock and said, "Our first lesson in survival" before throwing the rock. It triggered a net trap that swung up into the trees. "Stay together. Keep your eyes open."

"You're with a group of vampires." Buffy quipped. "Two of them with super-super-powers. We saw that trap literally a mile away." She rolled her eyes at him as Rebekah laughed. Shane sighed and continued on. Everyone else fell in behind him again.

Jeremy, the last in the group, stopped. "Ugh, I'm out of water."

"Here, take mine." Elena said, handing him her water bottle.

"A magic well? Seriously?"  
>"I don't know. I mean…. We've all lost someone. The chance to maybe see them again? I kinda get it." Jeremy smiled sadly and took a sip of his water while Elena turned and followed after the others. A branch snapped somewhere off to the left and Jeremy turned to see a man with tribal paint on his face aiming an arrow at him.<p>

Buffy was standing in front of Jeremy suddenly, catching the arrow aimed at his out of the air. The man started to reload his bow, but he suddenly grunted and fell to the ground with a hatchet buried in his back.

Elena ran over to Buffy and Jeremy. "What the hell just happened?"

"Somebody just saved my life." Jeremy said.

Buffy broke the arrow in half with one hand and tossed it away. She looked at Jeremy. "You ok?"

"Looks like we're not alone." Jeremy said.

"We should keep moving." Shane said. "We're almost there."

"Almost where?" Damon asked.

"Our campsite." Shane turned and headed off. The others trudged in behind him. A few minutes later, they came to a clearing with a barn like structure off the one side.

"What is this place?" Stefan asked.

"According to island lore, a group of college kids came here for spring break." Shane explained. "A few weeks later, they were all found dead, completely drained of blood."

"Well, tragic for them, brilliant for us." Rebekah said. "Who sleeps where?" She moved off to find a place to rest.

Buffy looked at Damon and nodded her head towards Shane. He nodded and they followed Shane towards the barn. "There's a mystery man with a hatchet lurking in the woods and we're just gonna camp?" Buffy asked. "Do you not have any survival skills?"

"We're safer here than we are hiking in the dark." Shane said.

"Did you miss my little speech earlier about being surrounded by vampires? We see perfectly fine in the dark. Let's just keep going and get the cure. We can get in and get out quick. Just tell us where is it."

"How stupid do you think I am?"

"Stupid enough to raise an immortal witch, so I'd say…. incredibly." Damon said.

"You know, I'm shocked you two even want the cure."

"Why?" Buffy asked.

"With Elena human, you'll be stuck in Mystic Falls taking care of her. Don't you want to go off and have a life with your fiancé?" Shane walked off and Buffy scoffed.

"Shane doesn't know what he's talking about." Elena said, walking over to them.

"Sure sounded like it to me." Buffy growled. She headed over to help Willow set up their massive tent.

Elena looked at Damon. "This cure is gonna change so many things. Jeremy's not gonna want to kill me anymore. We're finally gonna get rid of Klaus. Bonnie's mom isn't gonna be a vampire. And anyone who wants to take this cure is gonna have that option. If you guys want to travel, I can take care of Jeremy. I don't need to be a vampire to do that."

Damon just shook his head and headed over to help Buffy and Willow. Buffy wasn't with Willow, though. "She wandered off into the woods." Willow said, holding out her hands towards the tent. Damon watched, impressed, as the tent set itself up through Willow's magic. "You should go talk to her."

"Is she ok? She's been…. Grumpy."

"She's worried about what Klaus told you while he was making sure you didn't kill Jeremy. Since you've dodged the questions, I'm guessing he told you something bad."

Damon sighed. "He said that she kissed him and that she has feelings for him. All standard stuff I've heard from him before, but he told me the times when it happened. He described them…."

"You should really be talking to Buffy about this, Damon."

"I don't know how. She gets angry when I ask her."

Willow walked over and grabbed Damon's shoulders, shaking him a little bit. "Look, I don't know how many times I'll end up saying this to you because you just don't seem to realize it and Buffy seems to repeat it a lot, too. But this is coming from her best friend. Someone who has seen her through thick and thin and everything in between. And you're not arguing with me on this because I've got my resolve face on." She pointed at her face to reiterate her point. "_You_ are the best thing for Buffy. She loves _you_. Out of all of her boyfriends…. And trust me, it's really not that long of a list…. You are the one she's happiest with. Accept it: You're her One." She turned Damon towards the woods. "She went that way."

With a small shove, Damon headed off into the woods to find Buffy. He knew that Buffy loved him, but if she really did have feelings for Klaus, how could he even compare with that? Klaus was over a thousand years old. He could show her so many things that Damon had no idea about. He could take her away from him.

Finally, Damon found Buffy standing near the barn structure. She was in the shadows and hard for even him to make out. So Bonnie and Shane definitely had no idea she was even there. Of course she heard him approaching and turned to shush him. He sighed and stood next to her.

"I've been staring at pictures of Jeremy's tattoo and there's no spell." Bonnie was saying inside the barn.

"Expression doesn't require a written spell." Shane said. "Just think of it as a way of accessing magic that already exists inside you. You just have to want it bad enough."

"And I'm just supposed to trust you?"

"Bonnie, listen, I taught you expression so that you could access the cure. I'll be right there with you the whole time, I promise."

"You didn't answer the trust part." Buffy said, suddenly appearing in the light. Damon smirked and stood behind her in the doorway.

"All right. Let me put it this way. You need me to help you through it, Bonnie. Because as you've demonstrated, expression can get messy. Believe me when I say I've seen it get a lot worse."

"How much worse?" Damon asked.

"When we lost our son in the car accident, my wife kind of lost it. She tried to resurrect his body using magic."

"Your wife was a witch?" Bonnie asked.

"She was a powerful witch. And incredibly undisciplined."

"And you never thought to tell me?"

"I just didn't want to scare you. The truth is, she tried to bring our son back using expression, and it overwhelmed her, and she died."

"You taught me the same magic that killed your wife?"

"Yeah, but look, the upside is I've learned the warning signs, all right? I can keep expression from consuming you."

"Downside: you turned her into a bomb that only you can dismantle." Buffy said.

"Don't you think I know how this ends? I came here to raise Silas so that he could bring back the dead, but you're never gonna let that happen. The second I point to a cure, you or your boyfriend is gonna kill me. Now Bonnie has to keep me alive so I can keep her alive."

"Aren't you forgetting that Willow is about twenty thousand times more powerful than Bonnie? She's got a spell all ready to bind Bonnie's powers. You allow Bonnie to put anyone here in danger, Willow will use that spell."

"I don't want her to bind my powers." Bonnie protested.

Buffy looked at Bonnie and rolled her eyes. "Then try not to kill anyone with your newfound dark magic and she won't."

Bonnie huffed and marched out. "You don't have much faith in her." Shane observed.

"Never have." Buffy said. "She's a judgy little thing."

"You should try trusting her sometime. She just might surprise you."

"Doubt it."

Elena rushed in just then. "Buffy, Jeremy's gone."

"What do you mean gone?"

"He was in the tent sleeping and now he's just gone." Buffy followed Elena out and everyone moved around the campsite trying to locate Jeremy. A few minutes later, they all returned from their sweeps of the nearby area.

"Jeremy!" Elena called. "Did you find anything?"

"He's not on the trail." Buffy said, walking back with Damon.

"His gear's still here." Shane said, holding up Jeremy's backpack.

"He's not at the quarry, either." Stefan said, coming back with Rebekah.

"Let's split up." Damon said.

"I'm gonna stay and try a locator spell." Bonnie said.

"Then I'm going to supervise." Willow said.

"Ok. I'll stay here." Shane said. "I'll make sure they're safe."

"I'll stay here and make sure you're not lying." Damon countered.

Elena looked at Stefan and Rebekah, who glanced at each other. "Fine. We'll keep searching the island."

Buffy sighed. "I'm gonna go with them." She said to Damon. "Make sure he doesn't try anything funny." Damon nodded and walked off. Stefan and Rebekah turned around and started walking. Elena waited for Buffy to join her and they followed after them.

"Jeremy! Jeremy!" Elena called.

"Why don't you yell louder?" Rebekah said. "Maybe we haven't drawn enough attention to ourselves already."

"I'm sorry, and how are you helping?"

"I'm stronger than you and faster than you and I'm quite certain I can charm the islanders a lot easier than you."

"Not disagreeing on the easy part."

Buffy let out a laugh and Rebekah glared at her. Stefan rolled his eyes. "All right, we get it. You two hate each other. Can we just keep going, please?"

"I tried to be her friend, but somehow I ended up with a dagger in my back because I'm the evil one." Rebekah said. She glanced at Buffy standing off to the side, staring into the dark woods.

"Technically, you didn't achieve evil status until you killed me." Elena retorted just before she walked into a trip-wire and set off a trap. Rebekah was suddenly there to stop it from impaling Elena. They exchanged glances as Elena tried to catch her breath and Buffy rushed over. She hadn't been paying attention. A movement off into the woods a little ways had caught her attention.

"Nice catch." Stefan said.

"Thank you." Rebekah said.

"No, actually, thank you." Elena said. "This thing would've killed me."

"I don't care what happens to you either way. But if you're gonna die, it might as well be epic."

"I'm gonna go back and check on Bonnie, see if she found anything. Be careful."

Buffy looked at Stefan and Rebekah. "I'm going to stick with Elena to make sure she gets there safely. There's someone out there, so you two watch your backs."

"Is that what you were tracking?" Stefan asked.

"Yeah. I couldn't get a good look, but it's definitely a someone. Be careful." With that, Buffy faded into the shadows and went after Elena.

* * *

><p>Damon had Shane tied up in the barn and was working on getting information out of him. "Where's the cure?" He asked.<p>

"Does it matter?" Shane said. "I think we both know you'd rather just torture me. Torture gives you a sense of control, especially with your relevance slipping away." Damon calmly broke a metal rod in half. "And look at you. You found out that your fiancée has feelings for the bad guy. You're starting to freak out a little bit. Listen, you want my advice? Give up. Klaus won't stop until he gets what he wants." Damon whacked Shane with the halves of the metal rod, making Shane cry out. "Fine. Ok. Let's say that Klaus doesn't get his way _now_. They're both immortal. Both unkillable. He's got years to work on cultivating those feelings." Damon struck Shane across the face with the rod and Shane groaned in pain. "It's doomed, Damon. Klaus wins. See, you're not torturing me, man. You're torturing yourself by staying with someone who you're not worthy of."

"I think I'm just going to kill you. Your psycho babble is getting on my nerves."

"We've established that you can't kill me without sending Bonnie off the deep end. You can leave the island. Have a modicum of self-respect. Don't stick around and watch the love of your life ride off into the sunset with another vampire."

"I'm not that easily manipulated, professor. And there is one flaw in your logic." Damon bent down to Shane's ear. "I don't give a crap about Bonnie Bennett." He grabbed Shane's head, ready to snap it, but suddenly Elena ran in and pushed him away from Shane.

"What is wrong with you?!" Elena cried. Buffy walked in calmly, having heard the last part of their conversation. She knew Damon was about to explode. He walked out of the shed without answering Elena. "What did you say to him?" Elena demanded of Shane.

"Your fiancé's a maniac, Buffy." Shane said.

"Shut up." Buffy growled, walking out after Damon.

Elena ripped the ropes off Shane and walked out after Damon. "Shane is the only thing that's keeping Bonnie safe, and you try to kill him?" She demanded "And you wonder why Bonnie hates you."

"I don't wonder, Elena, because I don't care." Damon said. "I don't care about her. I don't care about some lame-ass cure for vampires, either."

"How can you say that right now?"

"Elena, could you give us a minute?" Buffy asked.

"But…."

"Now." Elena huffed and walked off and Buffy turned back to Damon.

"Maybe we should just face reality, Buffy. We don't work." Damon said.

"We work just fine."

"Obviously we don't if you have feelings for Klaus."

"I told you. They're not romantic."

"You kissed him!"

"He kissed me, Damon. I have never kissed him. I have never grabbed him and put my lips to his. That's reserved only for you." She shook her head. "I will not let you do this. Whenever things aren't easy, you push people away. You've done it to me before. Whenever you think that you don't deserve something, you ruin it. I won't let you pull that this time." Damon turned around and started walking away. "Damon, I love you. Stop acting like that doesn't mean anything." He kept walking. "Damon!"

Elena rushed over to Buffy. "It's Willow!"

Buffy glanced after Damon and sighed. She followed Elena over to Bonnie's tent where an unconscious Willow was lying on the ground. Her forehead was bruised and bloodied where someone had hit her. "What happened?"

"I don't know. I came in here to find Bonnie and I found Willow. Bonnie's missing and Shane's gone, too."

"Get me some water, Elena?"

Elena nodded and headed out to find her water bottle. Stefan and Rebekah came into the tent. "What's going on?" Stefan asked, kneeling down with Buffy beside Willow.

"Someone hurt her." Buffy said, biting her finger and rubbing her blood on Willow's forehead. The wounds healed and Willow gasped awake.

"What…." Willow looked around. "What happened?"

"What do you remember?" Stefan asked.

"I was watching Bonnie cast a spell and a trail of fire just appeared. She didn't make that trail. It wasn't her spell…." Willow shook her head slightly and winced. "Then everything went black…. Why does my head hurt?"

"Someone hit you." Buffy said.

Elena walked back in with her water bottle. "Where is everyone?"

"What are you talking about?" Stefan asked.

"Well, Bonnie's not here and Shane's stuff is all gone…."

"Oh my god." Rebekah disappeared from the tent and everyone went out to find her tearing through her bags. "The tombstone's gone." She rushed over to Buffy's tent and Elena followed her. Stefan and Buffy supported Willow as they made their way to the tent where Rebekah was rifling through bags.

"What are you doing in our tent?" Elena demanded.

Rebekah grabbed Elena by the throat and Buffy was suddenly standing behind Rebekah with the white oak stake pressed to her back right where her heart would be. "Let her go." Buffy growled.

"Where's the tombstone?"

"Let her go, Rebekah." Buffy warned.

"What have you done with it?!"

"What are you talking about?" Elena asked.

Buffy grabbed Rebekah's hair and yanked her head back. Rebekah let go of Elena and moved away from Buffy. "Like it's not bloody obvious? All you people ever do is betray me and here you go again!"

"She didn't take it." Stefan said.

"Was any of this real? Or was it just a ploy to distract me while Shane ran off with the tombstone?"

"You think I would do that? You think I would let some psychopath run off with the cure? Every single moment of my last 146 years has been ruled by the pain of being a vampire. And this cure ends that. It ends the guilt and it ends the suffering. And you really think I would jeopardize that?"

"Fine. You didn't take it. But that doesn't mean I trust her." She turned on Buffy. "Or you for that matter."

"Nobody took it." Buffy said. "I was too busy possibly breaking up with Damon and Elena was in Bonnie's tent discovering my best friend clobbered over the head. So, if you didn't notice by now: We're kind of screwed. Bonnie's gone. Shane's got the tombstone. Jeremy's missing. Who knows if Damon's coming back? So, the five of us, right here? This is all we've got. We've got to be in this together or it's all over. We were friends at one point, Rebekah."

"That doesn't mean we are now."

"No. It doesn't. But I do want you to have that cure."

"Why? You don't even want the cure."

"Not now, no. Maybe one day I'll be tired of the immortal life, but right now…. I like it. But that doesn't mean I don't get wanting to be human. I used to hate being a freak. I would've done anything to stop and just have a normal life. It sucks. No one should be forced into something like that. And if you have the chance to be normal…. Human…. Then I want you to have it."

Rebekah stared at Buffy for a long moment. "Fine. How do we find them?"


	75. Chapter 75

Chapter 75

Buffy, Elena, Willow, Stefan, and Rebekah were on the beach. Elena was on the phone with Caroline. Rebekah stood off to the side watching Elena while Stefan and Willow stood with Buffy trying to calm her down. She was starting to panic because Damon was missing and he was angry at her…. Angry enough that she was sure they were over…. And now she was sure that she might never get the chance to fix things because he was missing and probably hurt.

"Tell me you're not serious." Caroline said over the phone.

"I wish I weren't." Elena said.

"When we got back from looking for Jeremy, Shane and Bonnie were gone too. Willow had been knocked out cold. Shane needs Bonnie to cast a spell on Jeremy's tattoo in order to find the cure and he managed to sneak them both out from under our noses."

"Well, where's Damon in all this?"

"He and Buffy had an argument. She thought he was just taking a walk, but then when we went to the beach, we saw signs of a struggle."

"Meaning what?"

"Meaning somebody probably jumped him and then grabbed him."

"Do you think Shane took him?"

"No, I mean, he's not strong enough to take Damon on even with the element of surprise. He must have someone, or at least a few someones helping him."

"I'm so sorry. I wish I was there to help. How's Buffy?"

"Panicked. She's been crying."

"Is there anything I can do?"

"Well, maybe there's something you can do from home."

"Anything. Tell me."

"So Shane's looking for the cure. We think we can find him. We have pictures of Jeremy's tattoo, but we just can't translate the map."

"Unless you get the Hunter's Sword from Klaus."

"Exactly."

"He'll never give up the sword." Rebekah said. "Not even for his precious Buffy." Buffy growled at her and Stefan hugged her to keep her from attacking the other blonde vampire. "He's terrified we'll use the cure against him to make him mortal, and even if he wasn't, he wouldn't want any of us to derive a moment's worth of happiness from being human."

"Well, maybe he doesn't have to give it up." Stefan said. "I mean, Klaus is stuck in Elena's house by Bonnie's spell. He can't go anywhere. There's only so many places you can hide a three-foot piece of metal."

"I'll find it, don't worry." Caroline said. "Just e-mail me photos of Jeremy's tattoo. I'll find the sword, and I'll call you back."

"Thank you, Caroline." Elena said.

"Bye."

Elena hung up and walked over to Buffy. "Hey, we'll find him. And Bonnie and Jeremy. We'll get the cure and everything will be ok."

Buffy shook her head and walked away from everyone. She headed to the water's edge and stared out at the expansive horizon. She hated water. Usually where there was water, there was trouble. It had killed her the first time. Ever since then she'd tried to avoid it. But now here they were, in a very bad situation and guess what! They were surrounded by water.

Rebekah raised her cellphone in the air again, but she only got a busy signal…. Again. She sighed and gave up. Elena and Stefan were sitting a little ways away, talking. Willow was standing over some sand trying to do a spell, but it wasn't working and she was getting frustrated.

Rebekah looked over at Buffy staring out at the water and walked over to her. "We'll find him." She said.

"Why do you even care?" Buffy snapped.

"We were friends at one point." Buffy looked over at Rebekah. "And you two didn't break up. It would be a lot more epic than him just walking away."

"You have a thing for epic, don't you?"

Rebekah rolled her eyes and huffed. "You love him. He loves you. More than life itself. It's almost disgusting, really. But you've just got to fix it."

Buffy looked away, crossing her arms tightly. "I don't know how."

"Did you ever think that you don't show him enough that you love him? That maybe he feels like he's not enough for you because you don't make him feel like he's enough for you?"  
>"Is this your way of begging me to stake you?"<p>

"No. I just…." Rebekah sighed and decided to show her sensitive side. The side that understood being in love and everything that came with it. A side she didn't often show people she was supposed to hate. "Look, all I'm saying is…. Get over your issues with the whole marriage thing already and marry him if that's what he wants. That's how you show him that you want him for the rest of eternity and _not_ my brother." Rebekah gently took Buffy's hand and held it up to show her the sparkling engagement ring there. "You said yes _to Damon_. You promised _him_ your heart forever. So follow through on your promise." Rebekah started to walk away.

"What if…." Rebekah stopped and turned back. Buffy turned to look at her. "What if I don't get the chance?"

"Buffy, I will make sure you get the chance. I promise."

"Why are you being so nice to me?"

"You've come all this way to help me find the cure…. To help me get my happy ending. The least I can do is give you your happy ending."

"Rebekah…. Thank you."

Rebekah shrugged as she walked away, tossing over her shoulder, "Don't mention it."

* * *

><p>An hour later, Rebekah's phone rang. For some odd reason, hers was the only one working on the island. She grabbed it quickly and answered. "Hello?"<p>

"Hey, it's Caroline. We have the translation of the tattoo. We're emailing you pictures of the map and instructions right now." Rebekah checked her phone and after a moment, finally received the email. "Got it. Thanks." She paused. "Nik, you helped?"

Buffy listened a little closer and heard Klaus say in the background, "You sound so surprised, little sister."

"Shouldn't I be? I mean, you don't want me to be human. You don't want any of us to be human. Why would you help us find the cure?"

"Maybe I finally realized the longer I stand in the way of what you want, the longer you'll continue to hate me. Perhaps I want my sister to finally know happiness."

"Fool me once, shame on you; fool me a hundred times…."

"No more fooling. No more games. I hope you get to live, and die, as you wish."

"So do I." Rebekah moved and her movement made too much noise for Buffy to hear what Klaus said. His voice was already distant enough. "Nik. Nik!" She called.

"Rebekah?" Buffy asked.

Rebekah looked over at her. "They sent us directions." She held up the phone to show Buffy and Willow.

"Let's go then." Stefan said.

"What about Damon?" Buffy asked.

"It's an island, Buffy." Rebekah said. "We'll probably find him on the way." She headed off into the woods. Buffy and Willow exchanged looks. Klaus had told her something because she was acting differently. Colder.

"What did Caroline say?" Elena asked as they caught up to Rebekah.

"I don't know. We lost the signal. Come on, this way." Rebekah said as she moved a little faster. After a few minutes, they came to the edge of a cliff. "We need to get down and across. Advantage, vampires: all we have to do is jump."

"Willow's not a vampire." Elena said. "She can't jump."

"I can fly though." Willow smirked and stepped off the cliff, floating in midair.

Buffy smiled slightly. "Cool trick, Glinda."

"See you down there." Willow descended down the cliff and Buffy moved to jump after her.

"Wait, wait." Elena cried. "Um…." She looked at Rebekah. "Maybe you should leave the map behind. In case you fall, you don't want anything to happen to the phone."

"Good idea." Buffy said, looking at Rebekah.

"Are we doing this again?" Rebekah said. "I thought we were a team?"

"Guys, we don't have time for this." Stefan said. "Elena, you and Buffy go next. We'll be right behind you."

Elena hesitated and Buffy took her hand. They both took a deep breath before taking a running leap off the edge. After falling a huge distance, they both landed close to Willow. Elena stumbled slightly, but managed to stay on her feet. Buffy's landing was graceful and quiet.

Willow rolled her eyes. "Showoff."

Buffy shrugged and looked back up the cliff. Stefan was about to jump when Rebekah threw out her arm and stopped him. They had a bit of a conversation which Buffy couldn't hear and that really pissed her off. Then, out of nowhere, Rebekah snapped Stefan's neck and his body fell to the ground.

"No!" Buffy yelled, jumping up and catching a ledge on the cliff. She climbed up, digging her nails and boots into the rock. Elena followed her lead and headed up the cliff. Rebekah was gone by the time Buffy reached Stefan. Elena came up a minute later and Willow floated up to them not long after.

"Where did she go?" Elena asked.

"She's got the map." Willow said as Buffy moved Stefan into a more comfortable position.

"What do we do now?"

"We wait for Stefan to wake up and find out why Rebekah did this." Buffy said. "Then I'll track her and probably kick her ass."

"Sounds like a decent plan."

Elena sighed and sat down next to Stefan and Buffy. Willow moved over and sat down near the edge of the cliff, watching for any signs of Rebekah or Damon.

* * *

><p>Damon, still tied up, staggered into the cave with the Hunter named Vaughn behind him. He'd been taken captive by this annoying twerp not long after he'd walked away from Buffy. What a stupid mistake that had been. Damon stopped by the ropes that must have been left by his human friends when they'd gone down into the lower chamber.<p>

"Well, here we are." Damon said. "Looks like someone beat us to the punch."

"That's a shame, Damon." Vaughn said. "I have no use for you anymore. Hate to kill ya."

"Ditto. You know, that pesky Hunter's curse and all. All right. How do you want to do this?"

"I'll make it quick and painless." Vaughn pulled on the rope tied to Damon's neck, but Damon resisted.

He grabbed onto the rope, the vervain socked into it searing his skin. "Wish I could make the same promise." Vaughn cut the rope at his end and flung it toward Damon. Damon pulled the rope off his neck, groaning in pain, before pulling off the ones tied to his wrists as Vaughn prepared a gun. "I'm gonna kill you. And then I'm gonna get to that damn cure, and I'm gonna give it to my fiancée's kid."

"Your attachment to your friends will be the end of you."

They heard footsteps from the cave entrance and Damon smiled. "You don't know my friends…." Rebekah appeared instead of Buffy like he'd hoped. "Or my enemies."

"Hello, Damon." Rebekah said, moving towards him. "Got yourself into trouble again?"

Damon shrugged. "You know me." He looked over at Vaughn. "Are we gonna dance or are we gonna play?"

"You know he can't hurt me, Damon, unless he's got the white oak stake."

"Oh, he doesn't, but he's got other toys." Vaughn said, before shooting Rebekah three times. She rushed at him and grabbed his throat, but Vaughn stuck something into her chest. She looked down to see a grenade with wooden spikes protruding from it. Vaughn held up the pin that he'd pulled out and the grenade detonated, sending the wooden spikes into her body, all the way through to her back. She fell face down in the dirt, neutralized.

Damon rushed at Vaughn, engaging him in hand-to-hand combat. Vaughn withdrew another weapon and fired it at Damon. It threw a lasso-like device covered in vervain and secured Damon by the neck to a pole behind him. Damon groaned and made choking noises.

"Damon!" He heard Buffy yell from outside the cave. That made him smile at Vaughn. "You're in trouble now."

Vaughn grabbed onto a rope, rappelling down into the shaft just before Buffy, Willow, Elena, and Stefan ran in. "Damon!" Buffy cried, rushing over to him with Stefan. They both tried to get the rope off of Damon's neck, but the rope was soaked with vervain and it burned their fingers.

"You're wasting time. Just get the cure. Go." Damon said.

"We're not gonna leave you." Elena said.

"No, we aren't." Buffy said. She looked at Elena. "You and Willow need to go ahead. Will, stop Bonnie from doing anything stupid down there. We'll be right behind you guys." Elena hesitated, but Willow grabbed her hand and jumped into the hole. She looked at Stefan. "You need to go, too."

"I'll help you." Stefan said.

"I've got this."

Stefan sighed and went down into the hole after Elena and Willow. Buffy turned back to Damon and started working on the ropes again. "You found me." He rasped.

"Of course I did. Now hold still." She ordered. After a long moment, Buffy finally managed to free Damon from the vervain rope and he collapsed into her arms. They both sunk to the ground.

"You need to go catch up." Damon said.

"Stefan and Willow are down there. They've got this." Buffy said.

"There's only one dose of the cure, Buff. She needs it. She needs you. Get your ass down the well. Help Elena get the damn thing."

Buffy shook her head. "I'm staying with you." She cupped his face in her hands. "Marry me, Damon?"

"What?"  
>"When we get back…. I want you to marry me. I don't even need a big fancy ceremony. I don't need a stupid dress. I just need you."<p>

"What's with this sudden change?"

"I can't stand the thought of never being without you. When you walked away, it nearly killed me. I don't love Klaus. I love you. I don't show you enough how much you mean to me. I don't put you ahead of things that I should. You always put me first and I'm so selfish by taking that for granted. But no more, ok? So will you marry me?"

"Of course I will." He pulled her to him and kissed her deeply, ignoring how badly his injuries stung.

Rebekah groaned nearby as she came to. She looked over at Buffy and Damon and groaned again. "Get a room."

"We've already got one. Get out." Buffy said.

"Where did that Hunter guy go?"

"He went down below." Damon said, still holding Buffy tightly to him.

Before Rebekah could get up, Stefan appeared in the opening. His face was grave as he stood up. "What happened?" Buffy asked as she and Damon stood up.

"It's Jeremy." Stefan said.

* * *

><p><em><strong>AN So, I'm really not looking forward to writing this next chapter. That episode was utterly heartbreaking and I found myself crying through most of it. It is not going to be fun to climb into Buffy's mind and watch her go through all of it. Poor Buffy just can't catch a break. **_

_**On the plus side, my first week on my new job went great! I love it there and I've learned so much. Plus, normal hours! That means more time working on my stories. Hopefully after I write this next chapter, I'll get in that story about Willow saving the day at the high school when Rebekah held everyone hostage.**_


	76. Chapter 76

Chapter 76

Damon held Buffy tightly to him and stroked her back soothingly. After Stefan had told her what had happened, Buffy had started sobbing. Now she was quiet and deathly still, but she didn't come out from Damon's embrace. Rebekah had disappeared while Stefan had been explaining what had happened down in the cave.

"How'd this happen?" Damon asked Stefan.

"It was Katherine." Stefan said, rubbing Buffy's shoulder. "She must have been following us this whole time."

"What about the cure, or Silas?"

"If there was anything in there at all, it's all gone."

"Where the hell is Bonnie?"

"I have no idea. She went looking for Jeremy last night. She never came back. Damon, Elena is in there waiting for the Gilbert ring to bring Jeremy back to life."

"Ok, fine. We'll wait with her."

"Jeremy was one of the Five." Buffy said, uttering her first words since the awful news. "He was a Hunter."

"He was supernatural." Damon said, understanding. "The ring won't work anymore." He looked down at Buffy, kissing the top of her head. "She won't survive this."

Buffy turned and looked at Stefan, surprising both men with the fact that her eyes had changed and her fangs had dropped and she looked pissed. "Get Willow and get Elena off this island."

"Are you sure?" Stefan asked.

"I'm sure that once I find Katherine Pierce, Klaus will have nothing on the tortures I'm going to inflict on her." She moved past Stefan and headed out.

Damon rushed out after her. He had a hard time keeping up with her as she made her way back towards the campsite. The tents were torn down in seconds and the shed was about to be next, but a rustling in the trees made her stop.

"Unless you're a Bennett witch or a doppelgänger, I suggest you steer clear." Buffy growled. Rebekah walked out of the trees with her hands raised slightly. Buffy just rolled her eyes and went into the shed.

Rebekah turned to Damon. "Where's the cure? I know someone has it."

"Yeah, someone." Damon said.

"Katherine." Buffy said as she came back out.

"Katherine? The doppelgänger?"

"Sneaky little bitch must've been spying on us for weeks." Damon said. "She killed Jeremy…. Or somebody did." Rebekah looked sad all of a sudden. "He killed your brother. Let's not with the fake sad face."

"I didn't say I was going to miss him, but I'm not heartless. He was Elena's only blood family…. And he was Buffy's kid." She walked over to Buffy and hugged her tightly.

"I don't want pity." Buffy said, yanking away as her eyes turned dark again. "I don't want condolences. I want revenge."

"I'm pretty good at that. How can I help?"

"You can find Bonnie."

"I thought you were trying to find Katherine."

"Sadly, I can't leave Elena's friend stranded on an island in the middle of nowhere. I wouldn't really lose too much sleep over it since it's Bonnie and all, but after…." For a split second, the pain that Buffy was feeling leaked into her eyes and her entire angry façade seemed ready to crumble. But as quickly as it had come, it was gone even quicker. She hardened back up and said in an even, dead voice, "Elena needs her friends. So unfortunately that means that we need to find Bonnie. And if Katherine is smart, she'll have high tailed it to the center of the Earth by now. Klaus' half assed hunting will look like a kiddie game of hide and seek compared to my hunting skills." Buffy started to stalk off, but she stopped and looked back at Rebekah. "Oh and FYI: Silas? If he was asleep in that cave, he's awake now." She turned and walked off. Rebekah looked at Damon nervously, but he shook his head in warning and followed Buffy.

"Do you think Bonnie is dead?" Rebekah asked after a few minutes.

"Never thought I'd say this, but I hope not." Damon said.

"I don't like being out in the open like this."

"Afraid of the big, bad Silas?" Buffy taunted.

"No."

"Scaredy cat." Damon said in a sing-song voice.

"I'm not a scaredy cat! My brother Kol drove himself mad worrying about Silas rising. It would benefit us all to be a bit concerned."

Buffy stopped and turned around so suddenly that not even Rebekah saw her do it. "Let's get something straight. Silas doesn't scare me. I've stopped countless apocalypses. I've defeated a hell god. I've defeated the First Evil. Silas has nothing on them." Suddenly, Buffy had a crossbow bolt in her hand and she was turned away from Rebekah.

Vaughn was about 50 feet away, aiming his crossbow at them. Another bolt flew at her, but she caught that one and broke both bolts with one hand. She was across the 50 feet and had Vaughn pinned against a tree by his neck before the pieces of the bolt even hit the ground.

"She's scary when she's mad." Rebekah said.

"You have no idea." Damon said as he and Rebekah joined Buffy.

"Is this the idiot that tried to kill you?" Buffy asked Damon.

"Yup. That's him." He confirmed.

"Go ahead. Kill me." Vaughn said.  
>"No. I don't think so. See, I'm actually in the mood to torture someone. It's a lot more fun than just outright killing you." Buffy said. "And just so you know? I dated the world's scariest serial killer once. I know things." She yanked his backpack off him and used rope to tie him securely to a tree before opening the pack. "Oh, you come with toys." She pulled a wicked looking knife from the pack and turned to Vaughn. "By the way, I'm Buffy."<p>

"I know who you are." Vaughn said.

"Good. Then you should know that I'm pretty ruthless when it comes to people messing with my family." She pressed the knife's point into Vaughn's shoulder just under his collarbone and pointed it upwards. "Katherine Pierce just had a hand in killing my kid, but you know what? Even though I'm pretty pissed off right now, or maybe _because_ I'm so pissed off right now…. My mind is moving at about a trillion miles a second. And you know what I'm thinking right now? I'm thinking that there's no way that this whole Katherine being here and you being here at the same exact time is a coincidence. So, you're going to tell me everything I want to know."

"Torture me all you want. You can't kill me. The Hunter's curse will torment you forever."

"Actually, you're wrong. I can kill you. See, I'm not your Average Joe vampire. I'm also a Vampire Slayer. I'm thinking that I'm the only person here that could kill you and not even worry about the stupid curse." Buffy shrugged and dug the knife in a little bit further. "But killing you would mean that I can't tear you apart piece by piece, nerve by nerve, until the pain is so intense, that your brain shuts it off to give you one tiny moment of blessed relief…" She leaned in closer and growled, "And just because I can…. Then I'll heal you and do it again and again and again until you tell me exactly what I want to hear."

"You are creepy." Rebekah said. "No wonder I like you."

"I thought you hated me." Buffy said.

"It's off and on."

Vaughn squirmed uncomfortably from the dagger in his chest. Buffy pushed the dagger in a little further. "Start singing, birdie, or I start plucking your feathers."

"I was tracking dens of vampires across Colorado." Vaughn said, gasping with pain. "Katherine found me…. Said she could help me find Silas. She already knew about the Hunter's mark…. The cure."

"How?"

"Oh, she had someone on the inside, some werewolf girl, friends with your professor."

"Hayley, Tyler Lockwood's old friend." Damon said. "I knew she was shady."

"Where did Katherine find her?" Buffy asked.

"New Orleans." Vaughn said. "That's all I know."

Buffy eyed him for a moment and decided he was telling the truth. She pulled the dagger out, buried it to the hilt in the tree next to Vaughn's head, and turned to Damon. "Let's throw him in the well." He said. "If he starves to death, it's not our fault."

"Good plan. Then we should probably go find Bonnie." Buffy said.

"We've got a lead on the cure, Buffy. I'm gonna find it." Rebekah said.

"Honestly, Rebekah, you do whatever you want to. Just drop him in the well before you do it." Buffy headed off and Damon followed her. "I should probably check and see how Elena's holding up."

"How are you holding up?" Damon asked, taking her hand and stopping her progress.

"I'm not worried about me." Buffy pulled out her cell phone and was relieved to see there were bars.

Stefan answered on the fourth ring. "Did you find Katherine or Bonnie?"

"We're still looking." Buffy's features softened a bit. "How's Elena?"

"She's losing it, Buffy. We can do what we can to delay things here, but we've got to get Jeremy to the morgue before it gets ugly."

"What do I need to do?"

"You're Jeremy's legal guardian. You need to release his body to Meredith."

"I'm sure Elena won't like that."

"Buffy, you need to get here. Elena needs you. I can go back to find Bonnie."

"What about Katherine?"

"You're immortal. You've got lots of time to find her."

Buffy sighed. "We're on our way." She hung up and turned to Damon. Before she could say anything, Bonnie emerged from behind a tree. "Where have you been?" She demanded. "How did you even find us?"

"Shane led the way." Bonnie said. "He told me what to do, Buffy. I know how to bring Jeremy back."

* * *

><p>Buffy rode shotgun as Damon drove her car to the Gilbert house. Bonnie was in the backseat and Buffy had refused to talk to her the entire way back. Caroline was standing out on the sidewalk and she hung up her phone as she saw them pull up.<p>

Bonnie was the first one to get out of the car and Caroline rushed over and hugged her. "Thank god. We were so, so worried."

"I'm ok." Bonnie said.

"Could you get Stefan and Willow out here?" Buffy asked, not even looking at Bonnie.

"They said that she knows what to do." Caroline said.

"Caroline, I need to talk to Stefan and Willow."

"What's wrong?" Buffy glanced at Bonnie and Caroline understood the look on Buffy's face. "Yeah. Ok." She headed inside with Bonnie following.

A moment later, Stefan and Willow walked out. "What's going on?" Willow asked, hugging her friend tightly. "I've been so worried!"

"Bonnie needs to have her powers bound. Sooner rather than later." Buffy said.

"What happened?" Stefan asked.

"She's out of her mind, Stefan." Damon said. "The nutty professor's got her totally brainwashed."

"I thought she knew how to fix it." Willow said.

"Yes. By killing twelve more people." Buffy said.

"What?" Stefan cried.

"She can't do that!" Willow said.

"Professor Shadypants says she can and she's really planning on doing it." Damon said. "The whole flight back home, all she could talk about was how she's the one that can drop the veil between this side and the Other Side."

"Drop the veil?" Stefan asked. "What does that even mean?"

"The myth about Silas being able to raise the dead is not just one or some…. It's every supernatural being on the Other Side." Buffy said.

"That would take a massive amount of power." Willow said. "It would probably kill her."

"Not to mention if she does this, it would probably kill the population of the entire world. Three massacres, three hot spots, and the witch spell of the century, and every supernatural being over there is back with a vengeance."

"I get why you want me to bind her powers now."

Buffy walked over to the front porch and sighed. Damon was there suddenly, holding her hand tightly. "I have to face this part of my life first." She said.

"I know. I'm here."

With another sigh, she opened the front door to hear Bonnie saying, "I can do it. I have the power. We can bring everyone back…. Jeremy, Alaric, Vicki…."

"Bonnie, stop it. You can't just say these things." Caroline said.

"It's gonna be fine…." Bonnie insisted.

The phone started ringing and ended the conversation. "I'll get it." Elena said, standing up and walking over.

"Elena, I'll get it…." Buffy started, walking towards the phone.

"I said I'll get it." Elena answered the phone and looked at the wall. "Hello?"

"Elena? It's April…. Young." April said on the other end. "Um, I was looking for Jeremy, his cell phone keeps going straight to voicemail."

"Jeremy can't come to the phone right now. He's not…." There was a long pause and then Elena said, "I'm sorry. He's dead." She hung up and walked out of the room while the others looked at each other.

Buffy closed her eyes and worked hard to hold back the flood of emotions that threatened to overwhelm her. She'd been holding them at bay with her anger, but faced with the sorrow and utter desolation in this house…. It was all too much. Damon and Stefan were on either side of her and Willow was standing in front of her when she opened her eyes.

"Get Bonnie out of here, Matt. Take her home." Buffy said.

"That's a good idea." Matt said. "You should rest, Bonnie."

"Yeah." Bonnie said. "That spell is kinda big. I should probably sleep." She and Matt headed out and Caroline stood up.

"I should head out, too, I guess." Caroline said.

"No. Please stay." Buffy said. She glanced up the stairs. "I think you'll be needed." Buffy took a deep breath and headed upstairs to Jeremy's room. It was where the scent of death was coming from. Upstairs, Elena reached out and lifted the blanket from over Jeremy's face with a trembling hand. She backed away when she saw his face and began to breathe heavily. It was a shock to Buffy, too. It was the first time she'd seen him since finding out he was gone. "Elena…."

Elena spun around to look at Buffy, tears streaming down her face. "He's dead. He's dead. Buffy, he's dead, and he's been dead this entire time, and I…." Her hand flew to her face, covering her mouth and stifling the sob. "Oh, my god. I can smell him. How long has he smelled like that?"

"Elena…. Talk to me. Let me help you."

"How? How are you gonna help me? How?" Elena sniffled and wiped her hand over her face. "Ok. Ok. We…. we have to…. we have to take care of his body. We should bring him downstairs."

"We shouldn't…."

"I'll just go get Damon to carry him down." She left the room and hurried down the stairs.

Damon came up, having heard the conversation and looked at Buffy. "What do you want me to do here, Buff?"

Buffy sighed. "Bring him downstairs, I guess."

He gently kissed her forehead. "Ok."

She walked down stairs as Elena demanded, "Where's Bonnie?"

"Buffy told Matt to take her home." Stefan said.

"We thought it'd be best." Caroline added.

"Ok, then Willow, I need your help." Elena said, turning to the red head.

"O….Ok." Willow said. "What do you need?"

Elena looked at Damon who had just arrived downstairs with Jeremy's body. "Put his body on the couch." She went into the kitchen and started opening and closing cabinets.

"Elena? Do you need me to you help you find something?" Buffy asked, moving closer to her.

Elena grabbed a bottle of lighter fluid out of a cabinet and started squirting it over the counter. "Got it."

"What are you doing?" Buffy asked, not wanting to get too close to the flammable liquid, but needing to stop Elena from losing it. Willow uttered a Latin word and the lighter fluid stopping squirting.

Elena looked at Willow with a slightly annoyed expression. "We need a cover story, right? You think I didn't hear you guys talking earlier? Well, what are we gonna say…. Animal attack? Tumbled down the stairs? No. We burn the house down with him inside of it." She made it to the living room and tried to squirt the couch and Jeremy, but Willow's spell had clogged it.

"Elena, stop it." Buffy ordered.

"Why? Because you want me to not be in denial? You want me to face the truth? This is the truth. I don't want to live here anymore. I don't want these sketches." She broke the carton of lighter fluid in two and splashed it on the sketches Jeremy had left lying on the floor before kicking his pencil box across the room. "I don't want this Xbox." She threw down the pieces of the now empty bottle and reached into a cabinet. "Not gonna need this bourbon anymore. Alaric's not here to drink it…. I mean, unless you guys are willing to bring back every supernatural creature on the Other Side to get him back." She looked at Damon. "Would you? I know you want your drinking buddy back. And, Buffy, I know how much you miss Lexi. Would you do it, Buffy? Because I wouldn't." She walked back over to Jeremy's body and splashed bourbon over him. "I don't know! I mean, does that make me a bad person? I…. I have no idea." She pulled the Gilbert ring off of Jeremy's finger and tossed it to Buffy. "He's not gonna need that anymore."

"Elena, stop it!" Buffy yelled. "That's enough!"

Elena took down a picture frame from the fireplace mantle. It was one of Jeremy, Elena, and Buffy that Elena had taken while it was just the three of them. It hadn't been the happiest time, but they'd been happy that Buffy had agreed to stay with them and watch over them as their guardian. "What else are we supposed to do with the body? I mean, there's no…. There's no room in the Gilbert family plot." She threw the frame down on the floor and the glass cracked. "Jenna and…. and John took the last spots." She threw the empty bottle of bourbon against the wall and it shattered. "So, Willow, start a fire."

"Elena, I…." Willow looked at Buffy, not sure what to do.

Buffy stepped forward. "This isn't the way, Elena." She moved closer and held out her hands, tears streaming down her face as the emotions started to take over. She didn't even remember when she'd started crying. "Just…. We'll figure this out, ok? Let's just go to the boarding house and get some rest. Meredith can come get Jeremy's body. I'm sure she's already come up with a good cover story. We can figure it out from there and…."

"There's nothing here for me anymore, Buffy." Elena screamed as she grabbed a fireplace match and lit it. "Every inch of this house is filled with memories of the people that I love that have died. My mom, my dad, Jeremy, and Jenna and Alaric…. John! Even John! I mean, they're all dead. Everyone is dead. So what am I supposed to…. I mean, how am I gonna…. I can't even…. There's nothing left for me…." She yelped when the flame had burned down on the match and started to burn her hand. She dropped the match but Buffy had it in her hand before it could ignite on the lighter fluid everywhere. Elena sobbed and started to crumble.

Buffy set the match down safely away from the lighter fluid and closed the distance between her and Elena. She didn't know what to do. She didn't know how to make this better. "Elena, calm down, ok?"

"No, no, no, I can't. I can't. I can't. I…." She fell into Buffy's arms and they went down on their knees. Elena's immeasurable pain and grief distorted her face and she grabbed at her head. "No. It hurts. It hurts. Just make it stop. Please make it stop, Buffy. It hurts."

"I know, sweetheart." Buffy sobbed as she held Elena tightly and rocked her. "I know it hurts." She didn't know what to do and looked around for help. Her daughter was in too much pain and she didn't know how to fix it.

"Damon…. Help her." Stefan said.

Damon crouched down next to the girls and pulled both of them to him. "I can help you." He said to Elena. "I want you to let me help you." Elena shuddered as Damon touched her face. She sat up, pulling away as Damon gently smoothed her hair back behind her ears. "I can help you."

"How?" Elena sobbed.

"Turn it off."

"What? No, no." Stefan protested.

Damon held up a hand to stop him from intervening. "Just turn it off and everything will go away. That's what you have to do. It's what I want you to do. Just turn it off."

Buffy watched as Elena's tear-stained face turned utterly expressionless and still. The light left her eyes, as though something inside of her had died. Elena stood up and walked over to Jeremy.

Damon turned to Buffy and she shook her head. "What did you do?" She followed him and Stefan out onto the front porch. Willow came too and Caroline said she needed to go. Damon shut the door and turned to Buffy. "What did you do, Damon?"

"He took her humanity away." Stefan said. "He had her shut it off."

"It was the only way." Damon explained.

"It was a mistake."

"It wasn't and you know it." Damon turned back to Buffy who was holding Willow's hand. "This is the only way she's gonna survive. We'll help her, keep an eye on her. When she's ready, I'll use the sire bond to bring her back."

"Her humanity, Damon…. That was all she had left." Stefan insisted.

"Humanity means nothing when you don't have anyone to care about, Stefan."

"She had Buffy."

"She lost her brother." Buffy said quietly. "He was her only living blood family. I'm not enough." Willow hugged her tightly as she started to cry again. "I'm not enough."

"Shh…." Willow said, stroking her best friend's hair. "She'll be ok. And she'll have you to help her pull through. You are enough, Buffy. You're the closest thing to a mother she has."

"What am I going to do?" Buffy asked. "How can I make this better?"

"By helping her." Damon said. "Little by little, I can give her her humanity back. She'll heal." He stroked her hair and she let go of Willow and buried herself in his arms.

Stefan sighed. "Damon…."

"I know. You're pissed at me."

"No. I just…. I know we've had our differences…."

"I get it Stefan." He patted Stefan's shoulder. "I get it."

"We should probably go check on Elena." Willow suggested. Inside, Elena put down the frame she'd broken earlier. Still expressionless, she crossed the living room to grab and light another match as Buffy, Willow, Damon, and Stefan came back inside.

"Elena, don't do this." Buffy said. "We can find another cover story."

"This is the best one." Elena said. "No one will ask questions."

"If you burn down the house, it'll be gone." Willow said gently. "What if one day when this is all over, you want to come home again? Buffy and I can tell you first hand, it's not a pleasant feeling to not have your home to go back to."

Elena watched the flame, then looked up at them. "I won't." She tipped the match out of her fingers and the floor immediately ignited. Willow looked at Buffy's pained face as she watched the home go up in flames. Elena walked past them and opened the door. She waited for the four of them to catch up and they walked out of the house.


	77. Chapter 77

_**A/N Sorry this took so long. I wanted to watch the next episode and see how I could work everything out. Thanks VD's writers, BTW! You just had to throw the Lexi line in there like THAT didn't you!? Just when I got Buffy and Damon to a good place and was hoping to keep them there for a while. Buttheads. I'm gonna spend the next week trying to figure out how to get them back to their happy place.**_

_**Enjoy!**_

Chapter 77

"We're going to lose her." Stefan said, following Buffy and Damon into the living room.

"She needs time." Damon insisted. "It's only been a couple of days."

"Her humanity's off. She's basically numb to everything that makes her who she is."

"She's a vampire. The off switch is one of the biggest perks." Damon smirked as he poured himself a drink. "If being undead gets you down," He snapped his fingers. "Voila! Vampire Prozac."

"She burned down her family home with her brother's dead body still inside." Stefan turned to Buffy who had moved over to the window and was staring outside. "Help me out here, Buffy."

Buffy sighed, but she didn't turn around. "It actually saved us the trouble of doing it ourselves."

"Are you being serious right now?"

"What do you want me to say, Stefan?" Buffy turned around. "I've halfway flicked my switch because I'm feeling just as overwhelmed! The only son that I will ever know has been killed and the only daughter I'll ever know has no feelings whatsoever because she broke so hard no one knew how to fix her. She didn't even bat an eye when she burned down the family home! Oh, and the vampire that had a hand in killing Jeremy is still out there while I while away my hours here waiting for a clue to her whereabouts to magically appear."

Damon walked over and handed her his drink. "You need this more than me." He turned and looked back at his brother. "Look, Stefan, worst case scenario: I'll invoke the sire bond and tell her to turn it back on."

"Her brother just died." Stefan said. "If you force all that grief on her all at once, it's going to overwhelm her. We need to give her a reason to want to turn it on."

"The way things are going around here, I can't blame her for not wanting to turn it back on." Buffy said.

"Oh…. Someone's testy." Damon quipped.

"Yes, Damon, I am _very_ testy." Buffy sat down on the table and set her drink down. "I want to kill someone. And, honestly, not just a Katherine someone. The entire town has been drinking vervain so all I've got is blood bags and that supply is limited at the moment because there's not one, not two, not even three, but four vampires in this house who all need some, too. I'm starving for _real_ blood! The kind that comes straight from a vein."

"Ok, I know what we all need. We need to have some fun." Stefan started to protest, but Damon waved it away. "I know it's controversial, Stefan, but people actually like to have fun."

"You really think that's going to work?" Stefan asked.

"There's only one way to find out." Buffy said, marching past them. "Elena! We're going out!" She yelled.

* * *

><p>Elena slowly made her way down the middle of the road while Damon and Buffy stayed hidden. Damon had demonstrated how to get random passerby to stop for them. Buffy was letting Elena go first just to see how the outing would work.<p>

Elena stopped and looked around her for a minute before lying down in the middle of the street, her arms spread out and her eyes starting to shut as she waited. She didn't have to wait long. A car approached the spot where Elena was lying. The woman driving saw her lying there and stopped her car a few feet away from her. She got out of her car and ran over to Elena.

"Are you all right? Was there an accident? Where are you hurt? Are you in pain?"

Elena opened her eyes. "I don't feel anything."

"I have a blanket in my car. Try not to move. I'll call for help." The woman got up from her crouch and trotted to her car. Elena remained on the pavement for a moment longer before standing up and moving with her vampire speed to stand behind the woman. The woman opened the trunk of her car and retrieved the blanket. When she turned around, she was startled to see Elena standing right behind her. "What are you doing?"

Elena vamped out and growls viciously as she bit into the woman's neck. She held the back of the woman's head as she fed from her. Damon sighed. "She apparently missed the part about not killing." He walked over to the car. "That's enough." Elena ignored him and continued to feed. Damon grabbed her arm and pulled her off the woman. "I said that's enough. We agreed no killing."

"This is the first person I've seen in days whose body isn't laced with vervain and I'm hungry." Elena argued.

"If you leave a trail of bodies, people are gonna start asking questions."

"I don't care." Elena turned away and began feeding on the woman again.

Buffy was suddenly there, grabbing Elena by the arm and yanking her harshly away from the woman. "Show a little restraint."

"I thought this was supposed to be fun." Elena threw the woman aside and walked away with blood staining her mouth.

Buffy and Damon watched her walk away. After a moment, Damon sighed. "I guess it's up to us to fix this."

"I'm still hungry." Buffy grumbled as she helped Damon put the woman back in the car. "And when did I become the cleanup crew?"

Damon chuckled at her. "When you signed those papers to become her legal guardian."

"Hey…. She's eighteen. She should clean up her own messes." Buffy watched Damon wake the woman up, heal her, and compel her to drive home and forget the encounter.

He turned and looked at Buffy. "Glad she didn't kill her. Your fingerprints are still in the system and I would hate having to bust you out of jail."

"I'm wearing gloves." Buffy held up her hands to show she was wearing black leather gloves with her black leather coat. "It's cold outside and the humans are wearing them, so I thought I should too." Damon looked over at her and studied her for a moment as they headed back towards the woods. "What?"

"Did you mean what you said earlier today?"

"What did I say?"

"That you'd half way flipped your switch."

Buffy sighed. "You were right. It is a good part of being a vampire that you can just turn it all off. I'm actually jealous of Elena right now."

"Why?"

"I am so tired, Damon. I'm tired of feeling sad and guilty and angry and…. I'm tired of feeling all of the negative things going on in my life because there's just so many! I just want to be happy. I just want something to go my way for one stupid time in my life. We were supposed to come back here to Mystic Falls, drop off Jeremy and a cured Elena, and then run off to Vegas to get married! Instead I'm babysitting Elena…. Again…. And dealing with the loss of yet another one of my family members." Buffy started to cry and Damon folded her into his arms. "My heart hurts."

"I know, baby." He kissed her hair and held her tightly to him. "I know." They stood there like that until Buffy finally calmed down. Damon held her gently and kissed each of her wet cheeks and then on the lips. The kiss escalated and Buffy pushed him back against a tree, cracking it slightly. Damon groaned and flipped them, pushing her up against the tree as she struggled to get their clothes off. They both tumbled to the ground, not losing contact with each other for even a moment.

Afterwards, they laid on the ground tangled up in each other. Damon laughed slightly. "What?" Buffy asked.

"We haven't done that in _way_ too long." He said, kissing her hair.

"I feel a little less cranky now."

"Let's keep going, then." He rolled so he was on top of her. "Let's keep the cranky away and get out of here."

"And go where?"

"Anywhere. Everywhere." Damon smirked as he kissed her collarbone. "Vegas."

"But what about…."

Damon pushed into her and cut her words off. "Stop caring about it."

"I can't just…."

He shoved into her again. "Don't think about it."

"Damon…." She groaned.

"Just you and me." He said as he began a slow rhythm. "Feeding, loving, enjoying life. We're vampires. Let's be vampires. Together."

"God, Damon…." She turned them so she was on top. "Let's do it. Let's get out of here." Damon smiled and sat up, crushing her lips to him as she rode him.

* * *

><p>Buffy and Damon were making their way around their room collecting clothes and toiletries and packing them away in suitcases. Willow was sitting on the bed watching them and helping them fold clothes to put in the suitcases. "Are you sure about this?" Willow asked.<p>

"More than." Buffy said.

"What about Elena?"

"She'll be fine. Stefan's here to watch over her." Damon said.

"Besides, we'll be back soon enough." Buffy added.

Willow sighed. "When you ran off with Lexi, you said those same exact words and we didn't see you again until you'd settled in Mystic Falls over a year later."

"I just need to get away for a little while. Clear my head. Be with Damon. And at some point, hunt down Katherine so I can rip her limb from limb. Slowly."

"I get it. I'm just not sure now is the best time to be leaving."

Stefan knocked on the door and stuck his head in. "What's going on?" He walked in and looked at the two packed suitcases. "What are you doing?"

"What's it look like, Stefan?" Damon said. "We're getting out of here."

"Looks like you're not planning to come back for a while."

"That's the plan." Buffy said. "Well, that and find and kill Katherine."

"So, you're really just going to leave? What about Elena?"

"Keep her busy."

"How?"

"I don't know! Take her back to school?"

"Really?" Damon asked. "That's the plan? You're gonna take her back to school?"

"Well, the fun route didn't exactly pay off, did it?" Stefan retorted.

"I don't know." Damon looked at Buffy. "We had fun." She smirked at him and laughed slightly.

Stefan, though happy to see Buffy smiling after everything she'd been through, was still not entirely pleased with the plan. "Look, do you honestly believe I want to go to school and play chaperone?"

"It's not like any of us can go. We're not students. I'm sure you'll be fine, Stefan." Buffy said. "Look, we're going to be looking for Katherine, who, by the way, has the cure. It's not just a relaxing getaway. It's for Elena, too. She needs the cure now more than ever. And I need to kill Katherine in the worst way possible. So it's a relaxing revenge getaway."

Caroline walked in wearing a bath robe. "Not that anyone asked me, but I think taking her back to school is a great idea."

"Why are you here?" Damon asked.

"I told her she could come." Buffy said. "Our fancy water filters makes us the only vervain-free showers in town."

"Oh, yeah. The mayor put vervain in the water supply. So many people to kill."

"Yeah, my mom says it's about to get worse, so she could use a little help."

"That's all yours, Stefan." Damon said. "We're going after the psychotic doppelgänger. Blondie, you get to take Elena to school."

"Sounds like fun." Elena had appeared in the doorway completely naked. Stefan and Damon openly stared at her body, while Caroline averted her eyes. Buffy sighed and covered Damon's eyes while Willow tried not to stare.

"What? It's nothing you guys haven't seen before." Elena wrapped a towel around her body, covering herself up.

"I know there are at least four people in this room who haven't and didn't want to." Buffy said.

Elena shrugged. "Whatever. And as for the, uh, going to school idea…. I've got nothing better to do."

Stefan cleared his throat and looked over at Damon, motioning toward Elena with his head. Damon rolled his eyes and walked towards Elena. "Elena, it would make me very happy if you went to school today. And studied hard…. You know, get involved in whatever activates…. And please, for me, no matter what, don't eat anyone. Ok?"

Elena nodded understandingly. "Have fun on your trip," She tossed over her shoulder as she walked out.

* * *

><p>Klaus opened the door of his mansion to find Buffy standing outside. "Huh, what an unpleasant surprise."<p>

"Now you know how I feel when you randomly show up around me." Buffy said as she pushed past him.

"Where's your fiancé?" He asked, closing the door behind her and following her into the parlor.

"In the car. He doesn't like you very much."

"I guess he's learned to trust you, then, since you're in here all by your lonesome."

"Ok, so I'm done with the small talk. I've come to some realizations about you that I'd like to share."

Klaus smirked slightly. "Go on."

"You're not very good at some things. Along with the horrible timing of your come-ons, you really suck at finding Katherine. Like, ever. You also suck at covering up your secret phone conversations with the slutty werewolf, Hayley. So, I need to know where she is and what she knows about Katherine."

"I should help you? After you lot killed my brother and imprisoned me in the Gilbert living room?"

"Look it was your brother or my kid. Obviously that doesn't matter now." She sighed. "Klaus, you have much bigger problems. Katherine has the cure. My guess is she wants to cram it down your throat. I really can't blame her, but I can blame her for what happened to Jeremy. If you help me find Katherine, I'll get the cure, I'll give it to Elena, and everybody wins. Hell, I'll even let you help me torture Katherine for your effort. Just let me question Hayley."

Klaus smiled and walked towards Buffy. "Can't help you, love. Hayley's off limits."

Buffy moved closer to Klaus, purposely flirting with him as she leaned into him. "Come on, Klaus. I know you can do better than that."

Klaus looked at her suspiciously, finally noticing the difference in her clothing. She was wearing leather pants, a much more revealing top than usual, stiletto boots, and a leather jacket. Her eyes were also a bit harder. Her vampire side was showing. "What's gotten into you? You're different."

"I've decided that being a vampire has some serious perks. One of them being shutting off my emotions."

"You haven't shut them off."

"No. Not entirely. But I'm tired of things not going the way I want them to go. So, I'm going after what I want. And what I want is to rip out Katherine's heart and make her eat it. Or something equally as brutal. I'm up for suggestions." She ran her hand up his chest and then poked him above his heart. "But I need your help in doing that."

Klaus smirked. "Hayley's still off limits, love. But I did have a run in with a vampire who may know where Katerina is. Though, I did sort of bite halfway through his bloody neck, so he probably won't have much time for chit-chat."

"I don't care that he's dying, Klaus. I would've killed him anyway. I just need you to tell me where he is."

* * *

><p>Damon and Buffy made their way around a truck stop where Hayley had supposedly met up with Klaus earlier. Damon was on the phone with Stefan at the moment. "What do you mean, she fed? I specifically told her 'no feeding'. The sire bond should make her listen."<p>

"Right. That's what I'm saying." Stefan said. "The sire bond isn't working."

"That's not possible."

"Think about it. Elena's sire bond stems from her feelings for you, right? With her humanity off, she has no feelings."

"All I wanted was to break that damn bond. You're telling me now this whole time all she had to do was turn it off? What happens if she turns it back on?"

"I don't know, but more importantly, where are you right now?"

"Buffy and I are at a truck stop in the boonies looking for a dead vampire that might lead to Katherine and the cure."

Buffy took the phone from Damon. "Just grab her and get her home. Have Willow work some magic to keep her in line." She hung up the phone. "And no, we're not going back to babysit. I haven't changed my mind about getting the hell away from Mystic Falls for a while."

"Glad to hear it." Damon smirked and pulled her to him. Someone cleared their throat behind him and Buffy groaned slightly.

"I thought you were still vacationing on Numbskull Island." Buffy said to Rebekah.

"Well, I was looking for answers, and all I found was your Professor Shane, dead, and with him, anything anyone knows about the cure." Rebekah said.

"Guess you won't turn into a real girl after all." Damon said as he and Buffy turned and started to walk away.

"Oh, I'll get the cure. I just need Katherine, and I'm betting you two can help me find her."

"Why would we help you?" Buffy snapped. "You have a penchant for turning coat."

"True, but," Rebekah held up a vial of blood. "I was smart enough to bring a pinch of my brother's blood. How else would you interrogate a vampire who's practically dead from a wolf bite?"

Buffy rolled her eyes. "Fine. Come with us. I think I know where to look."

"Why are you dressed differently?" Rebekah asked after they'd piled into Buffy's car. She leaned up poked Buffy's pants. "You never wear this much leather."

"I'm not complaining." Damon said.

"I'm sure you're not." Rebekah looked back at Buffy. "So, why the new look?"

"I forgot I owned them." Buffy said.

"Have you turned off your humanity? I think I'd like you a lot more if you have."

"Says the girl who's dying to have hers back." Damon quipped.

"I haven't turned it off." Buffy said. "I can't turn it off. Not completely anyway."

Rebekah nodded knowingly. "Probably not. You are still a Slayer, after all. How does that even work? You're a vampire and a Vampire Slayer."

"I don't know."

"You're as weird as my brother."

"Please don't compare me to Klaus."

"It's true, though. You're a hybrid like him. Two halves that shouldn't work together, but by some weird, magical confluence…."

"I get it, Rebekah. Now please…. Shut up." Buffy turned the radio up the rest of the way to Grove Hill. They got out at the hospital and Damon led the way to the blood storage room.

"Why exactly would you think a sick vampire would check into a hospital?" Rebekah asked.

"See that big bright thingy in the sky?" Buffy said. "It's called 'the sun'. He needs to avoid it or he goes poof. The hospital's open 24/7 and has a full stock of blood bags." Buffy followed Damon into the blood supply room with Rebekah right behind her. Damon opened a cooler to find it was empty. Confused, he closed it and went to the next one. The trays were labeled with the blood types that were supposed to be there, but they were all just as empty as the first.

"Impressive. You're like Sherlock Holmes with brain damage." Rebekah quipped.

Buffy and Damon checked the rest of the coolers, but they were all empty. "Stefan said the Mystic Falls Hospital had its entire blood bank raided, too." Damon said.

"It looks like our vampire gets around." Rebekah said.

"No." Buffy shook her head. "The guy's dying of a werewolf bite. He wouldn't have time to steal from both hospitals. This is someone else."

"Who?"

"That's another problem for another day. But if our guy did by chance come here, he's got nothing, which means he's nearby and he's hungry." Buffy headed for the door, but Rebekah moved to block her way.

"This better not be a wild goose chase."

"Do you really want to stand in my way? I'm kinda jonesing for a fight. I'm looking for Katherine, but you'll work for now. Think you could take me?" Rebekah blinked and moved out of the way. "Thought so." Buffy brushed past her and Damon moved around a stunned Rebekah to catch up with Buffy.

Damon wrapped an arm around her shoulders. "I've got a plan."

* * *

><p>Damon was feeding on a hospital employee later that evening while Buffy leaned against her car next to them and watched. They'd gone out to find someone to feed on before coming back to the hospital. Rebekah found them in the parking lot and walked up to them, shaking her head. "Well, nobody could ever mistake you for subtle." She said.<p>

"You have to take pride in your work." Damon said. He turned to the woman he was feeding on. "It's ok. Come here, come here. Now. I want you to walk very slowly to your car. Off you go." The woman walked away slowly.

"You know, I just don't see how this increases our odds any."

"I've been on the other side of a wolf bite. First you get really sick. Then you get really hungry. Since the sun's gone down, I'm imagining he's gonna be looking for his last supper. I just laid out a 3-course, 115-pound meal for him."

"It's a good plan." Buffy said, leaning into Damon's arms.

The woman was stumbling toward her car when the dying vampire appeared several yards away from behind a tree. Buffy and Damon rushed over to the vampire and Buffy pinned him against the tree. Buffy was about to swing at the guy, but Damon grabbed her hand, stopping her.

"Damon?" The vampire asked when he noticed Damon.

"Will?" Damon asked.

"You know him?" Buffy asked.

"Hey, buddy." Will pulled his collar away from his neck as Buffy stepped away. His bite wound looked worse than Damon's had. "I think there's something wrong with me. I need help."

"Yeah, it's ok. I know what to do." Damon plunged his fist into Will's chest and pulled out his heart. Will dropped to the ground and Rebekah rushed at them before Buffy could say anything.

"What the bloody hell are you doing?" She demanded.

"He was too far gone. I put him out of his misery." Damon took Buffy's hand and walked away, leaving Rebekah to stand looking at the dead vampire.

Buffy climbed in the passenger's seat and looked at Damon. "Wanna tell me what just happened?"

"When we get back." Damon said.

"Back where?"

"We're going home for a little bit. I need to get something."

"What's going on?"

"It's a long story. One that I promise I will tell you on the way."

"Home?"

"To New York."

"We're going to New York?"

"Yes. After we stop at home first."

* * *

><p>Buffy and Damon gawked as they pulled into their driveway. Cars were everywhere. The doors and some windows were open and loud music spilled out along with an innumerable amount of teenagers. Buffy's face went blank and Damon knew someone was in trouble.<p>

"Hey." He said, stopping her from getting out of the car. "It's just a little party."

"Elena's already wrecked one house." Buffy snapped. "She's not getting this one too."

"Stefan won't allow that to happen."

"No, _I_ won't." Buffy got out of the car and stormed into her house. She started taking bottles away from people and telling them to get out.

Damon sighed, shaking his head as he watched his fiancée go fifty shades of pissed off on the partygoers. He took a bottle out of someone's hand and took a swig. "Thank you." He rolled his eyes when he noticed Rebekah behind him. "Will you please just take a hint and leave us alone?"

"What are you hiding? I know you knew that vampire." Rebekah accused.

"I know a lot of dead people."

"You killed him to prevent me from finding Katherine to keep me from getting the cure."

"Do you really want the cure? I mean really?" Rebekah didn't respond, so Damon pointed out two girls on the stairs that Buffy hadn't gotten rid of yet. She was still working on the living room. "Look. Let me give you a little bit of advice. See these girls? They look happy, now. In five years, they're gonna settle for a mediocre starter-husband and a mind-numbing career, and about that time, they're gonna realize something you're never gonna have to learn."

"And what would that be?"

"Life sucks when you're ordinary. And what makes you exactly not like them? You're a vampire. You take that cure, become human…. Well, you're no one. Nothing. Trust me. Losing this cure is the best damn thing that ever happened to you."

"Where are Willow and Stefan?" Buffy demanded, walking up to Damon. "There's no one here!" She yanked away another bottle from another teenager and told him to get out as she pulled her cell phone out of her coat pocket. She turned it on and sighed. "Of course." Damon read the text from Stefan. _Elena's AWOL. Need help._

"I'll finish ending the party." Damon said. "Go get your girl."

Buffy disappeared faster than anyone could register and was out into the woods after Elena. It didn't take her long to track her. She found her fighting with Caroline.

Caroline struck out Elena, but Elena grabbed her fist. "You fight like a girl." She went to break Caroline's arm, but Buffy was suddenly there throwing her back and impaling her against a tree limb.

"Lucky for you, I don't." Buffy snapped. "Caroline, are you all right?" Caroline nodded, looking stunned at Buffy's sudden appearance and violent attack on Elena.

Elena worked to wriggle her way off the limb, but Buffy grabbed her throat and pushed her back. "Let's get one thing straight."

"Let go of me!" Elena growled.

"I don't think so." Stefan appeared suddenly with Willow close behind. They ran over to Caroline as they watched Buffy with Elena. "I don't really care about your wannabe badass 'tude that you've got going on. I've seen way worse rebellion phases. I've done way worse. But I will not hesitate to drain you and leave you locked up down in the basement if you don't calm down. Damon's sire bond may not work on you, but I'm your legal guardian. I'm your family. The only family you've got left. And I will invoke that." Elena stopped struggling and looked at Buffy. The blonde was pleased to see some fear creeping into Elena's cold eyes. "If you lay another hand on Caroline or Stefan or…. Really anyone for that matter because I heard about your little incident at the cheerleading thing today…. You will end up down in that basement drained of all your blood and left weak and depending on the kindness of others until I can find the cure for you or you turn your emotions back on and deal with your life. Got me?" Elena nodded. "Good. Now apologize to Caroline."

"I'm not…."

"Ah ah ah! Basement."

Elena sighed. "Sorry, Caroline." Buffy let go of Elena and let Stefan come over to help her off the branch.

Caroline walked away with Willow and Buffy. "Thank you for coming back." She said to Buffy.  
>"Actually, I didn't mean to. I still need to figure out what's going on with Damon's little planned side trip." Buffy said.<p>

"What side trip?" Willow asked.

"Oh, he killed a vampire tonight that he apparently knew." Buffy waved away the arguments. "He was dying of a werewolf bite anyway. It was a mercy. But now, apparently, we're going to New York." She looked at Caroline. "Seriously, though, are you all right?"

"You mean besides the fact that my best friend tried to kill me?"

"It's not really her." Willow said. "With her emotions off, she's the worst version of herself."

"So how do we get her back? Or what if we can't? Why would she choose to turn her emotions back on? Technically, she's an orphan. She just lost her brother. Her life sucks. So why would she come back to us?"

"I don't know." Buffy said. "I can understand why she wouldn't want to. But…. She's got Stefan. Even at his worst, Elena didn't give up on him. So no one's giving up on her." Buffy smiled as they made their way across the lawn. "Good. They're all gone."

"Sorry about the party." Caroline said sheepishly. "We kind of got carried away."

"That's ok. You guys can get carried away cleaning up." Buffy smiled as she disappeared into the house. She found Damon upstairs going through a big wooden chest filled with papers and photographs.

"Get your girl?" Damon asked.

"And put the fear of me in her." Buffy snaked her hands around his torso as she knelt behind him and kissed his shoulder blade. "What are you looking for?"

"A photograph."

"Of?"

"Days gone by." He turned his head to look at her, kissing her swiftly. "I promised you I would tell you on the way to New York."

"Can I go?" Elena asked behind them.

Buffy stood up and turned to Elena. "I don't know. Do you still want to kill your best friend?"

"Are you judging me?"

"Yeah. A lot."

Damon snickered and Elena rolled her eyes at him. "Oh please. _You_ don't get to throw any judgment around. How many times have you tried to kill Stefan?"

"This isn't about him." Buffy said. "This is about you acting like a psycho."

"Because I'm bored…. And hungry. And you can't act like you don't know how I feel. I heard you talking yesterday before we left to go on our little supposed-to-be- fun trip."

"Elena, look…."

"Don't. Every time someone starts with 'Elena,' I get some stupid lecture. Everyone just needs to stop telling me that I need to feel. I do feel, Buffy! I feel amazing."

"You're not acting amazing."

"Neither are you, but I'm not judging you for it."

Buffy scoffed. "I'm acting the way a grieving Slayer should. I'm going after the vampire that helped kill your brother. I'm pretty pissed off about the whole situation and I could definitely be a lot worse about it. But I'm not out there trying to kill my best friend. I'm not throwing crazy parties and attacking the Sheriff. What I am doing is trying to help you and take care of you…. Despite the fact that you don't care. You're my family, Elena. I love you…. And I want you to be happy."

"Do you think I was happy being the scared little girl who couldn't admit what she wants? Is that how you'd prefer me to go back to being? Or wouldn't you much rather prefer someone you didn't have to babysit constantly and risk your life trying to keep alive?"

Buffy sighed. "Something tells me that last part isn't going to stop any time soon."

* * *

><p>Damon was driving with Buffy in the passenger's seat and Elena in the backseat. She was grinning ear to ear, happy to be leaving Mystic Falls. Damon let out a sigh when he saw who was calling him.<p>

"Hey."

"Where the hell are you guys?" Stefan asked.

"Out for a drive. Remember, my girl and I had a trip planned.

"Well, we got a little problem. You said blood was stolen from Grove Hills Hospital? The sheriff said there's been reports of six other blood bank thefts all within 30 miles of Mystic Falls. Somebody's stockpiling blood. It wasn't Elena, and it's not us."

"Ok, so…."

"I think Silas followed us back from that island. He hasn't fed in 2,000 years, so he would need to gorge on blood. It explains the thefts."

"You know, I'm really not in the mood to Scooby-Doo our way through the case of the stolen blood supply, so why don't you hold the fort down until we get back and and we'll be in touch, brother." Damon hung up and dropped the phone in his pocket.

"He's gonna hate you for that." Buffy said.

"Yeah, well, emotions are overrated."

Buffy rolled her eyes at him as Elena asked, "So where are we going?"

"A place every newbie vampire should go at least once in their life: New York." Damon smiled mischievously at Buffy. "The city that never sleeps."


	78. Chapter 78

_**A/N Little bit of crazy in this chapter. Hope you like it. :)**_

Chapter 78

"You dragged me all the way to New York because you were feeling nostalgic?" Elena griped as she, Damon, and Buffy made their way down a street towards Dawn's apartment.

"No. I dragged you to New York because in a matter of three days, you managed to piss off everyone in Mystic Falls." Damon said. "A little more difficult to do in a city of millions."

"I was hungry."  
>"You were reckless." Buffy countered.<p>

"Emotionless. There's a difference."

"Look, all that matters is that when I lived here, I fed like crazy and had a blast and went undetected for years." Damon said.

"So…. We're just here to have fun? What's the catch?"

"Look, there's no catch. You wanted out, we got you out. You wanted to feed, we brought you to a city sized, all you can eat buffet. That's the beauty of New York: There's so much life that a little death goes unnoticed."

"Plus, my sister lives here and I haven't seen her in ages." Buffy said. "We're making a pitstop."

"Lead the way." Elena said.

* * *

><p>Buffy knocked on Dawn's apartment door and waited. She heard scrambling around inside and then finally a disheveled Dawn opened the door. Buffy's eyebrow lifted in surprise. "Buffy!" Dawn squeaked.<p>

"Hi." Buffy said, confused as to why Dawn wouldn't be dressed at eleven in the morning.

"What…. Are you doing here?" Dawn looked around and noticed Damon and Elena standing in the hallway. Damon smirked and waved and Elena just rolled her eyes.

Buffy's eyes narrowed. "What's that smell?"

"What smell?"

Buffy pushed past Dawn and into her apartment. "Invite Elena in." She tossed over her shoulder as she started to inspect the apartment.

"Come in, Elena." Dawn followed her sister as Damon and Elena walked in. "What are you looking for?"

"The smell. I know that smell, I just can't…." Buffy picked up a black t-shirt that obviously belonged to a male.

"So, I have a friend…. What's the big deal?"

Buffy ignored the question because she knew that smell she was smelling. It was very familiar, though she hadn't smelled it in a while. A long while. She made her way towards the bedroom and heard a loud banging noise. The door was pulled off its hinges and Buffy found Spike in a heap of clothing by Dawn's closet. Her eyes widened when she realized he was naked and in her little sister's bedroom. Naked.

"Oh, someone's a dead vampire." Damon said from behind Buffy.  
>"Listen, love…. I can explain…." Spike started to stand up, but Buffy threw a chair at him.<p>

"My sister!?" Buffy yelled.

"Buffy, stop…." Dawn tried.

"Are you crazy!?" Buffy turned to Dawn. "Are _YOU_ crazy!?" She turned back to Spike. "My sister!?"

"Buffy…." Dawn tried.

Buffy rounded on Dawn. "Spike!?"

"I didn't plan it!"

"Honestly, love, we…." Spike started.  
>"I will deal with you after you put your clothes on." Buffy growled, throwing his shirt at his head. Spike ducked his head and started looking for his clothes as Buffy advanced on Dawn. Damon and Elena backed out of the way and Dawn was left alone in the room. "I cannot believe that you…. And him…. What were you thinking!? How long has this been going on? Spike!? Spike? Spike!? Of all the people in New York City…."<p>

"You're not being fair!" Dawn yelled.

"Excuse me?"

"You go around and get engaged to vampires and get turned into a freakish half vampire, half Slayer thing and you're bitchy about _my_ life decisions? And what is so wrong with Spike, huh? He was good enough for you once."

"No, he wasn't."

"Ouch." Spike said, walking out of the bedroom in jeans and a shirt.

"Oh, don't ouch me." Buffy said, tossing an angry glare his way. "You were supposed to look after her, not sleep with her." She looked back at Dawn. "And you are supposed to be going to school and living a normal life and…."

"I am going to school. I'm on the Dean's List. And what the hell is a normal life?" Dawn shot back. "I've never been normal. I'm a glowing ball of universe destroying energy when I'm not a 26 year old human and my big sister is _the_ Vampire Slayer. I'm surrounded by vampires and witches and werewolves! That _is_ my normal life! And you can't dictate it anymore, Buffy. I'm a grown woman capable of making grown decisions."

"Obviously not if you're sleeping with Spike!"

"Listen, pet…." Spike started.

"Why would I want to hear anything you have to say?" Buffy spat at him. "That is my little sister."

"I know that. And I'm watching out for her, I swear it. But this…." He motioned between himself and Dawn. "It wasn't planned. I care for the bird. A lot. I'm not going to hurt her."

"You were sure good at it with me. What makes her any different?"

"I learned from my mistakes." He smiled at her, hoping to quell her anger. "Besides, you could kill me before I even knew you'd moved a finger. Why would I risk that? I like living."

"You are not charming your way out of this." Spike's smile fell. "This is insane!"

"Love is insane." Dawn said.

"Wrong thing to say." Damon said.

"Love!?" Buffy cried. "Love!?

"Buff, why don't we go cool our jets somewhere else?" Damon suggested, moving towards her. "I know a good bar…."

"Are you in love with Spike?" Buffy asked Dawn, ignoring Damon.

Dawn shrugged. "I…. I don't know. I care about him. I like him…. A lot. I've never been in love before, so I don't know."

"How did you let this happen?" Buffy asked Spike. "How could you?"

"I told you, pet. It wasn't planned." Spike said. "I was hanging out here watching a movie while she did homework and one thing led to another and…."

"Stop! Please…. Stop. For the love of what's left of my sanity…. Just stop." Buffy looked at Damon. "I need to get out of here."

"Ok." Damon said.

"Elena, stay with Dawn please?"

"What?" Elena griped. "No! You promised me fun."

"We'll go out later. I promise. Right now I just need to be away."

"We can go shopping." Dawn said to Elena. "You like shopping, right?"

"I love shopping." Elena said. "But I'm hungry."

"No eating my sister." Buffy snapped.

"You're mad at her. Why do you care?"

"Elena!"

"Fine. No snacking on Dawn."

"And no killing anyone, either."

"Just take all my fun."

"Keep whining and I'll bind you to the apartment like we did Klaus. Willow's just a phone call away." Buffy turned on her heel and marched out of the apartment.

Damon followed her outside and down the street. He caught up to her and said, "Are you ok?"

"How could he, Damon?" Buffy stopped and leaned against the wall of the building they were passing, looking up at her fiancé. "How could he do that?"

"I don't know." Damon leaned against the wall next to her and took her hand, kissing her knuckles.

"How could she do that?"

"Ok, time to think about something else." He pulled on her hand and she followed him down the street. "We need to follow my one lead to Katherine now that we've ditched Elena for the day."

"Where are we going?"

"I told you…. I know a good bar." He kissed the side of her head as he wrapped an arm around her shoulders.

* * *

><p>They'd been walking around New York enjoying the sights all afternoon. Buffy had been to New York plenty of times, but she'd never stopped and done the tourist thing. Damon was showing her all kinds of different sights that he'd discovered over the years.<p>

"You said you would tell me about that vampire you killed." Buffy reminded him as they walked back towards Dawn's neighborhood that evening. "Since Elena was in the car, I didn't pester you for it."

Before Damon could start talking, his phone rang. It was Stefan…. Again. "Elena's missing." Stefan said when Damon picked up.

"Relax. She's fine. Buffy and I took her to New York with us."

"What do you mean you took her to New York?"

"And that tone is the reason I didn't pick up the phone the first twenty times you called."

"Where is she now?"

"Out exploring with the littlest Summers."

"So I take it your search for Katherine is off?"

"You seriously need to learn to relax. We've got this. Our little joyride is still a cure hunt. That vampire that Katherine sent after Hayley was a friend of mine. He lived in the city."

"And Elena's okay with this little field trip? Just yesterday she was living the vampire high life. She doesn't want the cure."

"That's why we didn't tell her."

"Damon, if she finds out you guys are still looking for it, she'll bolt."

"We're aware of that, Stefan. That's why we left her with Dawn to go shopping and enjoy the city."

"Don't underestimate her."

"If I can handle you when you flipped your switch, I can handle her. Trust me."

"Listen to me. She's ruthless without her humanity. The cure is the fastest way to get it back."

"Just be a good brother and keep Mystic Falls afloat for us and let Buffy and I do our thing. You've got an immortal named Silas to deal with, remember?" He hung up and sighed. "Where were we? Oh yeah. That vampire…. Will…. He got vampires fake identities and I'm sure that Katherine was one of his clients."

"How did you know him?" Buffy asked.

"I…. worked for him."

"You played bartender?"

"No. I killed people that matched the descriptions of the vampires looking for new identities and brought him their licenses. It was back in the 70s."

"You'd flipped your switch then, right?"

"Yeah." Damon gestured in front of him.

"Billy's." Buffy read. "It's not too far from Dawn's apartment."

"She picked a good area." He led her inside and Buffy's eyebrow lifted at the dirty and almost abandoned interior. "Easy, judgy. Give it little bit. This place will be crawling with more punked-out nihilists than you can eat in a decade, trust me."

"Uh huh…." She said skeptically.

"Look, I spent most of the seventies here. The Factory was too clean, CBGB's was too high-profile, but Billy's…. Billy's was the underground of the underground."

"So, kind of like Willy's?"

"That demon bar back in Sunnydale?"

"Yeah."

"No. This place was actually cool." Damon sighed as they grabbed a table. "Cool enough that it attracted an old friend of yours."

"Who?"

"Who's the only person you know who's hobby was saving vampires from themselves when they'd flipped their switch?"

"Lexi. You…. Hung out with Lexi in the 70s?"

"It wasn't by choice."

"So, what happened?"

Before he could answer, Rebekah swooped in and slammed Damon's head down onto the table they were standing at. "Following a lead without me? Poor form…." She was cut off when Buffy suddenly had Rebekah pinned to a column behind Damon by her neck.

"What was that about poor form?" Buffy released Rebekah.

"I have to say: I'm a little hurt." Rebekah said, straightening her clothes. "I thought we made a good team. Not without its fireworks, but what classic pairing…. Or grouping in our case…. isn't?"

"You missed the part where we were leaving for vacation before we got sidetracked with the party at our house."

"You're searching for the cure."

"In our spare time, yeah, but we left Mystic Falls because we needed to get out of town for a while."

"And I was explaining my history with this place and why we're here to my fiancée when we were so rudely interrupted." Damon said.

"By all means, continue your sob story." Rebekah leaned against the table and waited.

Damon rolled his eyes and started to talk, but Dawn and Elena walked into the club. Elena had gotten her hair cut and red streaks put in it. Dawn's hair had purple streaks. They were both wearing new clothes. Buffy sighed in frustration. She wasn't ready to deal with Dawn yet.

"Is that your little sister?" Rebekah asked.

"Yes." Buffy said.

"Why is Elena with her?"

"We brought Elena with us." Damon said.

"You brought Elena with you to search for the cure she so obviously doesn't want?"

"Wait. What the hell are you talking about?" Elena asked as she and Dawn walked over.

"Damon and Buffy are following a lead to the cure. I'm following them. Notice your name never came up."

"You're doing _what_?"

"What are you two doing here?" Buffy asked Dawn.  
>"I come here a lot." Dawn said. "It's a good bar and it's close to home."<p>

"Excuse me!" Elena demanded. "Did you seriously bring me along to find the cure?"

"How does it feel to be wrong all the time?" Damon said to Rebekah. "Buffy and I brought Elena here to feed. We wanted a vacation and since Mystic Falls isn't exactly Vamp Xanadu right now, we left. Elena joined us at the last minute."

"Right. So you drove 7 hours to New York City?" Rebekah countered.

"Yes, and as I was explaining to Buffy, my history in this city has a particular resonance to Elena's current situation. When I had _my_ humanity off."

"When was this?" Elena asked.

"The 70s."

"Let me guess, you learned to love someone other than yourself and flipped your switch again."

"No. I had help. In the form of Lexi."

"Lexi? Buffy's Lexi?"

"The very one. She followed me around and nagged at me to listen because Stefan sent her."

"Well, she sounds dreadful." Rebekah said.

"She wasn't." Buffy said.

"So let me guess." Elena said. "After many dark nights with Lexi, she convinced you to turn your emotions back on, and that's exactly what you plan to do with me. Hmm?"

"You read the last page of the book first, too?" Damon asked.

"I'm gonna go get a drink." Buffy said as she spotted Spike walking into the bar and heading for them. "Many drinks."

"I'm going to follow the blonde." Damon said, following Buffy up to the bar. There was a band on stage setting up and the place was starting to get packed. Damon waved down the bartender and ordered himself and Buffy shot glasses and a whole bottle of bourbon. While they waited, Damon watched Buffy try not to glance at Spike and Dawn. "Want me to kick his ass?"

"I want to pretend like he's not sleeping with my little sister." Buffy said. She looked up at Damon. "Do you think he's using her because she's the closest thing to me he's going to get?"

"I don't know." Damon looked over at Spike standing protectively behind Dawn, a small smile on his face. It was almost the same way Damon acted towards Buffy sometimes. "He seems to really care about her."

"Of course he does. He protected her for so long."

Damon moved in front of her and wrapped his arms around her waist, pulling her close. "Don't think about it. This is our getaway trip." He kissed her, making it linger until the bartender came back with their bottle and glasses. The band started to play and people started to dance as Buffy and Damon made their way back to the table.

"Is this allowed? What would Lexi say?" Elena taunted.

"Lexi thought the only way I would turn my emotions back on was if I started enjoying my life again." Damon said.

"Do not tell me she took you to Bon Jovi concerts, too." Rebekah said.

"No. Wrong decade." Damon and Buffy downed their shots. "Lexi was not allowed to feed with Stefan. But I didn't have that problem," He smirked at Elena. "And neither do you." Damon turned to Buffy as she took another shot. He held out his hand and nodded towards the dance floor. She nodded and followed him out.

"She's not going to talk to me, is she?" Dawn asked.

"Probably not." Elena said. "You're bumping uglies with her ex. Not a very good sister."

"I liked you better with emotions." Spike said.

"Not me." Rebekah said. "Let's dance." She grabbed Elena's hand and pulled her out onto the dance floor.

Spike sighed. "Don't suppose you want to?" He said to Dawn.

Dawn shook her head. "I just want to drink." She downed a shot from Buffy's vacated shot glass.

"Do you want me to talk to her?"

"She'll probably just kill you. I told you she wouldn't take it well." Dawn glanced over at her sister and her eyes widened. She and Damon had their faces buried in some girl's neck.

"She's a vampire, Dawn. That's what she eats."

"Does she have to do it in such a public place?"

"Take it from me: this is the best place to go unnoticed."

"You're just on her side because you don't want her to kill you." Dawn looked back over, but Buffy and Damon had disappeared. "Where…."

The two of them had waited until Rebekah and Elena were distracted so they could slip away and check out Will's office. The room was a wreck. He had stuff cluttered everywhere in boxes and piles.

"Ugh. Packrat. Thanks, Will." Damon sighed, closing the door behind them.

"How long do you think we have before they realize we're gone?" Buffy asked, moving over to some boxes.

"Not too long." Damon moved to the other side of the room.

"Good thing there's two of us." Buffy started running her fingers through the files quickly, using her super heightened senses to look for Katherine's name. "What was Katherine's birthday?"

"Um…." Damon paused in his search. "It was, um…."

Buffy put her hands on her hips. "What's my birthday?"

"January 19th."

"Ok, you don't get the worst boyfriend ever award." Buffy's phone rang and she pulled it out of her pocket and hit the speaker phone button. "Hello, Willow. What's the what?"

"Silas is definitely in town." Willow said. "He's posing as Professor Shane."

"Wouldn't be my first choice."

"Well, it would be if you needed to brainwash Bonnie into committing a massacre."

"Touché."

"How's the cure search going?"

"Well, it's not exactly a massacre in the making, but Rebekah trailed us here and my little sister is sleeping with Spike."

"I'm sorry what? My phone must've gone out."

"You heard me. We stopped by this morning to say hey and Dawn answered the door half naked while Spike was all the way naked in her bedroom."

"I just…. I think I need to throw up…. Oh…. I think I just did a little…. Ew."

Damon started laughing and Buffy glared at him as she said, "Yeah. If I could throw up, I would've."

"Are you sure it's Spike and not a shapeshifter?"

"It's him."

"Ew. Here, talk to Stefan while I go finish puking."

"Everything ok?" Stefan asked a moment later. "Willow just turned green…."

"Wicked witch green?" Damon asked.

"No. More like, sea-sick green. What did you guys tell her?"

"Oh, just that Spike and my little sister are sleeping together." Buffy said.

"Oh. I…. Oh. Wow…. Uh…. Are you ok?"

"Not really. And to make the night just a little bit more fun, Damon's buddy from the 70s was a hoarder on top of being an identity thief."

"What are you guys trying to find?"

"Will had a repeat customer." Damon said. "5' 7", brunette. Said she was a runner."

"Katherine."

"Turns out I was helping her run from me. Ironic. Problem is we're pretty sure that this filing system goes by birth date, but I can't for the life of me remember Katherine's."

"June 5, 1473."

"Boyfriend of the century." Buffy said to Stefan as she went over to a box and pulled out Katherine's file. "Look at that." Damon came over as she opened the folder. "It's all her former addresses, including a couple from the last two months. They're mostly P.O. boxes, but hey, it narrows the search."

"Well, you're welcome. So you guys headed back now?"

"No chance, Stefan." Damon said. "I promised my girl we'd go on vacation and vacation is what we're going on. We've got a lead on Katherine and we're going to follow it."

"Gotta go." Buffy hung up and suddenly had Damon pinned to the desk, kissing him fiercely as she pulled his shirt up.

Damon understood why when Elena opened the door. "Oh, ew!" She cried.

"Sorry. We forgot to put the hat on the door." Buffy said, standing up off of Damon. He smirked at Elena as he adjusted his pants.

Elena rolled her eyes at them. "Seriously, can't you two keep your hands to yourselves for longer than ten minutes?"

"Why should we?" Damon asked. "We're both sexy, hot vampires. Jealous you don't have a sex buddy anymore?"

"That would constitute an emotion." Elena shot back. "I have none. And you're not going to Lexi me into any either."

"How did Lexi do it?" Buffy asked. "How did she turn yours back on?"

Damon looked nervous suddenly and Buffy narrowed her eyes at him. "We should probably get a drink for this part of the story." Damon said, dodging past her and back out into the bar area. Buffy and Elena exchanged glances and followed him. He had grabbed the bottle he'd bought from the table and motioned for them to follow. Rebekah was at the table with Spike and Dawn. She noticed the three others go towards the roof access door.

"So, spill." Elena said once they got up to the roof.

Damon took a long drag from the bottle as he walked over to the edge. "Lexi stuck with me for months. She was partying with me, showing me a good time, but late every night, she'd torture me in the worst possible way."

"How?" Buffy asked.

"Every night we would get wasted and the second that I bottomed out…. She would make me talk about Katherine."

"That's not so bad." Elena said. "You loved Katherine."

"She was one of the main reasons I shut off my emotions in the first place. Waiting for her really sucked. And I was really getting tired of Lexi bringing her up. It only pissed me off more."

"But it worked." Buffy said.

"Not in the way she planned." Damon took a deep breath. "I told her I didn't want to talk about Katherine because I didn't care about her anymore." He looked at Buffy and it took her a moment to understand.

"Oh." Buffy said, shocked. "Oh…. You…."

"On the bar, on the stage, on the roof….. It was a very long night."

"TMI!"

"Sorry. It wasn't real, though."

"Real or not, you slept with Lexi! You slept with my best friend and you never thought to tell me before now?!"

"It never came up. And she never told you, either."

"She never got the chance, Damon." Buffy turned on her heel and walked back to the door.

"Buff! Come on!" Damon started to follow, but she slammed the door behind her. He sighed and leaned back against the edge of the roof.

"Probably should've mentioned that little tidbit before now." Elena said.

"Probably." Damon took a swig from the bottle.

Elena walked around the rooftop for a moment. "It's beautiful up here." He grunted and took another drink. "I could do this, you know. The Lexi method. Hang with you, party with you. It wouldn't be the worst way to turn my emotions back on."

"And here I thought you hated emotions."

"I do. Maybe I'm just looking for an excuse to…. spend more time with you." Walking closer, she took a sip from the bottle.

"I'm not going there, Elena."

"Come on, Damon. Klaus is right. You're not going to be enough for her. Especially if you keep lying to her."

"I didn't lie. I just…. Omitted the truth a little."

"I don't care who you've slept with." She leaned into him and tried to kiss him while her hand snaked to his pocket.

"Seriously, Elena?" Damon pushed her off.

"What?"

Damon pulled out the paper with Katherine's addresses on it from his pocket. "Looking for that? Did you really think that was gonna work: the sex, the temptation, the booze? What, are you kidding me? I invented that trick." Damon took a swig of bourbon. "And you're forgetting: I love Buffy. More than myself. And maybe I won't be enough for her in the long run, but she's enough for me. I'll take her as long as I can get her."

Elena sighed and leaned on the wall next to him. "What about Lexi? What happened with her?" Damon stood up and moved in front of her. "You pretended to have feelings for her just to get her off your back."

Damon shrugged. "I was willing to do whatever it took. Sound familiar?"

"Aw. I hurt your feelings."

"Not _my_ feelings. I'm looking out for _you_ because one day, you will flip that switch back on, and all the bad stuff that you did is gonna come rushing back, and it is going to suck."

"So you're saying that you felt bad for Lexi?"

"She became a walking, talking reminder of all the awful things I'd done. And I managed to avoid her for decades, and then she just shows up in Mystic Falls to wish my baby bro a happy birthday, and boom: rush of memories, rush of guilt."

"So you kill her?"

"Out of sight, out of mind. Of course…. I didn't expect her to make up for everything by bringing the best thing that ever happened to me into my life." He sighed. "Elena, every day that you're like this is the day that you might do the one thing that you can't take back."

"Here's what I don't get…. You spent six months trying to get her to fall in love with you just so that you could hurt her. You were spiteful, malicious, borderline evil, and you say that you had your emotions turned off, but those all sound like emotions to me."

"Maybe they were. Maybe hatred was the first one I got back. All the more reason to cure you. That way, we get the normal Elena back without all the ugly stages in between."

"I'm not taking the cure, Damon." Elena started to walk away but Damon rushed over to block her way.

"Yes, you are, even if I have to break your neck or tie you up in chains until we find it."

Suddenly Rebekah jumped Damon from behind and snapped his neck. She let him fall to the ground and Elena looked at Rebekah, impressed. "What was that you said about handling things yourself?" Rebekah quipped.

* * *

><p>Buffy sighed as she walked the streets of New York. It was well past two in the morning and she was still upset that Damon had never mentioned the fact that he'd slept with her best friend. She was completely honest with him about her past lovers. Not that there were that many….<p>

"Don't be angry at him."

Buffy almost tripped at the sudden appearance of her dead friend. "Lexi?"

Lexi smiled. "Seriously, don't be angry at him. It was decades ago and he didn't have his emotions turned on."

"How are you here?"

"You've got a lot of friends high up."

"He should've told me about you two a long time ago."

"Really, there was nothing to tell. It was one night…. A mistake on my part…. But he loves you, Buffy. No one he's ever been with holds a candle to you."

"I know."

"Then quit being mad at him for this one stupid thing. You forgave him for killing me. Forgive him for not telling you about one night way back in the 70s."

Buffy smirked slightly. "I'll think about it."

"You are such a pain in the ass sometimes."

"Learned it from the best."

Lexi smiled. "Yeah." She sobered up after a moment. "Listen, I'm also here to warn you. Things have gotten bad back in Mystic Falls. I know you and Damon are wanting to vacation and all, and trust me, I really want you guys to, but you really need to get back and help Stefan."

Buffy sighed. "It's not just about a vacation, Lex. I need to cure Elena and kill Katherine."

"Oh, I'm all for you killing Katherine. I've never liked her and after what she did to Jeremy…. She deserves whatever you've got planned for her. But you need to help Stefan first."

"What's going on?"

"He's going to call you soon with the details." Lexi paused and looked as if she was listening to something Buffy couldn't hear. "I've gotta go. And one more thing: don't be mad at Dawn for her relationship with Spike. She's a grown woman now and she's capable of making decisions about who to love."

"There's that word again…."

"Just wish them luck and let them have it, Buff." Lexi gave a half wave before she disappeared.

Buffy sighed. Lexi was right, as usual. She shouldn't be so mad at Damon and she should let Dawn be a grown up. No one ever said it was easy to accept. Buffy sighed again and spun around, heading back for Billy's. She ran into Dawn and Spike as they were heading back to Dawn's apartment from Billy's.

"Buffy, listen…." Spike started.  
>"Look, I don't want to hear anymore about it. Just…. If you hurt her, I will kick your ass and bury you in concrete at the bottom of the ocean." Buffy said.<p>

"Seriously?" Dawn asked. Buffy shrugged. "Wow. Ok…. Um…. Well, Elena and Rebekah left Billy's and I haven't seen Damon since you guys disappeared up on the roof. Actually, I didn't know that you had left…."

"What do you mean they left? Where did they go?"

"They didn't say."

Buffy disappeared and ran for Billy's. She didn't want to push through the bar, so she jumped and climbed up to the roof. Damon was laying on the ground with his neck snapped. She checked his and realized that the list of Katherine's addresses was gone. So Elena and Rebekah had teamed up and were headed after Katherine. Rebekah wanted the cure and Elena wanted to get rid of it. Great!

Buffy pulled out her cell phone and dialed Elena's number. "Hello, Buffy." Elena answered.  
>"Where are you?"<p>

"The better question would be, where are we going?"

"Sorry, Buffy. I think I broke your radio." Rebekah called.

"You're in my car?" Buffy cried.

"We weren't gonna take the bus." Elena said. "I wish this could have gone differently, I really do, but we'll give Katherine your best." Buffy heard her engine rev loudly as Elena hung up the phone.

"Oh, she is so grounded!" Buffy growled as she put her phone back in her pocket. She set Damon's neck right and sat down to wait for him to wake up. After a minute, an idea popped into her head. She pulled her phone back out and searched through her contacts for the number she needed.

"Angel Investigations." Angel answered.

"It's me." Buffy said.

"Hey…. Are you ok? Willow told me about Jeremy…."

"I would be fine if my one lead to finding and killing Katherine hadn't been stolen by Elena and Rebekah."

"Why would Elena steal your lead?"

"She doesn't want to take the cure anymore because her emotions are turned off…. She's a real bitch right now…. And Rebekah wants the cure. What better way to get rid of it than to give the one dose to someone else?"  
>"What can I do?"<p>

"I remember some of the places on the list of Katherine's last addresses. Think you can hit up some of your contacts and see if you can find Katherine first?"

"Yeah. Wouldn't Willow be faster, though?"

"She's tried. Katherine's cloaked herself. She has been for a long time since she's also running from Klaus."

"Smart girl." Angel sighed. "Yeah. Text me what you can remember and I'll get started right away."

"Thank you, Angel. I really appreciate this."

"Any time."

Buffy hung up and sent a quick text to Angel of the last towns on the list she could remember. Just after she hit send, her phone rang. "Hello, Stefan."

"You sound like you knew I was going to call." Stefan said.

"I did. I also know that things are bad in Mystic Falls. What's going on?"

"I didn't stop the massacre."

Buffy's breath caught in her throat. "Silas has everything he needs."

"Everything but the cure." Stefan said. Buffy sighed and let out a slight groan. "What's wrong?"

"Elena and Rebekah have taken our lead to Katherine and disappeared."

"What? How?"

"I've had a very upsetting day and I got pissed at Damon for not telling me about him and Lexi and left him alone with Elena. She and Rebekah must've ambushed him. They broke his neck and took the list we found. I've got Angel checking in with his contacts to see if he can dig up anything. I remembered a few of the places on the list, so hopefully he can find her before Elena and Rebekah."

"Are you guys coming home or going after them?"

"Going after them. We've just got to find a car."

"What happened to your car?"

"The terrible twosome stole it."

"I'll call Sheriff Forbes and have her put an APB out on it. Maybe that'll slow the girls down some and get you your car back."

"Thanks, Stefan."

"I'll call you with any updates."

"Ok." Buffy hung up and leaned against the wall on the edge of the building. She scooted Damon's head into her lap and settled in to wait for him to wake up.


	79. Chapter 79

_**A/N I miss my reviews guys! Let me know what you think. And sorry this one took so long. It has been a CRAZY week.**_

Chapter 79

Buffy, Damon, and Stefan pulled up in front of Buffy's abandoned Mercedes. It was sitting outside of a rest stop. Buffy and Damon had had to wait for Stefan to come to New York and pick them up. Angel had gotten his car back from Spike and it was now in LA and Dawn used public transportation and didn't own a car. The three of them got out of Stefan's car and made their way towards the Mercedes with Damon carrying two large gas cans.

"If they so much as even scratched the paint on my car…." Buffy threatened.

"Well, just be grateful Sheriff Forbes was able to track down the car after you let them, ah, you know…. steal it from you." Stefan teased.

"Remind me to send her some mini-muffins. And _I_ didn't let them steal it."

"Do we really need 10 gallons of gas, or are you making me just lug this around as punishment?" Damon asked.

"Well, they ditched the car after it ran out of fuel. You gotta fill it up. Got a hundred miles before we get to Willoughby." Stefan said.

"I don't remember that name from the list of places I got from New York."

"Oh, the list? The list they stole from right under your nose, after you let your guard down?"

"I remember it." Buffy said. "It was one of the ones I sent to Angel. His contact said that he hadn't heard of Katherine."

"Sheriff Forbes tracked down the car they stole after yours." Stefan said.

"Screw the muffins. We'll get her champagne." Damon said. "If Elena is wherever it may be."

"Willoughby." Buffy said.

"Creamed corn capital of Pennsylvania." Stefan added. "They'll be there."

"Let's just hope we get to them before they get to the cure."

"Ooh, silver lining: if Rebekah takes the cure, then she's mortal and we can just kill her right then and there." Damon said.

"Ooh, dark cloud: Elena stays a vampire forever." Buffy shot back.

"Look, why don't you just table the revenge fantasies for now, and just keep your eye on the prize. Find Katherine, get the cure, get out before you get your neck snapped…. again." Stefan said.

"Believe me, I learned my lesson." Damon said. "Elena without humanity is a stone-cold bitch, and I won't trust her until we get the old Elena back."

"Look at that. We're finally on the same page about something."

"Look at that."

"My revenge is still open for debate, though, right?" Buffy said, not looking up from her phone. "Katherine is one tortured and dead vampire when I get a hold of her."

Stefan and Damon exchanged looks. "She's got the cure, Buffy." Stefan said.

"Yeah. I know that."

"You can't kill her until we know where it is." Damon said.

"Wasn't planning on it."

"So what was your plan?" Stefan asked.

"Find her, torture her, take her to Klaus, torture her some more…."

"Wait, take her to Klaus?" Damon asked.

Buffy looked up from her phone finally. "Yeah. I promised him he could help. He's been looking for her for 500 years and she's terrified of him. Besides, it's just another form of torture." She looked back down at her phone.

"Who are you texting?" Stefan asked.

"Klaus. He's been desperately trying to get me to come back and help him with something, but he won't say what."

Damon's eyebrow lifted as his eyes rolled. "It's probably a booty call."

"Maybe you should see what he wants." Stefan said.

"Wait, what!?" Damon cried.  
>"Buffy, you want to kill Katherine more than anything, but we need her alive to find the cure. If you go help Klaus, then we can find the cure ourselves, and bring Katherine to you afterwards."<p>

"Yeah, cause that plan always works." Buffy said. She shook her head. "Klaus can help himself till I get back. I want Katherine and I'm not leaving you two to do the job. She always slips through your fingers."

"I think I'm going to take offense to that." Damon said.  
>Buffy shrugged. "It's the truth, isn't it? Besides, my mind's made up and I've got the keys to my car." She glanced at Stefan's Ford Fusion. "And mine's a hell of a lot faster. I'm up for a race, though." Stefan sighed, knowing he couldn't argue with her. "Good, now that that's settled, can we finish filling my car up and get on the road please?"<p>

* * *

><p>Buffy, Stefan, and Damon made their way along the sidewalk in the quaint little town in Pennsylvania that Katherine was supposedly calling home. It was almost like another Mystic Falls. It was pretty.<p>

"Something's not right." Damon said. "Katherine Pierce does not hole up in Hickstown, PA."

"Well, this is definitely the car they stole." Stefan said, pointing out the Porsche. "We're in the right place."

"Points to them for their choice of vehicles." Buffy said.

"So let me ask you something: What happens when we find Elena? How do we get her back to Mystic Falls? I mean, she's not exactly gonna go quietly, and she has an Original vampire as her bodyguard."

"And you have me to kick Rebekah's ass. You two are stronger than Elena. Just snap her damn neck and stuff her in the trunk." Stefan's eyebrows shot up at Buffy's harshness towards Elena. "I don't care what Elena wants right now. She's this close to going off the rails for good and that's not gonna happen."

"So, where do we start looking?" Damon asked.

"The diner." Buffy, Damon, and Stefan turned around and spotted Angel standing there.

"What are you doing here?" Buffy asked.

"Katherine tends to not stay in one place for very long. I didn't know when you guys would show up here, so I came to keep an eye on Katherine. Had Willow use her magic to zap me here."

"She's at the diner?"

"Buffy…." Angel grabbed her arm before she made her way past him. "Elena's not in there."

"Where is she?"

"I don't know. I tried to follow her, but I spotted you guys and lost her. She's imitating Katherine, though."

"Probably meeting someone who knows where the cure is." Damon said.  
>Buffy sighed. "Ok, Damon, you and Stefan go to the diner and keep an eye on Rebekah and Katherine. Please, for the love of my sanity, do <em>not<em> let that evil bitch out of your sight. She is going to pay severely for what she did to Jeremy. Angel, you and I are going to find Elena." Damon started to protest, but Buffy held up her finger. "No arguments. Just get Katherine." Damon sighed and walked away towards the diner. Stefan shrugged and followed his brother. Buffy turned to Angel. "Lead the way."

"She was headed this way." Angel gestured across the street and in the opposite direction of the diner.

"How long have you been here?" Buffy asked as they started their search for Elena.

"A few hours. It didn't take long to find Katherine. I thought it was weird that my contact had never heard of Katherine even though he's lived in the woods near here for the last seventy odd years. She's got the whole town compelled to forget her unless she's directly addressing them. I managed to find Elena and Rebekah at the post office trying to find Katherine's address. I just followed them around."

"I'm glad you're here."

"Are you?"

"Yeah, I could use a refresher on some torture techniques."

"Buffy…."

"Don't. Katherine killed the closest thing to a son I will ever have. I can't get him back. And because of that Elena was so broken the only thing anyone could think to do was have her shut her emotions off. Now she's walking down a path that will wind up turning her into the next Angelus. Katherine has a _lot_ to pay for."

Angel sighed. "The fact that you want me to teach you torture techniques makes me worry about you."

"Don't worry. I'm still a freak of nature. I can't turn my emotions off all the way. I'm part vampire, part Vampire Slayer. My Slayer half won't allow me to stop feeling."

"I take it you've tried?"

"Of course I've tried. I wish I could stop caring about everything and run off with Damon. I'm tired of chasing after Elena because she's gotten herself into trouble yet again. I'm tired of losing people I care about. You know what? I'm just plain tired, Angel. I've been fighting the good fight for seventeen years. I need a vacation."

"You had a vacation with Lexi."

"And I never got to finish it."

Before Angel could respond, she held her hand up to silence him. "I missed you." She heard a very familiar voice say.

"And I've missed you." Elena responded. Her voice was lower, but it definitely wasn't Katherine's.

"This is an interesting little town you've chosen to settle down in. So do you have it with you?"

"Do I have what?"

"The cure."

"Yeah, Elena," Buffy said, stepping out beside the gazebo. "Did you find it yet or was breaking my fiancé's neck and stealing my car a waste of time?"

"Buffy? Angel?" Elijah asked, turning to look at her. "What are you two doing here?"

"Hey, Elijah. You don't call, you don't write…."

"It has been a long time. My apologies. You look lovely."

"Thank you."

Elena tried to run, but Elijah grabbed her arm. "Where's Katherine, Elena?"

"Don't worry about, Katherine." Buffy said. "She's safe."

"Oh, I know. Katherine can take care of herself against your Salvatore brothers."

"What about Rebekah? Can she handle your sister? Cause she's here, too."

Elijah looked a bit panicked. "Do you understand how much my sister despises Katherine? I assure you, Rebekah will end her the moment she ceases to be of use. And if anything whatsoever happens to Katherine, I will descend upon Elena."

"Oh, I promise you, something _will_ happen to Katherine because she's owes me her life. And I'll deal with Elena."

Elijah looked between Buffy and Elena. "What's going on?"

"You're both idiots." Elena snapped.

"Excuse me?"

"Ugh! What happened to you, Elijah? I mean, I thought you were supposed to be a man of honor, and yet you've been hooking up with Katherine this entire time?"

"Ew, really?" Buffy said.

"Well, I suppose this man of honor always shared a connection with Katherine." Elijah said with a slight smile. "She contacted me when she learned about the cure. We thought we could be of mutual use to one another."

"'Of mutual use'? Please." Elena said. "You fell for her trap just like every other one of those idiots."

"You underestimate me, Elena. I know who she is. I know what she's done."

"And you think she's changed? She's playing you. She lied to you, Elijah."

"She didn't lie to me about your transformation. You're not just a vampire, though, are you?" Elena shrugged and looked away. Elijah looked over at Buffy. "There's something else. She's not herself."

"Her emotions are turned off." Buffy explained.

"Why?"

"Your girlfriend killed Jeremy." Elijah seemed shocked and Buffy crossed her arms, rolling her eyes. "Of course you didn't know."

"She lied."

"I hate to say I told you so, but…. duh!" Elena snapped.

"And you called us idiots." Buffy said. "You're the one making snide remarks while an Original has you by the arm."

Elijah released Elena and she was smart enough not to try and run again. "I know what it feels like to lose a brother. And I'm sorry for your pain. Both of you. I…. I only hope that you can find your way back to yourself someday, Elena." He said sincerely.

"Just like you hope Katherine will find her way back?" Elena said. "You still think that innocent girl you saved from Klaus ages ago is in there somewhere?"

"I'd like to think so, yes."

"She's not. She's a monster now, Elijah. The sweet peasant girl you fell in love with way back when is dead. And she's not coming back."

"I'm not a fool, Elena. Of course this has occurred to me, but what kind of man would I be if I didn't try to find my Katerina beneath this…. Katherine façade?"

"You boys are all the same. And Buffy, you just go along with them. You all still think that the girl they knew is still in here somewhere, too."

"You can't blame them for having hope, Elena." Angel said.

"It'd be a shame if the world lost a soul as compassionate as yours." Elijah said.

"'Your compassion is a gift, Elena. Carry it with you always and forever.' I remember reading that in a letter once." Elena said.

"Well, the writer sounds positively gifted. I'm sure he meant what he wrote."

"I'm sure he did. And it felt good to watch that letter burn, along with my old life and along with Jeremy's body."

Suddenly someone attacked Elena from behind, snapping her neck. Elena fell to the ground and Katherine appeared. "Sorry. I got held…." She noticed Buffy. "Up." Buffy suddenly had Katherine pinned against the wall by her neck. "Oh, come on. She could use a nap. It must be exhausting trying to be me."

"Exhausted barely describes how you're going to feel when I'm done with you." Buffy growled.

"Elijah!" Katherine cried.

Elijah was crouched over Elena's lifeless form with Angel. He stood up and looked at Katherine, not moving an inch to help her. "You killed Jeremy Gilbert."

"Yes," Katherine's eyes darted between Buffy barely restraining herself from taking off Katherine's head and Elijah with his passive face. "I killed Jeremy Gilbert. A bombshell I'm sure she just couldn't wait to drop on you. Ironic, since she supposedly doesn't care about anything."

"Well, I care and I'm the one that told him." Buffy growled. "He was my kid!"

"Not biologically."

Elijah walked up and put a restraining hand on Buffy's shoulders. "Do you honestly feel nothing for this girl?" He gestured at Elena. "A girl fated to live the same life that you've endured? And now you've just taken away the last of her family, just as yours was taken away from you. And you of all people know what it's like to have a child stolen from you, yet you put Buffy through it without hesitation. She has spared your life time and time again and this is how you repay her?"

"Why are you guys acting like I enjoyed it?" Elijah started to let go of Buffy and Katherine knew that if he did, Buffy would take off with her and she would die horribly. "Jeremy was collateral damage. I was doing what I needed to do to survive."

"That's not helping your case." Buffy growled.

Elijah kept his hand on Buffy's arm, but it was loose. "Is that what I am to you? A means of survival?"

"Don't let sweet little Elena get to you. She hates me. She wants you to turn against me and convince you that I can't be trusted."

"I asked you a question."

"No. Of course you're not a means of survival. You looked out for me when I had no one. You're giving me a second chance now when no one else will. I love you." Elijah let go of Buffy's arm. "Elijah! You don't believe me."

"I want to. It's my disease. I just keep wanting to believe you, but how can I when at every turn, you give me a reason to doubt you? I don't know you. I don't know that I ever will."

Buffy smiled cruelly. "Awe, poor Katherine. You finally found someone you actually care about and he's walking away." She stepped back from Katherine. "That's the worst torture of all: To be denied the one thing you want most in the world. I think killing you is too kind. I think now…. Now you get to be denied. You get to be denied your freedom and the one person you've ever really loved. Take it from me: the next few years of your life are really going to suck."

"Elijah, you gave me your word that you would talk to Klaus. I…. I can't make a deal without you." Katherine called. She was smart enough not to move while Buffy was so close. The blonde could still change her mind about killing her.

Elijah looked at Buffy for a moment. "The lovely Miss Summers has my brother's ear more than I do. He actually does love her. And I believe that _when_ she asks him, you will never have your freedom. You shouldn't have killed her son. Good-bye, Katherine." He nodded at Buffy. "It's always a pleasure seeing you, Buffy. Until next time." He gave a slight bow before turning and walking away.

Katherine turned to Buffy. "Please, don't do this to me. Talk to them! Please!"

"Why?" Buffy growled. "Why should I help you anymore? Because of you, Elena is emotionless…. Heartless…. You took away her humanity because you killed her brother."

"It's not my fault she couldn't deal with it."  
>"Of course it's your fault! Take some blame for once, Katherine. You ruin lives. It's what you do. Rose and Trevor, Damon, Stefan, Elena, Jeremy…. Countless others that I've never even met…. All those people that were killed because <em>you<em> wanted their identities….. The list is endless! Elijah actually cared for you and you still played him just like you do every other man who actually gave a damn about you. You had to compel a town to like you just so you could have friends. You're over 500 years old, Katherine. Grow up!" Buffy turned and stormed off.

* * *

><p>Elena was finally awake and sitting next to Angel in a booth at the diner. Buffy was sitting in the middle of the round booth, watching Elena closely. Angel had grabbed Elena up and followed Buffy when she'd stormed away from Katherine. Rebekah, Stefan, and Damon hadn't been at the diner when they'd arrived. Buffy had texted Damon to let him know she had Elena and they were at the diner. It was after dark when Damon and Stefan walked into the diner and joined them. Damon slid in next to Buffy and Stefan slid in next to him across from Elena.<p>

"Did you have a good day, sweetheart?" Damon asked Buffy.

"It was eventful." Buffy said.  
>"Is Katherine still alive?" Stefan asked.<br>"Yes. I let her go knowing that when we get back to Mystic Falls, I'll ask Klaus to never give her freedom back to her and that she lost Elijah. It was the worst punishment I could think of."

"Being denied happiness. How devious of you." Damon kissed her neck, slightly glowing with pride.

"You all right?" Stefan asked Elena. Elena just looked at him.

"What's up with the silent treatment?" Damon asked.

"You know I don't want the cure." Elena said finally. "You need to know that I never will and I'm done talking about it. So…. will you accept that and let me be who I am, or not?"

Damon, Buffy, and Stefan exchanged looks. "Yeah…. no." Damon said.

"Elena, this isn't you." Stefan insisted.

"It is now. And you guys really need to accept it. Because if you don't, there will be consequences." Elena took a sip from her mug.

"Are you threatening us, Elena?" Buffy said, her voice getting dangerously lower.

"Listen, I was in the exact same situation that you're in right now." Stefan said, trying to diffuse the situation. "My emotions were off. I wasn't me. And you refused to accept that. You didn't give up on me. You didn't stop until you pulled me back."

Elena set down her mug just as Jolene came back. "Let me just top that off for you." Jolene said.

"Thanks." Elena said with a smile before using her vamp-speed to suddenly snap Jolene's neck. Her body fell to the floor as the pitcher of coffee shattered.

"Elena!" Buffy cried, astounded.

"Like I said: consequences. That's one body you're responsible for. If you keep trying to fix me, there'll be a second, a twentieth, and a hundredth. It's your choice." She started to walk away, but Buffy was suddenly standing in front of her.

"You're not going anywhere." Buffy said before snapping Elena's neck. Elena crumpled to the ground and Buffy looked up at Damon, Stefan, and Angel. "Let's get her tied up in the car and headed back to Mystic Falls before she wakes up."

* * *

><p>Buffy walked into Klaus's darkened house and looked around the foyer. "Klaus?" She called. "Where the hell are you?"<p>

"Go away." Klaus said from somewhere in the direction of the den.

"Seriously? After all those messages you sent me?" She headed for the sound of his voice. "I'm not leaving now. Where are you?" She found Klaus sitting shirtless on the floor. He was sweating and looked like he was in some serious pain. "What happened to you?"

"I need more time. Stop hounding me!"

"Seriously? Do you have any idea of the kind of day I've had? Actually, what the last few days have been like?"

"Buffy, is it really you?"

Buffy's eyes narrows. "Of course it's really me."

"Prove it to me."

"I'm not really sure if this is some new way of flirting you've concocted or if you've been haunted by the First today…. It liked to take on my form…. But I have way more important things to do. Like make sure Elena stays drained of all her blood and locked up in my basement after her little stunt in Pennsylvania."

She started to leave, but Klaus held out his hand. "Wait, please…. Silas. He stabbed me with the white oak stake. There's a…. A piece of it stuck inside me."

"Why would Silas attack you? And how does he even have that stake? It's locked up where no one can find it."

"Well, I was in no position to ask questions. Suffice it to say, I'm hurt. So you can understand why I called you."

"Not really, but whatever. What do you want me to do?"

"Well, it's quite simple, really. I need you to cut the stake out of me." Klaus held out a pair of bloody pliers.

"So, you've been here all day and most of the night with the white oak stake almost piercing your heart…. Which, by the way, could kill us all…. And I'm the only one you called for help? I was in another state!"

"You're the only one I…. trust."

"I helped kill your brother. You hate me."

"I…. Thought I did. I tried to, but I just realized that…. You're impossible to hate."

Buffy sighed. "So, you're not over me, then?"

"No."

"You have seriously got to find a new hobby." Buffy said as she grabbed the pliers and turned on the lights. "Why don't you hit on Caroline? She's newly single since you ran Tyler out of town."

"She's not you." Klaus braced himself against the piano.

"She's a little taller and a little younger, but she's close enough." Buffy cut open Klaus's back where he'd been digging all day and started to dig out the white oak stake.

"No one comes close to you." Klaus gritted.

Buffy paused, not really knowing how to respond to that comment. She settled for picking on him. "Oh, my god! You do have a heart." She joked. "Oh, no…. It's just a bloody rib."

"Well I'm glad you're finding my misery so amusing."

"I don't think there's anything in here, Klaus. And if you think I'm having fun, you're insane." She dug a little deeper into Klaus' back and he yelled in pain, slamming his hand on the piano top. Buffy giggled. "Oh, never mind…. That's actually quite a lot of fun. Let's do it again!"

"Stop!" Klaus begged. "Just…. Stop!" He turned around and glared at her.

"Ok." Buffy set the pliers down and started to walk away.

"Where are you going?"

"You told me to stop."

"Please…. I can feel the splinters moving towards my heart. Help me!"

Buffy sighed. "Ok, fine. But there's two things I need you to agree to first."

"What makes you think…."

"Fine." Buffy turned and started walking again.

"What are the two things?" Klaus sighed, sitting down on the piano bench.

Buffy smirked before she turned around with a serious face. "First: Katherine Pierce…. Katerina Petrova…. Whatever you want to call her…. She is _never_ to get her freedom from you."

"I never intended to give it to her."

"Even if she bargains you with something you can't resist?"

"You have my word."

"That's never really been good enough, has it?"

"Buffy, _you_ have my word. What's the second thing?"

"Tyler Lockwood."

"Tyler Lockwood tried to kill me!"

"We've all tried to kill you. And you've tried to kill most of us. You can't just be nice to me, Klaus! You want to live in this community…. Be a part of my friends…. Then you have to try."

Klaus stood and approached Buffy quickly. "I will not have my hand forced by you or anyone else!"

"What is wrong with you? I'm actually reaching out to you despite everything that you've done and you still can't get out of your own way. Sometimes I actually feel sorry for you!" She turned away, throwing the pliers to the ground and started to leave.

Klaus rushed in front of her to block her way. "Don't turn your back on me!"

"I should have turned my back on you ages ago! I don't know why I haven't!"

They remained silent for a moment, staring at each other intently before Klaus blinked in surprise. "It's gone."

"What?"

"The pain." Klaus reached around to his back. "The…. the pain is gone. It was…. It was never there. He got in my head. Silas…. Got inside my head." He gently took Buffy's hand and kissed her knuckles. "You took my mind off it. You brought me back, Buffy."

Buffy took her hand back gently and patted his cheek. "You're welcome…. I guess. But that worries me a little. If Silas can make you, of all people, believe that you're dying…. What can he do to the rest of us?"

"I thought Silas doesn't scare you?"

"No. I'm not _scared_. I've fought worse. But I am worried. I wouldn't be the best if I didn't worry."

Klaus reached out and touched her hair. "Hey…. Thank you for helping me."

"Yeah." She shrugged. "No problem."

"Friends, then?"

"Are you gonna give me my second request?" Klaus's face fell and he didn't say anything. Buffy sighed and shook her head, moving for the door.

"You might have noticed…." Buffy stopped and turned to face him. "I'm not exactly scouring the earth for him, am I?"

"I'll pass it on to Caroline." She smiled slightly.

"What's going on with Elena?"

"Huh?"

"You mentioned you were keeping her drained and locked up."

"She's shut off her emotions and gone crazy. She killed some poor waitress just to make a point. So I snapped her neck…. Twice…. to make a point to her. When she wakes up, she'll be locked in the basement and drained of all her blood."

"Is there anything I can help with, love?"

Buffy thought about it for a second. "I'll let you know." And with that, she walked out of the house.


	80. Chapter 80

_**A/N Sorry it took me so long. I've had the craziest two weeks! My boss was on vacation, so I was having to do his job on top of training for my new job. I got a promotion, but I can't officially step into the job until they hire someone to replace me. Hopefully that will be today and she can start next week. Cross your fingers for me! **_

_**And as always, let me know what you think. Sorry Buffy's so harsh in this. She's still pretty upset about the whole situation and she's just trying to make it through.**_

Chapter 80

Buffy sat in the living room flipping through a magazine while Damon and Stefan stood on either side of the room tossing a football back and forth. Angel sat across from Buffy reading a book. Willow was out with Bonnie making sure her powers didn't go haywire or she didn't try to tear down the fabric of reality and bring back every dead supernatural that had ever walked the earth. She'd set herself on fire the night before and had gotten so scared, she'd called Willow.

"How long has it been?" Damon asked. "Eight…. nine days?"

"Yeah, eight or nine days." Stefan said. "I don't know. I lost count."

"We lost count for the consecutive days in which Elena Gilbert is not killing anyone."

"It's been seven." Buffy said, not looking up from her magazine. "And it's because she's locked in the basement."

"Buzzkill." Damon shot at her. She just shrugged. Angel chuckled slightly.

"So, what? We're just going to throw the football around for another hundred and fifty years until Elena gets her humanity back?" Stefan asked. "Cause I'm cool with that."

"That's the plan." Buffy said. She looked up from her magazine. "Elena will stay down there, drained of her blood and living on a diet of one tube of blood per day, until she realizes that she isn't going to get away with being a conniving little bitch."

"I'm surprised Rebekah hasn't tried to break her out." Angel said.

"Rebekah's scared of Buffy." Damon said. "She's smart enough to stay away."

"So, we keep her locked up and powerless, but how do we make her flip her humanity switch?" Stefan asked.

"We make her want it." Buffy said.

"How are you gonna make an emotionless vampire want anything?" Damon asked. "Pull a Lexi? Bombard her with emotions so one of those sticks."

"Sounds about right. I was hoping she would be annoyed enough that we're keeping her locked up, but so far that's a no go. So, Senior Prom is tonight. I know I was an emotional wreck dealing with it since I had a dress to worry about and a psycho nerd to put down and hell hounds to kill and…."

"Oh! Stefan!" Damon said. "You should take her in the sewers and break up with her."

Buffy laughed. "That really got my emotions spinning."

"You guys are hysterical." Angel said, deadpan. "What happens when she gets slammed with every emotion she's repressed since Jeremy died?"

"Then I will be right by her side ready to help her through it." Buffy said.

"All right," Stefan said. "You're her mother figure. How do you wanna do this?" Stefan asked.

* * *

><p>Buffy stood just inside the open door to the cell in the basement. Stefan and Angel stood guard at the top of the stairs and Damon stood guard at the bottom. Elena probably wouldn't get past Buffy, but no one wanted to take any chances.<p>

Elena was lying on the cot staring at the ceiling. She rolled her eyes and said, "Oh good. The warden's here with my breakfast."

"Nope. We're going shopping." Buffy said. Elena sat up and looked at Buffy. "Your Senior Prom is tonight. I don't want you to miss out just because you're an emotional retard."

"I'm not taking the cure."

"And you're not killing anyone else just because I want you to have it."

"Think you can stop me?"

"I know I can. The fact that you've been in this cell for seven days proves that. But if you want to go up against me, then by all means, enjoy that snapped neck again. So, here's the deal. We'll go dress shopping. We'll find something nice to wear to the big dance. You'll go with Stefan as your date. I've already signed up as chaperone along with Damon, so we'll be there too. Angel is going to be around the building, maybe even inside. Who knows? The point is: someone will be watching you every step of the way. And any wrong move that you make, you will end up right back in this cell with only _half_ a vial of blood a day."

"You don't scare me."

"I'm not trying to scare you, Elena. I'm trying to prevent you from doing something dumb so when you do finally turn your emotions back on, you'll have a hell of a lot less to deal with."

"I'm not turning them back on. You might as well just leave me here."

Buffy suddenly had Elena up off the cot by her hair and pressed against the wall. "Get upstairs and get presentable. We're going out." She released Elena harshly and walked out of the cell.

* * *

><p>Buffy sighed as she listened to Rebekah tell Elena about her deal with Elijah. She wanted to be human so bad that Elijah was considering giving her the cure. But she had to live like a human for a whole day. When Rebekah had called to ask if Buffy would go dress shopping with her, Buffy was looking at it as a chance to possibly take the cure from Elijah so she could shove it down Elena's throat. If at all possible, she was going to stick close to Rebekah the next few hours.<p>

"You're gonna fail." Elena said. "You should be locking yourself inside all day, not shopping for prom."

"Name me a more human experience than the prom." Rebekah shot back.

"Death."

"Why should I listen to you? You don't even have your humanity."

"You realize you won't even be able to compel yourself a date, right?"

"Can it, Elena." Buffy snapped. "At least Rebekah is trying to be decent."

"Ok, you want decent?" Elena looked at Rebekah. "I'll come with you to prom. I'll keep an eye on you to make sure that you pass Elijah's test. As soon as you've gotten the cure, it'll be gone for good and _no one_ will be able to use it on me."

Buffy rolled her eyes at Elena. In truth, that made her life a little easier. If Elena was sticking close to Rebekah, then she could keep an eye on both of them without worrying about Elena wreaking havoc. Rebekah wasn't going to wreak havoc. She seemed to really want to be human. It almost made Buffy feel bad about taking that chance away from her.

Almost

The door jingled as they walked into the shop. Bonnie, Willow, and Caroline looked up from Caroline's dress. Their smiles faltered when they spotted Elena.

"Hey, Bonnie." Elena said, walking over to them. "Heard you got your mind wiped. That sucks. Pretty dress, Caroline."

"I know. You helped me pick it out months ago when we were friends." Caroline said. "Before you tried to kill me.

"I thought it looked familiar."

Caroline looked at the store clerk. "Can you press this for me? I'll pick it up later." She looked at Buffy. "How are you?"

"Good. Your dress is gorgeous." She was wearing a blush pink strapless mermaid gown with pearls everywhere in intricate designs.

"Thank you. So what are you up to?"

"Dress shopping for Elena and Rebekah." Buffy glanced at Rebekah and Elena moving around the store.

"What about your dress?" Caroline asked.

"Oh, it's at home. I ordered it a while ago. Elena needs one because she set her house on fire and her dress was in there." Buffy looked at Willow. "Are you coming tonight?"

"Bonnie wants me to." Willow said.

"I think it would be a good idea." Bonnie said. "She's been helping suppress my powers when they get out of control."

Caroline gave a grimace and suddenly turned around and headed for the fitting room. Buffy looked over to see Elena walking up. "I want to go to Rebekah's tonight to get ready." She said to Buffy.

"Elena…."

"I promise to keep an eye on her." Rebekah said.

"You're supposed to be playing human."

"I'm not going to do anything." Elena protested. "I'm going to get ready and go to prom. That's it."

"Willow?" Buffy turned to her best friend.

"I'll make sure that's what happens." Willow said, smiling brightly at Elena.

* * *

><p>Buffy walked into the house and Damon walked over to her. "Hey." He said, kissing her quickly. "Where's Elena?"<p>

"At Rebekah's. Willow's got a tracking spell on her. If she leaves Rebekah's house," Buffy held up a purple crystal. "This will alert me."

"I love a girl with brains." He kissed her forehead. "So, time to get ready for the dance?"

"Yup." She unraveled herself from his arms and headed upstairs. When she opened up the closet to get her dress out, the bag was empty. "What…." Buffy looked around, thinking maybe Damon had laid it out for her and she just missed it, but the dress was gone. "Damon!" He appeared in the doorway a few seconds later. "Where's my dress?"

"It's in the closet."

"It's not in the closet."

Damon went in to check and came back out with a confused look. "Where's your dress?"

Buffy sighed. "I'm going to bet that Elena has it. She didn't get a dress at the shop. She told me not to worry about it because she had her eye on something already and that I would love it."

"Well, there's always that sexy purple number."

"Have you ever seen me wear something twice?" Buffy sighed. "I'll be back. Gotta go rustle up a dress." She headed back out to her car and drove down the road. At the last second, she turned onto Klaus's street. He always had something pretty to offer. And it would be a hell of a lot prettier than anything in a store these days. She didn't bother to knock, just walked on in. "Klaus?" She found him standing and staring at the fireplace in the den. "Hey."

"A personal visit?" Klaus said with a smile. He placed his hand over his heart. "To what do I owe the pleasure?"

"Elena stole my dress for this evening and I need your help."

"A dress? For what?"

"Prom." Klaus started to chuckle. "Don't laugh. I'm going as a chaperone."

"How kind of you." He said as he was still trying to suppress his laughter.

"Not really. It's to keep Elena from killing anyone else."

He walked closer to her. "She's still threatening that?"

"Well, she's been locked up and drained, so she hasn't really been able to talk much the last couple of days."

"Yet she stole your dress…."

"I wanted to see if the nostalgia of her Senior prom will kickstart that switch flip."

"And what of the cure? Elijah has it and he's not giving it up. I tried."

Buffy shrugged. "I've got the most powerful witch of pretty much all time on my side. If Silas can do it, then she can too. We'll figure something out."

Klaus smiled slightly. "Your optimism is almost infectious. So, a dress?"

"You've got this creepy yet fascinating trophy case of family collectibles and I thought maybe…. You could dig me out something spectacular."

His smile brightened. "I believe I have something perfect for you. But…." He leaned into her side. "I'll only give it to you if you model it for me."

Buffy looked up at him. "Ok, fine. Lead the way."

* * *

><p>Elena descended the steps of Rebekah's front porch, wearing Buffy's red dress. Buffy watched from inside the limo as it drove up. Damon sat next to her looking dashing in his tux. Stefan sat next to the door with Angel. When the limo came to a stop, Stefan got out with a bouquet of flowers.<p>

"I don't need a babysitter." Elena said.

"Really? Because the last time you were out and about, you snapped a waitress' spine." Stefan said.

"Got you to stop your search for the cure, didn't it?" She started walking away but Damon and Buffy were suddenly there to block her way.

"Not really." Buffy said. "We're still looking, but tonight we're just here to make sure you don't have a stupid moment and kill someone else. So, don't eat the prom queen."

"Beautiful dress." Damon quipped.

"Thank you. I stole it." Elena said with a sneer at Buffy.

Buffy shrugged. "Mine's prettier." She was wearing a high necked white dress with cap sleeves; black appliqué running around the neckline, down the sides of the dress, and circling around the bottom of the skirt; and a small train that flowed out from the trumpet skirt. It clung to her body, accentuating every curve, and it flowed like water when she walked. The back was high necked, but there was a large keyhole opening from the base of her neck to the middle of her back. Along the appliqué were tiny crystals that Klaus said were real diamonds.

Elena shrugged and climbed into the limo. She looked at Angel. "You're not dressed for the occasion."

"I'm not going to prom." Angel said. "I'm just sticking to the shadows and keeping an eye on you."

"You're only here because you're in love with Buffy and when her and Damon don't work out, you'll swoop in and…."

"Elena, seriously, we get it." Buffy snapped. "You don't have any tact along with emotions. But all I hear out of your mouth now is blah blah blah because you're a broken record. Find something else to yak about."

Elena glared at her and sat back. Score one for Buffy. Everyone else wanted to kill her with kindness and try and turn back on her compassion. Buffy was going a different route. If she could make her annoyed or angry, those were emotions that would lead to the rest of them coming back in.

When the limo stopped, Angel got out and headed out into the woods. Stefan got out and helped Elena before Damon and Buffy got out of the limo. The red carpet leading to the prom was lined with screens playing slideshows of photographs.

"Where's the disco ball?" Damon asked.

"Caroline's been working on this for a while." Buffy said. "It's a photo-yearbook of the senior class." She sighed. "I wish my senior prom had been this cool."

"Just be glad you're not fighting hell hounds in that dress." Stefan said as they stopped in front of one of the screens. "Isn't that photo from, ah, the first day of freshman year?" It was a picture of Elena and Matt smiling.

"My mom took that when she dropped us off at school." Elena said. Buffy and Damon exchanged glances. Slowly the picture faded into a different picture. It was Elena and Jeremy, both of them smiling. It was one that Buffy had taken. It shot a stab of pain through Buffy's heart, but she didn't let it show on the outside. Hopefully it stirred something inside of Elena.

She started removing her jacket as she said, "I'm gonna get a seizure if I keep staring at these screens." She walked off quickly. Stefan glanced back at Buffy and Damon. They both just shrugged. Inside, everyone was dancing. Buffy spotted Elena going to take a sip from a flask but she swooped in, snatched it from her, and proceeded to take a sip herself.

"Sorry, kiddo." Buffy said. "You're underage."

"You're overage, and honestly, it's kind of creepy." Elena said.

Buffy laughed as Damon and Stefan joined them. "Oh, come on, Elena. What badass senior's complete without a prom date that's slightly too old for high school?" Damon said.

"Please don't refer to yourself as my date."

"Sorry, honey, I didn't." Damon wrapped an arm around Buffy's waist. "My date's right here. Yours is right there." He pointed at Stefan.

"I'm not doing this."

"You're not gonna deny that he's your date, now, are you?" Buffy asked. "I mean, no one else is clamoring to volunteer for that position."

"What are you three doing? Trying to stir some feelings in me?" Elena looked at Damon. "Ironic, since you, my sire, are the one who had me turn them off."

"Yeah, well, hindsight is almost a bigger bitch than you." Damon shot back. Elena rolled her eyes and walked off. Damon looked at Buffy. "I think I like your plan better than Stefan's."

"If that was normal Elena, I would feel bad." Buffy said, stashing the flask in Damon's inside jacket pocket. "But screwing with this Elena is kinda fun."

"This should be interesting." Damon said.

Buffy followed his line of sight where Elena had just run into Matt, Willow, and Bonnie. "Uh-oh. Friend patrol." Elena said.

"Hey." Bonnie said. "I know we haven't really talked since…. everything. But I just…. I wanna say that I miss you."

"Me too." Matt said. "And we wanna help you."

"What are you gonna do, get me a job at the Grill?" Elena quipped.

"I don't want you to look back and realize you missed out on the best part of senior year."

"Spare me, Matt. If you had the choice, you would have turned your emotions off the second that Vicki died."

"Hey." Bonnie said. "You shut it off because all you could feel were the horrible things happening to you. You still have friends who love you."

"I thought you were gonna bring Jeremy back, but it turned out you were just a brainwashed crazy-person, so technically you're a walking reminder of all the horrible things that have happened to me."

"Hey, maybe Bonnie has a use after all." Buffy said as Elena marched off from them.

Bonnie looked tense and she seemed to be struggling to contain herself. "I need some air." She said.

"Bonnie, wait…." Matt started.

"Caroline's right. Elena's gone." Bonnie rushed outside.

Willow sighed. "Let her be." She said to Matt. "She needs to cool down so she doesn't set this place on fire." She walked over to meet Buffy and Damon. "You look so pretty!"

"Thank you!" Buffy said as she hugged her best friend. "I really like your dress." Willow was wearing an emerald green, one shouldered, empire waist, chiffon gown with flower accents on the shoulder strap and an intricate metallic design around the waist.

"I think I like this dress better than my senior prom dress. Besides, my hair choice this time around is much better." She had opted to straighten her auburn hair and pin half of it back with a big white rose.

"Oh yeah!" Buffy started to laugh and Damon looked confused.

"I had cornrows and this weird twisty bun thing on top of my head." Willow told him. "I thought it was fashionable. And maybe in 1999 it was, but…." She shuddered. "Eep."

"It was cute." Buffy said.

Willow shrugged. "So, Elena's wearing your dress."

"She stole it. But that's ok. This one is much prettier."

"Where did you find it?"

"Klaus." Damon choked a little on the flask he was drinking from. "He gave it to me."

"You didn't tell me that." Damon said.

"Yes I did."

"When?"

"When we were getting ready."

"I didn't hear that part."

"Then you weren't listening."

"You do know Buffy has him wrapped around her little finger, right?" Willow asked.

"I wish I didn't know that." Damon said.

"If I had Klaus wrapped around my finger then Caroline would be here with Tyler right now." Buffy said, glancing over at Caroline standing alone and looking around at the dance she put together. "She looks miserable."

"It's not your fault. You talked to Klaus and Tyler could come back, but he's choosing not to." Willow said. "I guess he doesn't believe Klaus."

Stefan walked up just then after Elena walked away from their dance. "Hey." Buffy said to him. "You making any progress with the dress thief?"

"I don't know. I think it's affecting me a lot more than it's affecting her."

"What do you mean?"

"Every time I tell myself that I'm moving on, there's this part of me that just can't seem to shake her."

"That's normal, Stefan. You guys were in love, and that doesn't go away just because you declare that you're moving on."

"Well, then how does anyone ever seem to move on?"

Buffy snuggled in closer to Damon. He wrapped his arm around her and she looked up at him adoringly. "Someday, you'll meet someone new and you'll fall madly in love, whether you want to or not, and you'll have moved on without even realizing it."

Stefan smiled slightly. It made him happy to see his brother happy and in love with someone as amazing as Buffy Summers. They gave him hope. If they could find love after everything they'd both seen and done, then he could too.

"Uh oh." Damon said.

Buffy looked over to where Elena had April pinned against a wall and Rebekah standing off to the side. She was suddenly across the room and yanking Elena away. "What the hell do you think you're doing?" April rushed off. Smart girl.

"I was keeping Rebekah from compelling her." Elena said.

"I was not going to threaten her." Rebekah protested.

"Remember that time you tortured me until I told you how to find the cure? You ruined my relationship with Stefan and then you trapped us with a werewolf?"

"Yeah. So?"

"So you're not a good person. You're not gonna win this cure by being yourself. So just stand there and refrain from talking, ok?" Elena walked off and Buffy rolled her eyes.

"She seriously needs her humanity back." Buffy said. She looked at Rebekah. "Look, don't listen to her, ok?"

"Why not?" Rebekah said. "She's right."

"She's not." Buffy led Rebekah over to a table and sat down. "Rebekah, I've seen someone who enjoyed torturing and maiming human beings make a complete 180 and he's now one of the best men I've ever known."

"Angel doesn't count. He was forced to get his soul back."

"I'm not talking about Angel. I'm talking about Spike. He fought to get his soul back. He fought to be a good person. I think you can do this. I think you can become a good person."

Rebekah looked at her, tears shining in her eyes. "Really?"

"Really."

Matt walked up just then. "You guys haven't seen Bonnie, have you?"

"She's probably in the bathroom." Rebekah said. "Every other girl is."

"Matt, will you dance with Rebekah?" Buffy asked.

"I don't think so." He started to walk off, but Buffy was suddenly blocking his way. "How do you even do that in a formal dress…. With a train?"

"Look," Buffy said, ignoring his question. "It's a girl's worst nightmare to be alone at prom. Trust me on that one. It sucks. Don't let Rebekah's first prom experience be ruined. Please?"

Matt sighed. "Ok. Fine." He held out his hand to Rebekah. She smiled, mouthing a thank you to Buffy, and let Matt escort her onto the dance floor.

Buffy stood up and made her way over to Caroline. "Aren't you on 'Save Elena' duty?" Caroline asked.

"I'm taking a little breather to check on my friend." Buffy said, nudging Caroline gently with her shoulder. "You ok?"

Caroline nodded as she took a deep breath. She crumpled, though. "This prom sucks. This is our last dance together and it's awful. This is not how I wanted to remember this night." She let out another huff. "If anyone asks, I'll be at the after-party."

Buffy watched Caroline turn and march off. When she turned back around, Damon was walking over to her with some red punch. She smiled and took the drink. "Not sure I should be drinking something red with my white dress."

"Eh…. It's Klaus's, so spill away." Damon said.

"It's mine now and I'd like to keep it free of stains. I might actually wear this dress again." She set the glass down. "Dance with me?"

"Of course." He set his glass down and led her out onto the dance floor. He twirled her out and then into his arms, holding her close as they swayed to the music. "So, is this a better prom than your last one?"

"Hot date that _didn't_ break up with my in a sewer? Check. Stunning dress? Check. Cheesy yet somehow good music? Check. Great friends? Double check." She pulled him tighter against her. "This is _much_ better."

Damon smiled and laid his head down on top of hers as she snuggled her head against his chest. He closed his eyes as he breathed her in, enjoying every moment. They swayed to the music, held tightly together, letting everything around them fade away. That was until Bonnie and Angel came rushing over, interrupting their quiet moment.

"We have a problem." Bonnie said.

Buffy turned in Damon's arms and sighed as Damon said, "Of course we do."

"It's Silas." Angel said. "He's here."

Buffy and Damon exchanged glances. "We should get Stefan and Willow." Buffy said. They found them standing near the exit and Bonnie proceeded to tell them what had happened. Silas had shown up as Jeremy in a tux and tried to convince Bonnie to help him.

"It's like Jeremy was there." Bonnie said. "I could talk to him, feel him."

"Bonnie, that's what Silas does. You can't let him get to you again." Willow said.

"Yeah, because you all crazy and brainwashed is just not a good look." Damon said. Buffy smacked his arm. "Ow!"

April took the stage and began to speak from a podium on the stage. "Hey. Ok, the ballots have been tallied, which means it's time to announce this year's prom king and queen."

"Look, one of us should take her home." Angel said, gesturing at Bonnie.

"No." Buffy said. "She's safer here in public around all these people. There's no way Silas can make everyone see the same thing all at once."

"Actually, if he's as powerful as everyone says he is, then we should probably all go hide somewhere." Willow said. "I mean, he did get to Klaus and that's impossible."

"It's not impossible." Buffy shook her head. "I'm not hiding from this guy."

"Ok, so how do we look out for a guy that can appear as anyone?" Matt asked.

"All right, your prom king and queen are…. Matt Donovan and Bonnie Bennett." April said on stage. The crowd cheered as a spotlight shined down on Matt and Bonnie, interrupting their conversation. They both looked shocked as Buffy pushed them towards the stage.

Buffy glanced around for Elena. "I don't see my psycho child."

"Let's split up." Stefan said. "Make sure she's not killing anyone."

"Good idea." Buffy said. They all moved off to find Elena while Matt and Bonnie went to get their pictures taken.

Rebekah walked up to Buffy and pulled her aside just as she spotted Elena watching Bonnie get her pictures taken. "You need to get the witch off the stage." Rebekah said.

"Why?"

"You didn't hear it from me, but Elena's up to something." Rebekah walked away and Buffy turned to look for Elena. She was walking through a beaded curtain where Bonnie had just disappeared.

"Congratulations, Bonnie." Elena said.

"What do you want?" Bonnie snapped.

"For you to stop being a problem." Elena vamped out and snarled. She went to grab Bonnie's shoulder, but Buffy was suddenly there, holding her back.

"I told you not to eat the prom queen." Buffy said. She slammed Elena's head down onto the table in the little room hard enough to knock her out.

Matt rushed in just then. "What's going on!?"

"Buffy just saved me from Elena." Bonnie said.

"If I were you, I would clear out of here before she wakes up." Buffy turned and headed out to find Damon. He was standing outside talking to…. Her. It was Silas disguised as her. Before Silas could stab Damon with the hidden stake, Buffy was suddenly in front of Damon, taking the stake in her stomach.

Silas laughed. "You are fast."

Buffy yanked the stake out of her abdomen and shoved the stake in Silas's stomach before anyone could blink. "Yup. Now get out of my face." She shoved him backwards and he disappeared. Buffy groaned in pain, and Damon held onto her, leaning her against his chest. "Ow…." She complained. "It was soaked in vervain."

"Are you ok?" Damon asked.

"I'll live." She looked down at her ruined dress. "That freak owes me a dress."

Willow, Stefan, and Angel came running out. "Buffy!" Willow cried.

"Are you all right?" Stefan asked.  
>"What happened?" Angel asked.<p>

"Silas happened. And I'm fine." Buffy said. "Just royally pissed about my dress." Willow waved her hand and the jagged hole and large amount of blood disappeared. "Wow! Thanks."

Willow shrugged. "I really liked that dress, too. It would've been such a waste."

Suddenly car alarms started going off in the parking lot. And it wasn't just a few, but every car with an alarm was going off. A moment later, the wind picked up and Bonnie screamed, "Get out of my head!"

"Well that doesn't sound good." Damon said as they headed over towards the parking lot.

Suddenly everything stopped. There was barely two seconds before Bonnie yelled in pain. Buffy rounded the corner first to see Elena attacking Bonnie. Before she could move, though, Elena stopped and started making choking noises. Buffy watched as Elena started vomiting blood while the wound on Bonnie's neck healed supernaturally fast. Almost as fast as Buffy's wounds healed.

Elena continued to choke and Bonnie rose up from the ground. She used her magic to break Elena's bones in her arms and legs. Elena shouted in pain and Buffy rushed over to her.

"Bonnie, stop!" Willow cried. "Bonnie!"

Buffy crouched down by Elena protectively. "Buffy, help me." Elena cried.

"Bonnie, you're killing her!" Buffy yelled.

"I know what I'm doing." Bonnie said.

"That's the magic talking." Willow said. "Look at her! That's your best friend."

"Damn it, Bonnie!" Damon said.

Elena clung to Buffy in pain and managed to look up at Bonnie, blood dripping from her nose. "Bonnie…. Please."

Willow clapped her hands loudly behind Bonnie's head and a shimmering wall flew out from them and surrounded Bonnie in a whirlwind. Elena stopped crying out. The whirlwind disappeared as quickly as it had appeared and Bonnie turned on Willow. "What did you do?"

"Stopped the flow of your magic." Willow said. "You were killing her."

"I almost died. The shell of my best friend almost killed me!"

"That doesn't give you the right to use that magic on her! She's not herself."

Bonnie turned and stomped away. Buffy helped Elena to stand, saying, "I got you." She staggered weakly, holding on to Buffy. Stefan stepped in to help and before she had a chance to fully recover, he jabbed her with a syringe filled with vervain. Elena fell unconscious into Buffy's arms.

"I think plan A was a better choice." Stefan said, picking Elena up in his arms.

"Yeah. This was just an experiment." Buffy said. "She failed. Let's get her home."

* * *

><p>Stefan laid Elena's unconscious body on the cot in the basement cell where she'd spent the seven days prior. Buffy and Damon stood in the doorway while Angel leaned against the wall behind them. Willow stood off to the side near the stairs. Stefan turned around and joined them.<p>

"She might not feel much, but she's gonna feel that in the morning." Damon said.

Stefan looked at Buffy. "So what's the plan?"

"The same as before." Buffy said. "Any emotion possible." She took a deep breath, not liking the next part. "I'm thinking that the quickest way, though, is through fear. When Bonnie was whaling on her tonight…. Elena thought she was gonna die. She was terrified."

Damon nodded. "Last time I checked that's one of those pesky human emotions."

"So plan C…. Make her life a living hell." Stefan said.

"More like plan A, section B." Buffy said.

"What about our other problem?" Angel asked. "You know, the one that can be anyone, anywhere, anytime?"

"Silas still needs Bonnie." Willow said. "She's not much of an easy target anymore and she's not gonna let him manipulate her. At least not anymore. I'm thinking about binding Bonnie's powers temporarily until we can figure out how to kill Silas and not tear down the walls between here and the Other Side."

"That may not work. I wouldn't underestimate his talents."

"He had me fooled." Damon said. "Until my girl showed up and fed him his stake."

"After he staked me." Buffy complained.  
>"Well, it was intended for me. You just appeared and startled us both."<p>

"You hurt him?" Stefan asked.

"He ruined my dress." Buffy said. She looked up at Damon. "What was he saying to you, anyway?"

"He was pretending to be you talking about Klaus. Trying to make me jealous."

"Did it work?"  
>"At first." Buffy started to protest, but he held his hand up. "Buff, I'm starting to get it. You love me. You chose me." He smiled. "You want <em>me<em>." Damon kissed her gently. "And I love you, too."

"I thought you two were past that lovey dovey phase." Willow said teasingly, smiling at her best friend.

Buffy shrugged. "I don't know about anyone else, but I am seriously craving waffles. Does the waffle maker still work after Jeremy…." She paused, a flash of pain and sadness crossing her face.

"Why don't we go out for some?" Damon suggested. He gestured at the cell door. "The door's locked up tight and she's going to be out for a while. We've got time."

"Sounds great to me!" Willow said brightly.

"Me too." Stefan said, wrapping an arm around Buffy's shoulders.

Angel shrugged. "I'm in."

Buffy nodded. "Ok. Yeah. That sounds fun." She glanced at the locked door as Stefan and Damon led her out of the basement. The next few days, maybe even weeks, were going to be hell.


	81. Author's Note

**Author's Note:**

**Just to be clear, I was not using the word "retard" in a derogatory way. I was using it in it's literal meaning. I find it offensive that someone would throw an accusation at me, especially this particular one, in a public review without giving me a chance to explain why I did something. I appreciate all of my readers, but if you have a problem with something, please come to me directly and I will be more than happy to clear things up in a private message. **My sister is mentally handicapped and has been called that and I don't like the word used in the derogatory way. I've been known to beat people up for calling her that word.****

**The word "retard" by definition is "to slow up especially by preventing or hindering advance or accomplishment". Elena is slowing her emotional progress by preventing the advances of those around her. ****I feel like the general populace forgets that words have actual definitions and can actually be applied to things in an appropriate manner. I've noticed that the tendency is to attach the negative to a word such as "retard" or the N word (which I shall not say because I hate it even more than the former) and this is why the English language seems to be on a steady downfall. Words are power, people. I use my words to express myself and get stories across, whether that be in fanfiction or poetry. And the dictionary is my friend. I use it and a thesaurus quite often.**

**Watch The Dead Poet's Society. Wonderful movie and full of wonderful lessons about language and how to use it.**

**I'll climb down off my soap box now.**


	82. Chapter 81

_**A/N As always, let me know what you think. Hope you like it!**_

Chapter 81

Elena arrived at school and walked among a crowd of high school students outside. Caroline, Bonnie, and Matt caught up to her. Caroline was bubbling with excitement and Bonnie and Matt were smiling.

"Elena, you're here!" Caroline said. "I got valedictorian! You can help me write my speech."

"Pass." Elena said.

"Come on, we're graduating this year, this is it! We need to soak up every second before…."

Elena stopped. "Wait. Something's not right. I don't want to be here."

Willow appeared behind Elena. "Elena, you should want to be with your friends. It's that great time of your life where it's all graduation parties, caps, and gowns…."

Elena rolled her eyes. "What is this…." She looked around and realized all of the students in the schoolyard had disappeared. "We're not really here, are we? We're in my head."

"I thought it would be a good idea to show you all of the things that you've been missing out on since you went all 50 Shades of Crazy." Willow said.

Elena dropped her bag. "The last thing I remember…."

"Was prom? A beautiful dress that you stole from Buffy? You trying to murder Bonnie?"

"Buffy…. She starved me."

Willow sighed. "Yup. I've felt bad for you, so I wanted to try this before Damon, Stefan, and Buffy went through with their plan. I figure if I could just make you nostalgic, then you'd already be halfway to getting your humanity back before they get their hands on you for the more negative emotions."

"It's not gonna work, Willow."

"Then I hate what's going to happen to you next. Sorry, Elena." Willow opened her eyes outside of the safe in the basement.

Buffy stood in front of her, arms crossed. "Well?"

Willow shook her head. "Nothing. That is one tough nut to crack."

Angel came down the stairs. "Wow…. You still have her locked in the safe? You've been in her head for an hour. Still nothing?"

"Nope."

Buffy unlocked the safe and opened the door. Elena was inside, curled on the floor in a weak and barely conscious ball. Buffy pulled her out and kept her on her feet. "Is the old you ready to come out and play?"

"Go to hell." Elena croaked.

"Fine." Buffy shoved Elena back into the safe and locked it. "We can do this the nice way or we can do it the other way. But _either_ way, we're not stopping until you turn your humanity switch back on. We're gonna let you think about that and then I'll come back for you in a couple of hours…. Or a couple years…. Whichever…. I mean, really, all we have is time." Willow and Angel followed her upstairs and she locked the door behind her. "Are Damon and Stefan back yet?"

"No." Angel said. "I guess fire extinguishers are hard to come by."

Suddenly the front door burst open and Caroline stormed into the house. "Where is she? I wanna see her."

"Hi Caroline." Buffy said. "Nice to see you too." Caroline just stared at her. Buffy sighed. "We're not letting anyone see her. Isolation leads to misery leads to emotion."

"She's been here for days. She hasn't improved at all?"

"She doesn't want to. Not yet, anyway. She's devastated. She lost her brother, she attacked her friend, she killed an innocent woman…."

"You said that you guys knew how to help her."

"We are."

"What, how? By torturing her?"

"It's not torture, it's an intervention. I think now our only chance is to provoke her to trigger something. I'm going with fear, anger, self-pity…. Anything negative cause the positive isn't working."

"Let me talk to her. Before any more intervention-ing. If she's weak, she can't hurt me."

"Caroline…."

"_Please_, just let me try."

Buffy sighed again. "Give me just a minute." She headed downstairs and there was some banging around for a minute before she reappeared in the hallway again. "Ok, she's ready for you. Good luck."

Caroline sighed and headed downstairs with the key to Elena's cell. Buffy, Willow, and Angel moved off into the living room. Willow sat down on one couch and Angel sat down on the other, but Buffy moved over to the window and stared outside.

"Are you sure you have to do this?" Willow asked. "Won't she hate you for it?"

"Honestly, Willow, I don't care." Buffy said, not turning around. "I just want Elena back. Even if she hates me for how I got her back."

"Maybe Caroline will talk some sense into her."

Buffy turned around angrily. "Seriously, Will? She's been like this for weeks and the only thing that made an impact on her was nearly killing her!"

"Whoa!" Angel said. "Calm down."

Buffy took a deep breath. "Sorry. I'm agitated…. And hungry."

"Say no more!" Damon said, walking in with Stefan. Along with a large extinguisher, they had rope, duct tape, zip-ties, and bags of food from Wendys. "We come bearing food."

"I was thinking more along the lines of a liquid diet, but if there's a spicy chicken sandwich in there…." Damon reached in one of the bags and produced said sandwich. "Did I ever tell you that I love you?"

"Not in the last hour."

She smiled and kissed him gently. "I love you."

"I love you, too."

Stefan laughed. "Maybe you two being gushy around Elena will torture her into some feelings."

"Shut up." Buffy said, gently shoving Stefan's arm.

"I'll go get some blood." Stefan headed for the basement, but Caroline bursting out of it stopped him.

"Do whatever you have to do. I need some air." Caroline said to Buffy as she walked past everyone and out the door.

"By the way, Caroline's here." Buffy said, unwrapping her sandwich.

Stefan went downstairs and locked the door to the cell. He grabbed a few bags of blood and headed back up. "She broke Elena's neck." He said, tossing a bag to Buffy.

"Yeah? Good. That gives us some time to actually enjoy our meal."

"So, I think when we're finished eating, we should bring Elena upstairs and get to work." Damon said, glancing outside. "The sun's hitting a good angle."

"Do you guys mind if I'm not here for it?" Willow asked. "I'm just not up for the whole 'actually torturing Elena' thing."

"It's ok, Will." Buffy said. "I understand."

"Thanks." Willow grabbed her food and headed out after Caroline.

* * *

><p>Damon noisily set down a fire extinguisher and Elena startled awake, groggily finding herself strapped down in a chair on the main level of the house. Stefan walked around the dimly lit room. Buffy sat in front of Elena holding her daylight ring. Angel stood in the doorway, watching the room.<p>

"Good, you're awake." Buffy said. "We thought you could use a little sunshine." Stefan pulled the curtain back a little, allowing a ray of light to creep closer to Elena. She looked down at her hand. "Looking for this?" Buffy held up her daylight ring. She reached for it as much as the bonds on her wrist would allow, but Buffy pulled it away. "You know the rules."

"Bad girls don't get nice jewelry." Damon said as Stefan let go of the curtain, shutting out the sun again.

"You took my ring." Elena said impassively. "I'm devastated. And bored. Can I go back to solitary now?"

"No." Buffy sat back in her seat and crossed her legs. "Whenever you're ready, Stefan." Stefan reached for the curtain again.

"Am I supposed to be scared?"

"You will be." Stefan said. "And when you are, focus on that fear. It's the key to getting your humanity back."

"You're not gonna burn me."

"You don't think so?" Buffy asked.

"No." Elena said evenly, looking at Buffy. "And even if you do manage to get my emotions back, I'll remember all this, and I'll hate you for it."

Buffy shrugged. "It's worth the risk."

Stefan opened the curtain wide and the sunlight hit Elena's hand. She started to burn and screamed in pain, struggling in her chair. Her arm ignited for a few seconds before Damon put it out with the fire extinguisher. Stefan let go of the curtain.

"Bet that feels better, huh?" Damon said. "How about a little gratitude, or any human emotion whatsoever, and we can stop this?" Elena, still gasping and straining against her bonds, mumbled something. "I didn't quite catch that."

"I said, I'm gonna kill you."

"See?" Buffy said to Damon. "There's a little rage."

"I should've figured that'd be the first emotion that came out of her." Damon said. "I tend to pull that out of people."

Stefan crouched down in front of Elena. "Elena, look at me. We don't wanna do this, ok? You can stop this right now. It's your choice."

Elena laughed. "It's kind of funny, actually…. You being the one to pull back the curtain. I bet part of you enjoys it, since, you know, I dumped you and all."

"That was vindictive." Buffy said, leaning forward in her chair. "I think we're starting to break through that tough candy shell and we're getting into the gooey center of your humanity. This is good." Buffy looked at Stefan. "I think we should shine some light on the subject." Stefan nodded and got up to go to the curtain.

"Let me guess…." Elena said. "This is gonna hurt you a lot more than it hurts me?"

"Look, I know what you're going through." Stefan said. "After all you've done, you're afraid to face the guilt you'll feel if you turn your emotions back on. Only way we can help you is to make the alternative hurt even worse." Elena laughed at him softly and closed her eyes.

Stefan wrenched back the curtain and Elena's face started to burn as she screamed in pain. Angel caught the look on Buffy's face. Hurting Elena was killing her, but she wasn't going to show that to Elena. She stayed sitting calmly in the chair watching Elena scream and burn. Stefan left the curtain open for a few seconds longer then closed them. Elena gasped in relief as her wounds healed.

"You're gonna thank us for this after you turn it back on and realize life with no emotions blew." Damon said.

"You know what else blew? Being sired to you." Suddenly Elena broke free of the bonds on her and tried to rush away. Buffy was too fast and had her standing in front of the windows suddenly. She yanked the curtains away and held Elena in the sunlight. Elena immediately burst into flames and started screaming. Damon grabbed the fire extinguisher and put her out while Stefan patted her down frantically.

Buffy let her go and stepped back. "Bet you didn't see that coming."

Elena lay on the floor, coughing and laughing while her skin healed. "I'm the closest thing to a daughter you'll ever have. You wouldn't do anything to _actually_ hurt me. You just proved that. So what do I really have to be afraid of?"

"I'm sorry, but I'm the one that tore down those curtains and held you in the sunlight." Buffy said.

"You knew they would put me out." Elena passed out and Buffy sighed.

"She's right." Buffy turned and headed outside. "Lock her back up."

While Damon and Stefan took Elena downstairs, Angel found Buffy standing out on the front lawn. He handed her the decanter of bourbon that he'd grabbed. "Figured you could use this."

"Thanks." She took a swig from it. "She's right. I won't actually hurt her."

"She is being really stubborn about this."

"It's because she has nothing to come back to. Her home is gone, her family is gone, she alienated her friends, she destroyed her relationships…." Buffy shook her head. "She wants to come back. I know it. I feel it. Scaring the hell out of her should've worked, but she's smart."

"So get somebody else who really will hurt her."

"Who?"

"Katherine." Stefan said as he and Damon joined them on the grass.

"No." Buffy shook her head. "Hell no."

"Think about it: she's the reason Jeremy's dead, right? So if anybody's gonna provoke an emotion, it's her."

"So we call her and then what, beg her to help us out of the kindness of her own heart?" Damon said. "Are you kidding me? I'm with Buffy. Hell no."

"Katherine was just abandoned by Elijah. She has nothing. She has no one. We invite her into our house to come torture Elena? There's no way she's gonna turn that down."

Buffy sighed. "Let me think about it for a minute?"

"Ok." Stefan nodded. "Elena's out cold, so we have some time."

Buffy nodded and walked off. She headed for the gardens and sat down in a hidden alcove. It was a gazebo that had been overtaken by the vines and flowers of the garden. It was her favorite spot and Damon, as a present, had the inside of it turned into a little comfortable cabana for her. There was a day bed on one side and white wicker chairs with light blue cushions on each side of the archway. A glass table sat in the middle with an old porcelain tea set sitting on it. Of course there was a drink cart off to he side. The flowers were in bloom, completely hiding the space from the outside world. She set the decanter down on the cart and moved over to lay down on the day bed.

"I want your opinion on something." She said into the phone when Klaus answered.

"All right." Klaus said.

"Elena's not breaking because she knows we won't actually hurt her. And she's right. Stefan suggested that we bring Katherine in."

"And you want to know if I think it's a good idea."

"I want to know what you would do. Angel and Stefan think it's a good idea. Damon took my side, but I expected that. I don't like the idea at all because I don't trust Katherine…."

"As well you shouldn't. You took her life away from her by turning Elijah against her. Bravo, might I add. Very ruthless."

"Thank you."

"You're welcome. As for what I would do, I would have a plan of my own. You know that you can't trust Katherine. She'll probably do exactly the opposite of what you want."

"How would you break Elena?"

Klaus was silent for a long moment. "I would take away something she loves."

"She doesn't have anything left."

"Of course she does."

"Jeremy's gone. Damon, Stefan, and I are getting on her nerves. She's tried to kill Bonnie and Caroline. There's no one else close to her she hasn't tried to kill."

"Think harder."

It was Buffy's turn to be silent for a long time. "Matt."

"He's her oldest friend, is he not? She's never actually tried to kill him, has she?"

"No."

"Hurt him. Kill him if you have to."

"I'm not going to kill Matt to get Elena back. She would never forgive me for that."

"You have Willow."

Buffy sat up straight. "I don't need Willow to bring him back. I already have what I need! Klaus, you're a genius."

"Thank you."

She hung up and headed back out front where Damon, Stefan, and Angel were still waiting. "I've got it!"

* * *

><p>Buffy walked into the living room to find Matt on his phone using a translator app. Rebekah was pouring herself a drink at the cart. "Rebekah…. I didn't realize you were here." Buffy said to her.<p>

"Hi Buffy." Rebekah said. "I came to help Matt with his homework. He's failing school. I'm going to tutor him."

"Matt!" Buffy said.

"You don't have to tell the whole world." Matt said to Rebekah.

"That's kind of important, don't you think?" Buffy said, shaking her head at him.

"I'm working on it."

"You should talk to Willow. She was the only reason I made it through school."

"I'm good!" Rebekah said.

"At history and languages, yeah. But what about math and science?"

Rebekah sighed. "You've got me there."

"I'll give Willow a call." Matt said. "I don't wanna get left behind while all my friends go to college and I'm the only repeat-senior."

"The only reason that you're failing is because you're preoccupied with training doomed hunters and dealing with Elena's drama." Rebekah said. "You need better friends…. like me. I could compel you good grades and a scholarship."

"I don't wanna do that."

"Why not? Everyone needs an advantage in life. I could be yours. When you convinced me to save April Young's life at the prom…. I realized that I could be a better person, and I'm grateful for that. So, let me give you some advice: take advantage of what I'm offering you. Make something of yourself. And for the record, anyone who leaves you behind is a fool. I wouldn't."

"Wow." Buffy said. "If I didn't see it with my own eyes…." Suddenly the front door opened and Katherine walked in. "Seriously? You can't knock?"

"Sorry." Katherine said. "I didn't realize we were standing on formalities."

"What the hell are you doing here?" Rebekah asked.

"You didn't get the memo? I'm here to talk some sense into poor, emotionless Elena."

"Are you out of your mind?" Matt said to Buffy.

"Apparently." Buffy said. "Stefan!" Stefan appeared a moment later. "You get to deal with her since it was your idea." She turned and headed into the library to get away from everyone.

Damon turned around from his place at the liquor cabinet when she shut the door. "Hey, sweetheart."

"Every time she's around me, all I want to do is rip her throat out." Buffy said, walking over and wrapping herself in Damon's arms.

"No one would stop you." He kissed her forehead. "Want a drink?"

Buffy shook her head. "Actually," She suddenly had him sitting on the couch in front of the fireplace and straddling him. "I want you."

Damon gave his sexy smirk before pulling her lips to his. "You keep me on my toes." He muttered into her neck as he kissed and nipped her skin. "I'd like to keep you on your back." He flipped them so she was underneath.

They were down to their underwear and Damon was working his way across her ribs when Katherine's voice interrupted them. "All that pain and torture and now watching you two, I've worked up quite a thirst."

"Again with the knocking thing." Buffy growled as she and Damon grabbed their clothes.

"Did you guys ever think Elena would've been better off if she'd never met you?"

"Are you trying to get a rise out of us?" Damon asked. "Cause our emotions are fine. We love each other and we despise you."

Katherine walked over to the sofa and sat next to Damon, placing her arm on top of its back behind him and she began playing with Damon's hair. "Mm, so romantic. So doomed to fail."

Buffy stood up and yanked Katherine away from Damon. "I'm going to tear out your heart. How's that for romantic?"

Suddenly Stefan entered the room. "She's gone."

"What?" Damon and Buffy asked.

"Elena's not in her cell. Angel and I are gonna check the grounds. Find out what she did."

"Oops. Did I forget to lock her in?" Katherine said. "Let's just say I've lost interest in Elena's recovery. I'd rather watch her tear through an orphanage. Imagine trying to come back from a spiral like _that_."

Buffy growled, her eyes changing. "You have exactly three seconds to disappear or I really am going to end you." Katherine was good at knowing when to exit a situation that was going to get her killed. She was gone in less than two seconds.

Matt walked into the room with Rebekah. "Elena's _gone_? What happened?" He asked.

"Matt, you're coming with me."

"Why should he?" Rebekah asked.

"Because Elena's hungry and missing. His life has purpose at the moment." Buffy grabbed Matt's arm and pulled him with her. "Damon." Damon grabbed their coats and headed out after her. "Here," Buffy reached into her jacket pocket as they headed for Matt's truck and pulled out Jeremy's ring, handing it to Matt. "Put it on."

"Why?"

"Because I'm going to kill you in front of Elena."

"Whoa…." He tried to stop, but Buffy was too strong and kept pulling him.

"She cares about you more than anyone else here. She hasn't tried to kill you. Ever."

"Buffy…."

Buffy stopped and wheeled around to face him. "Do you want her back?"

"Of course I do."

"If she thinks that I just killed you…. I think it'll be the shove she needs."

"How long have you been plotting this twist?" Damon asked.

"All day." She looked back at Matt. "Put the ring on." Matt thought about it for another second before putting the ring on. "I'll make it as quick as possible." He nodded nervously. "Get in the truck and we'll follow. She went that way from the smell."

"But…."

"Vampires. We can keep up." Matt climbed in his truck and Buffy turned to Damon.

"Are you sure you can kill him?" He asked.

Buffy glanced at the truck moving off towards the woods. "Yes."

* * *

><p>Elena shuffled weakly through the woods until she heard a car approaching behind her. She turned and waved her arms at it causing her to lose her balance. She fell to the ground as the headlights of the truck blinded her. She shielded her eyes as the driver got out and walked toward her.<p>

"Please, help…." Elena saw that it was only Matt. "Matt. Thank god you found me." Her face started to vamp out and she growled as she stood and moved toward him.

"Elena, stop." Matt said. "I know you don't wanna do this. I know you don't wanna hurt me."

"I'm a vampire, Matt. The thing about vampires is that we need to feed." She moved towards him again, but Matt threw out his hands and backed up.

"No, but you're more than that! You're my friend! You're my oldest friend. You're the girl that I've loved longer than I can remember. Whatever wall you wanna put up, I know that still means something to you."

The veins disappeared from around Elena's eyes and she reached out a hand to his face. "Deep down, it probably does mean something. But I'm really hungry." Her face vamped out again and she sunk her teeth into his neck. After a long moment, she dropped a woozy Matt to the ground. She stretched slightly, letting the blood warm her, and gave Matt a light kick with her foot. "Oh, come on, I barely drained an artery." Matt's eyes opened and he looked up at her blearily. "Come on! Get up. I'm hungry. My head's fuzzy. I can't think straight. I need more."

"Elena, stop."

"But you're so good!" She pulled him up off the ground, but Stefan arrived and pulled her off him. Angel was beside Matt, helping him to lean against the truck and turned to look at Elena and Stefan.

"Hey, hey, you're cut off." Stefan said.

"Let go of me!" Elena demanded.

"Stop it."

Buffy and Damon arrived and Buffy pulled Matt up off the ground, holding him up by his shirt. "Enough!" Buffy said. "You're acting like a spoiled little brat! You think that we can't punish you? Maybe not. But I can sure punish him."

"Buffy…." Angel warned.

"Back off." Buffy snapped.

"Seriously?" Elena said. "You think this…."

"Shut up! I'm done playing nice. Turn your emotions back on right now, Elena, or I will give you something to be sad about. I will kill him right here in front of you."

"Buffy…." Stefan said, moving closer.

"Don't. Stay back. She doesn't love anyone? Fine." Buffy looked at Elena. "Prove it. And if I'm wrong, what difference does it make? One less busboy in the world."

"Buffy, this isn't you." Angel said.

"Angel, if you don't back up, Damon's going to stake you to a tree."

"You're bluffing." Elena said.

Buffy shrugged and snapped Matt's neck violently. Elena gasped loudly, her mouth hanging open in shock. "Not bluffing."

"Are you crazy!?" Angel yelled.

"What the hell?" Stefan cried.

Elena walked closer, her eyes glistening with tears. "How about now?" Buffy said to Elena. "Do

you feel anything now? Are you angry that I just turned your pal into roadkill? Or are you sad that the guy that everybody loves is now just a pile of dust waiting for a good breeze? Remember when he was a little kid? Warm heart, big goofy smile, his whole life ahead of him…. It was probably a really good idea that he was wearing this." Buffy knelt down and lifted Matt's hand to show that he was wearing Jeremy's enchanted Gilbert ring.

Elena fell to her knees and took Matt's hand into her own, crying. "Oh, my god, Matt."

"You feel that weight lifting off your chest?" Damon asked. "That's joy, because your friend isn't dead. That's emotion, Elena. That's humanity."

Elena was openly sobbing now, tears streaming down her face. Angel shook his head, backing away from Buffy and Damon. Buffy knelt down by Elena. "You're gonna be ok." She said gently.

"No…." Elena sobbed.

"Look at me."

"No, no, no. It's not ok."

"Elena."

Elena stood up and Buffy followed her. "What have I done?" She cried.

"Hey, it's ok."

Elena started pacing and grabbing at her head. "No, no. What did I do? I…. I almost killed him…. Matt, I almost…. And Bonnie, and Caroline, I just…." Buffy reached out to put her arms around Elena but she pushed Buffy away. "No, no, I mean, that woman…. The waitress…. I actually killed that waitress…." Stefan moved toward her but she resisted him, too. "No, I killed that waitress!" Elena punched through the window of Matt's truck, sending glass everywhere as Stefan and Buffy worked to restrain her.

Buffy got a grip on Elena's arms and held them firmly. "Hey, hey, look at me. Look at me. Shh…."

"I know this stage, ok?" Stefan said, moving up next to Buffy to look at Elena. "The emotions are overwhelming you. You just have to focus on one thing, ok?"

"No, I can't…. I can't…."

"Just find that one thing inside of you that makes you strong. It's in there, just latch onto it. Channel everything you're feeling into that one emotion. Find the thing inside of you that makes you wanna live, Elena. Let it in. Let it in."

Elena calmed down and stopped sobbing. She seemed to find a focus and Buffy pulled Elena to her, stroking her hair. "That's good. That's it. Just breathe it in, blow everything else out." Elena started to yell in pain. She tried to clutch at her head, but Buffy held onto her. "Shh…." Elena finally calmed down and hugged Buffy tightly. "Are you ok?"

"No." Elena pulled away from Buffy. "I'm not ok. But it'll get better." She walked away from them, heading back for the house.

"Jesus, Buffy!" Angel yelled. "You could've warned us."

"Probably." Buffy said.

"I thought you'd killed him."

"I did." She glanced at Damon. "We should get Matt back to the house."

Damon nodded. "I'll get him in the truck."

Buffy looked back at Angel and Stefan. "Sorry, I didn't tell you. I just didn't want other prying ears to hear the plan."

"I get it." Stefan said. "I'll meet you guys back at the house. I want to make sure Elena gets there ok."

Buffy nodded and Angel blew out a breath. "I used to think that I was a better actor than you." He said.

She shrugged. "I've had practice."

* * *

><p>Elena sat near the fire in the library just staring ahead of her. Buffy approached her and wrapped a blanket around her shoulders. "Hey. How you feeling?" She sat down in front of Elena.<p>

"The pain's still there…. The grief and the shame." Elena said. "But I get it now. Shutting it off…. It's a cheat. I mean, you put up this wall and shut out everything that makes you who you are. Nothing affects you, nothing matters. But things do matter, things that happen that can't be undone. And now I know that there's something I need to do about that."

"Elena, what you need to do is rest." Stefan said. "Take it easy for a couple of days. Maybe even a couple of years. Here." He offered her a glass of whisky but she ignored it and started folding up the blanket.

"I…. I'm done resting. I have to get ready. There's so much that I have to do." She started to get up but Damon put a hand out to stop her.

"Whoa, hey." Damon said. "What are you talking about?"

"Think about it. It's so obvious. Go back far enough, there's one person who brought us to this…. Who ruined our lives. Look at you guys. Everything that's happened to you, she did that! She brought Klaus to Mystic Falls, she turned Caroline into a vampire…. She killed my brother. It all comes down to her. Katherine. Ok? Stefan said to focus on one thing, so I did. I focused on hate…. And I hate her so much."

"I don't think that's what he meant…." Buffy said.

"Elena, Katherine's not worth your time." Angel said. "Even if you spend ten minutes of your life hating her, she wins."

"Not if I kill her." Elena said evenly.


	83. Chapter 82

_**A/N There's a surprise at the end of this chapter. Let me know how you like it!**_

Chapter 82

Buffy smiled into Damon's mouth as he kissed her against the shower wall. The water was cascading over them as they made love slowly. It had been way too long since they'd had a quiet moment together, let alone whole day. Stefan was down the hall working on focusing Elena's hatred into something else. Willow was at the Grill with Matt and Rebekah trying to help him study. Angel was downstairs reading a book by the fireplace in the den.

Damon let out a low moan as Buffy nipped at his neck, licking the blood away as the wound healed. Before they could go any further, Buffy's cell phone started ringing. "Let it go to voicemail." He growled. Buffy nodded and ignored the phone as Damon continued to push into her. A few moments after her phone stopped ringing, Damon's phone started ringing.

"Voicemail." Buffy breathed. Damon nodded and pinned her arms above her head.

Again, Buffy's phone started to ring. Damon groaned in frustration and Buffy moved away, answering it. "This better be good. I'm busy."

"Buffy? I'm sorry to bother you, but we have a problem." Liz said on the other end.

"Ok." Buffy put her phone on speaker. "What's wrong?"

"How fast can you get down to the hospital?"

"About thirty minutes. Why?"

"I'll see you then." Liz hung up.

"See, this is why we should start putting our phones on silent." Buffy tossed her phone on the bed.

Damon rushed over and pinned her to the bed. "I wasn't finished."

* * *

><p>Stefan and Angel walked down the hospital corridor to meet Buffy and Damon. They stood by a counter talking quietly between themselves. Buffy's hair was in two French braids around her head to entwine into a messy bun at the base of her skull. Stefan chuckled because it was wet. He'd thought he'd heard them get interrupted earlier.<p>

"You just missed the doughnuts." Damon said, noticing Angel and Stefan.

"Yeah, I was with Elena, burning off a few thousand hate-filled calories." Stefan said. "What happened to you two helping me?"

"Help, yes. Prolong the inevitable? Waste of our time." Damon slipped his arm around Buffy's waist. "It doesn't help a relationship to put everyone else ahead of us."

"You're avoiding."

"We're not avoiding. Elena's only goal is to end Katherine's life, and that's not gonna just magically disappear with pilates and a juice cleanse." Buffy said. "But we figured that you had a handle on it this morning, so we spent some us time."

Sheriff Forbes approached them before Stefan could respond. "Hey guys, thanks for coming."

"Hey." Stefan said.

"Why were we invited?" Damon asked.

"Well, the hospital has kept the blood banks empty ever since they were raided last month. We thought at the very least it would help keep the vampire population away."

"It didn't?" Angel asked.

"See for yourselves." Liz led them into a patient's room where a body was laying on a bed with its wrists bloodied torn into.

"Whoa." Buffy said.

"There are four other victims in this wing, each one almost completely drained of blood. You think it's Silas?"

"Or a doctor with some very questionable bedside manners." Damon said.

"But 5 victims? That's a lot of blood, and it's not like he can take it with him."

"Unless he's fueling up for something big." Angel said.

"Big? Any details would be helpful, considering I'm dealing with 5 grieving families out there and a psychic killer on the loose."

"Silas wants Bonnie to do a spell to drop the veil from the Other Side." Buffy said.

"I have no idea what that means."

"It's an invisible wall that separates our plane from the plane of all dead supernatural creatures. Now, Silas wants that to go away so he can take the cure, die, and not have to spend an eternity in a supernatural purgatory."

"And when do you suppose Silas plans on doing this?"

"Tomorrow night."

"Why tomorrow?"

"It's the next full moon."

Just then, the power went out. It took a few seconds, but the emergency lights came on. Doctors out in the hallways started to scramble about. Someone said the generator wasn't working. A wind was howling outside. Liz rushed out of the room.

"That can't be good." Damon said, taking Buffy's hand.

They headed out to find where Liz had gone. They finally found her on the phone in an empty hospital room. She was talking to someone from the station.

Buffy pulled out her phone. "Who are you calling?" Damon asked her.

"Willow. Something doesn't feel right about this wind."

"Buffy? Are you ok?" Willow answered.

"Yeah. Damon, Stefan, Angel, and I are at the hospital with Liz."

"Elena's here with Caroline. I'm keeping an eye on her."

"Thank you. Listen, something doesn't feel right about this wind."

"It's magical, if that's what you mean."

"I think it is."

"I didn't have anything to do with it. But I haven't seen or heard from Bonnie today."

"Great."

Liz got off the phone and pulled out a map from somewhere on her belt. She laid it out and grabbed a marker from her belt. She marked the map with a marker as she talked, "The power outages originated at three different places in town." She said. "The Young farm, the Lockwood estate, and a blown transformer off Old Miller Road."

Stefan picked up the marker and connected the dots. "Well, these are the locations of the Silas massacres. It's the Expression triangle. Bonnie must be doing the spell."

"So much for needing a full moon." Damon said.

"Did you get that Will?" Buffy asked.

"Yeah. I'll try and find her. Put a stop to it." Willow said, hanging up.

"And there's something else," Liz said. "One of the power company guys has a daughter who goes to school with Bonnie. He saw her leaving the Young farm an hour ago…. with Elena."

"Elena's with Caroline." Buffy said. "Willow just confirmed that."

"Looks like Bonnie Bennett has a new doppelgänger friend." Damon said.

"So how do we find them?" Liz asked.

"Willow's working on it." Buffy said. "But my guess would be that they're right in the middle." She drew a point in the middle of the triangle, then circled it.

"And where exactly might that be?" Damon asked.

"The school." Angel said.

* * *

><p>Angel and Stefan followed Buffy and Damon into the parking lot of the school. Stefan pulled in next to Buffy and they all piled out of their cars. The winds were still blowing fiercely around them and Buffy was grateful she'd actually put her hair up. Elena and Willow came out to meet them. They had to shout to be heard.<p>

"Where's Caroline?" Buffy asked.

"Inside looking for Bonnie. I think we should split up. Buffy, Damon, and I can look outside while you, Angel, Willow, and Caroline look inside."

"All right, let me know if you find anything." Stefan said as he and Angel headed for the school while Buffy, Elena, and Damon started walking.

"Someone's an eager beaver." Damon said.

Elena walked in front of them. "Where's Katherine?"

"Seriously?" Buffy shook her head. "You need to get this out of your head."

"You know, don't you?"

"Do you _not_ notice all of the end-of-the-world crap going on right now?"

"Tell me that either of you don't want her dead. After everything that she did to you? Stringing you along for hundreds of years, Damon? Taking away your family, Buffy?"

"Elena, we don't need to list all the reasons that we hate Katherine." Damon said. "What we need to do is find Bonnie. Come on."

"I don't care about Bonnie. I care about killing Katherine."

"They're together." Buffy said. "So maybe you should do a little less threatening and a little more looking. Come on." Buffy marched past Elena and headed for the woods around the school.

"Why is Katherine with Bonnie?" Elena asked.

"I don't know. But I'd really like to find out. Damon, watch her." Buffy disappeared for a few seconds and came back on Damon's other side. "They're not out here. I can't find a scent."

"Nothing?" Damon asked.

"They're below the school. The cave formations around here probably stretch to under the school.

"So let's head to the basement." Elena said. "There's gotta be a way in to the caves from there."

Buffy smiled slightly. "There is always a way into a weird cave formation in the basement of a school."

"Was that sarcasm?" Damon asked.

"Nope." Buffy laughed. "I feel like I'm back at Sunnydale High."

"Welcome home." He took her hand as they headed towards the school.

Buffy reached in her pocket and pulled out her cell phone. She dialed Stefan's number and waited. "They're underneath the school." She said when he picked up.

"That's what we figured, too." Stefan said. "But where's the basement?"

"Off the boiler room." Elena said, able to hear the conversation now that they were out of the wind.

"Did you hear that?" Buffy asked.

"All right, we'll meet you there." Stefan said.

Buffy hung up and stopped suddenly. She turned around to face Elena. "What?" Elena asked.

"You're going to stay here." Buffy said.

"Are you kidding me?"

"We really need to stop Bonnie from doing the spell, and if you get all murderous and screw it up…."

"Is that really the reason?"

"Behind your rage is a tidal wave of feelings…. All of your guilt…. All your grief…. Every emotion you've ever put off…. And killing Katherine's gonna let it all in. And if you can't handle it, then we're back to square one."

"And if I can? What if killing Katherine takes away all that grief and guilt? What if killing Katherine finally lets me feel all the good things that I've lost? Buffy, you're the only family I have left. Help me."

"Elena…."

"As soon as I get over this hurdle, I'll be me. I'll be able to think clearly. I'll be myself and everything will go back to normal."

Buffy sighed. "Revenge doesn't work that way, Elena. Killing Katherine will not take away anything. Jeremy will still be gone. Damon and Stefan will still have been turned into vampires by her. All those people that she's made suffer…. They'll still have suffered. You will still suffer. And the best thing that you can focus on right now is that she's suffering now, too. I took away Elijah from her. I took her freedom from her. Klaus will always be out to kill her and Elijah will always know that she only cares for herself."

"That's not good enough."

"It'll have to be because she's strong and crafty and you'll die."

Elena sighed and it seemed to be in surrender. Buffy turned away and started to walk down the hall, but Elena suddenly stabbed Damon in the stomach with a stake. He groaned in pain and sunk to the floor. Buffy went to help him and Elena turned away.

"At least I'll die trying." She said as she disappeared around the corner.

"Go after her." Damon said.

"What's the point? Let her kill Katherine if she wants." Buffy said.

"Buff…."

"Damon, I'm done trying to coddle her." She pulled the stake out of Damon's stomach and bit into her wrist, feeding him her blood so he would heal faster. "It's time she started to grow up. Katherine won't actually kill her. She could, but she won't. She'll hurt her pretty bad, but nothing that Elena won't heal from. As a mother, the best thing I can do is to let her make her own mistakes."

"I think you would've made a great mother." Damon and Buffy turned to find Alaric standing behind them.

"So this is either really good, or _really_ bad." Damon said.

"It's good to see you too, Damon."

"I'd say the feeling is mutual, except a lot of people aren't exactly who they say they are around here."

"You think I'm Silas? Are you kidding me?"

"Can't blame him." Buffy said, helping Damon to stand up. "I mean, that is exactly what Silas would say."

Alaric stopped to think for a moment, then walked away towards a locker. He pounded his fist on it once and it sprang open. With a smirk, he pulled out a bottle of liquor. "Now, would Silas know about Locker 42?"

"Alaric!" Buffy gave him a big hug and Damon joined in a minute later. They stood there laughing for a bit before Damon pulled away.

"Ah, hang on." He said. "If we can see you and we can touch you, that means the little witch did it. She dropped the veil."

"Well, not completely. It's only down inside the Expression triangle. If I step outside of it, it's back to ghost world."

"Well, where is everybody?" Buffy asked. "I figured with the veil down, it'd be like Ghost-a-palooza."

"Well, not every ghost has a reason to come back to Mystic Falls. Just the ones like me, looking after their idiot best friends."

"I'm more worried about the ones looking out for their enemies." Damon said.

Buffy hissed slightly. "Damn. I've got a _lot_ of enemies on that side." She glanced around her suspiciously. "No offence, Alaric, but we should probably get to Bonnie and get that veil up."

"Who are you worried about?" Damon asked her.

"Oh, just every vampire, demon, and hell goddess that I've put down in the last seventeen years. I may be super strong, fast, and almost unkillable, but…. They've had time to work out that little issue."

"You've got backup now." Buffy smiled at voice behind her. "Hi, Buffy."

"Tara!" Buffy turned and walked over to her, hugging her tightly. "Long time no see."

"Who's that?" Damon asked.

Tara glanced at Damon and smiled at Buffy. "Willow was right. He is a cutie."

Buffy smiled. "And a keeper. Damon, Alaric…. This is Tara." They each waved at Tara. "Have you seen Willow?"

"Not yet. I'm not sure if I should."

"Why?" Alaric asked.

"I don't want her to be sad. She's…. moved on."

"She should have the chance to say a proper goodbye." Buffy said. "You were taken so fast."

Tara nodded. "Do you think she'll be ok?"

"I think she'll be happy to see you." Buffy looked around. "We should definitely try and find her now. She's our only hope against Silas." They all moved off to the basement.

"I'm surprised you two aren't married yet." Alaric said.

"We keep trying." Damon said.

"But something always comes up." Buffy added as her phone rang. "Hello Matt."

"We have a big problem." Matt said.

"Of course we do."

"Caroline, hey, snap out of it!" Rebekah said in the background.

"I need to bleed. Silas wants me to bleed!" Caroline cried.

"Stop it, you're hallucinating!"

"Um…. Caroline? She's here." Buffy said.

"She's been here this whole time." Matt said. "That means Silas is with you."

"Perfect."

"Yeah, it gets worse. The veil's down. Kol came by looking for Elena, and he seemed a little pissed."

"You got any good news for me?"

"We'll handle this, just…. watch your back."

Buffy sighed and hung up as they reached the boiler room. "Ok, we've seriously got to find Willow and, or Bonnie." She tossed Alaric her phone. "Call Stefan and tell him about Caroline. Tell him to keep an eye on Elena." Before anyone could say anything, Buffy grabbed Damon and disappeared with him down into the tunnels.

"What was that about?" Damon asked.

"Silas. He came here as Caroline. She's actually at the Grill with Rebekah and Matt trying to cut her hand off because Silas compelled her to."

"She's on vervain."

"Aren't we all? We need to find Bonnie and get her to put the veil back up."

"Bonnie!" Damon yelled suddenly.

"Bonnie!" Buffy called. They rounded a corner to find Alaric standing there.

"Whoa, it's just me." He said. "I called Stefan, he's heading for Elena. Did you find Silas?"

"Yep." Buffy backhanded Silas, knocking him to the ground. She took the length of chain Damon tossed her and wrapped it around Silas's neck.

"Buffy, it's me!"

"No, you're not. There's no way you just came from the school where I left the real Alaric. I'm a Vampire Slayer, Silas. Your mind games don't work on me."

Silas couldn't break free of her no matter how hard he struggled. Buffy was just way too strong. Bonnie and Willow showed up just then.

"I may not be able to kill you, but I _will_ stop you." Willow said. Her eyes were black with power and Bonnie looked scared. Willow had obviously laid into her about her use of dark magic. It had taken the red head years to master her powers. Even now the darker parts of herself still scared her. Bonnie was young and didn't have the experience that Willow did. That's why Willow was able to harness the darker magic she was using now on Silas without fear of going evil again. "The blood is clotting in your veins and every bone, muscle, and joint in your body is turning to stone. You have no power over us anymore." They all watched as Silas turned away as his body hardened. He groaned in pain as his face started to change back to what it really looked like.

"What the hell is happening?" Damon asked.

"He can't hide behind his mind-control anymore." Bonnie said. "He's becoming his true self."

Silas hardened completely with his hand covering his face. Damon, despite Buffy's protests, walked over to look around to at his hidden face. "Who exactly might his true self be?"

"We'll never know." Willow said, her eyes turning back to normal.

Buffy smiled brightly. "Oh!"

"What?"

"Come on." Buffy took her best friend's hand and led her back towards the boiler room of the high school where Alaric and Tara were waiting. "There's someone here to see you, Will." She moved her best friend around in front of her as they walked in.

Willow gasped, tears springing to her eyes. "Tara?" She whispered. "Baby…." She fell to her knees, hugging Tara around her waist as she cried into her abdomen. Tara held onto her tightly, crying into Willow's hair.

Damon wrapped his arm around Buffy's waist and kissed the tears off her cheeks. She laid her head down on his shoulder as she watched her best friend reunite with her long lost love. Bonnie watched in silence, tears falling down her face.

Alaric walked over and handed Buffy her phone. "Are you guys ok?"

"Yeah." Buffy said. "Silas is now an ugly stone statue." Stefan walked in just then. "Where's Elena?"

"She punched me and then left." Stefan said. "I stopped her from killing Katherine."

Buffy sighed and pulled out her cell phone. She brought up the tracking app and brought up Elena's phone. "She's at the cemetery. I'll meet you guys there." As she disappeared with her lightening fast speed, she heard Alaric say, "Damn, she's fast!"

She made her way to the cemetery and heard the sounds of a struggle. Great. Kol. Matt had said that he was looking for Elena. "How many times do I need to kill you?" Jeremy asked. Jeremy!

"Jeremy Gilbert…. Welcome back." Kol said. "Now, what's the saying? Kill me once, shame on you. Kill me twice, shame on…."

Buffy snapped Kol's neck before he could finish. "Let's leave it at that, shall we?"

"Elena!" Jeremy rushed to her side with Buffy. "Elena." Elena weakly lifted her hand and placed it on Jeremy's arm. "Hey."

She scrambled up and wrapped her arms around him, sobbing. "Jeremy." Jeremy held her to him and then pulled Buffy into the hug. The little torn apart family held each other and cried. It wasn't until they heard voices that they pulled apart. Jeremy kept his arms around them as they walked over to join Damon, Stefan, and Bonnie. Willow, Tara, Angel, and Alaric were missing.

"Bonnie?" Elena said. "I don't know what to say."

"You don't have to say anything." Bonnie said.

"But I was so horrible to you."

"You weren't you. I know what that's like. I wasn't me for a long time. We can talk about that later. You've got some catching up to do."

"Thank you, Bonnie." Jeremy said, moving towards Bonnie.

"I'll give you guys as much time as I can." Jeremy hugged her tightly. "But I have to go put the veil back up." Bonnie nodded and left.

"We should make sure Kol's body is somewhere safe until the veil goes back up." Buffy said.

"I'll do it." Stefan offered.

"Stefan, wait…." Elena started.

"Welcome back." They smiled at each other before Stefan headed into the cemetery.

"There isn't enough time." Buffy said.

"It'll never be enough time." Damon said. "I'll grab Alaric and Angel…. We'll get Silas into the trunk of a car and ready for a trip to the ocean."

"Thank you." He kissed her quickly and headed off with Angel. Buffy turned to Jeremy and Elena. "Let's go back to my house."

"Ok." Jeremy said. "You know, since someone burnt ours to the ground."

"I wasn't myself." Elena defended.

* * *

><p>Damon found Elena, Jeremy, and Buffy in her little hidden gazebo in the garden curled up on the day bed. "Hey." He pulled Buffy to her feet. "Willow had a great idea while there's still time."<p>

"Why are you in a tux?" Buffy asked.

"Because I'm going to marry you guys." Willow said, appearing in the doorway.

"What? No. I don't have a dress. Nothing's planned. I…."

Willow snapped her fingers and the entire garden lit up with tiny lights that seemed to be floating. Buffy looked down to find herself in an ivory lace, strapless, trumpet gown. There were intricate designs in the lace with pearls scattered here and there. The back was corseted up with an ivory satin ribbon and a large, dark pink ribbon ran around the waist with a large ribbon flower bow sitting just above her left hip. Her hair was suddenly in waves and half pinned back. In her hand was a bouquet of roses in white, red, and dark pink.

Behind her, Jeremy was suddenly in a tux and Elena was in a tea length, halter, satin dress the same color of dark pink as Buffy's ribbon. Her hair was up in a sleek ponytail. Alaric and Stefan stood outside of the gazebo in their own tuxes and even Lexi was there in a dress matching Elena's.

Tara smiled brightly at Buffy. "Welcome to your wedding."

"Every time you try to plan your wedding, something gets in the way." Willow said. "So, while we've got everyone here…. Dead and alive…. Let's make it happen." Willow grabbed Jeremy and Elena and took them off to get them in their places.

Alaric walked over to join Buffy and Damon. "You look beautiful, Buffy." Buffy just nodded sadly.

"What's wrong?" Damon asked her.

"Everybody's not here." She sighed and looked down. "There's one person that I wish more than anything could be here but…. She was just human." Buffy said.

Alaric smiled and shook his head. "She was the mother of the greatest Slayer to ever walk the earth. She wasn't ever considered 'just human'." He turned Buffy gently around to see her mother standing with Giles inside the gazebo.

"Mommy?" Buffy rushed over to her mother and folded herself in her arms as they both cried.

Joyce stroked Buffy's hair holding her tightly. "My beautiful little girl is all grown up and getting married."

"I miss you so much, mom. Every day I miss you so much it hurts my heart."

"I miss you too, baby. But I am so very proud of you. You'll never know how proud of you I am." She held Buffy out at arms length to look at her. "I never thought I would get to see the day you got married."

Buffy wiped at the tears on her cheeks. "Me either."

Joyce smiled and laughed slightly. She looked up at Giles. "Rupert, will you give her away?"

"It would be my honor." Giles said.

"Now, we need to meet Damon." Joyce took Giles' arm and pulled him over to meet Damon.

Lexi and Elena came over and hugged Buffy. "I told you life was a funny thing." Lexi said.

"Yeah!" Buffy didn't want to look away from her mother. She was scared she would disappear at any moment. "You guys look beautiful."

"Us?" Elena cried. "Look at you, Buffy! You look amazing!"

Buffy finally looked at Elena. "I am so glad to have you back." She hugged her tightly. "I've missed you."

"Buffy." Willow said, walking over. "We should probably get this done before you get in your own way."

As soon as Giles approached, the rest of the evening was a blur. Willow performed a handfasting ceremony on them, binding their hands with a red ribbon. Stefan had the rings on him that Buffy and Damon had picked out months ago. Buffy's eyes never left Damon's the whole time. The world slowed down when Willow said, "Then as the Goddess and the God and the Old Ones are witness to this rite, I now proclaim you husband and wife." She smiled brightly. "Now kiss her already!" Damon grabbed Buffy to him and kissed her deeply as everyone clapped.


	84. Chapter 83

Chapter 83

Buffy, Damon, Alaric, Joyce, Giles, Jeremy, and Elena were eating lunch together in the little hidden gazebo in the Salvatore garden. Stefan and Lexi had opted to stay inside and hang out. Bon Jovi could be heard blaring from the living room. Tara and Willow were holed up in Willow's room upstairs. They weren't likely to come out any time soon if at all. Angel was off somewhere with Cordelia who had shown up at the school while everyone had left to go to Damon and Buffy's wedding.

"Mm. Oh, my god." Alaric said, dripping burger grease down his chin.

"No grease on the Other Side, huh?" Elena asked, laughing as he brother wiped grease off his chin.

"Or chocolate." Giles said, enjoying his candy bar.

"I do miss chocolate." Joyce said, taking a bite of Giles's candy bar.

"For the love of my sanity! Please, stop flirting. It's band candy all over again!" Buffy said.

"Oh, hush!"

"So how does it feel?" Elena asked Buffy, trying to change the subject.

Buffy looked over at Elena with a shocked face. "Seeing my mom and my Watcher get their flirt on despite my burning retinas?"

Elena shook her head and laughed. "No! How does it feel being Mrs. Salvatore?"

"Oh, that's going to take some getting used to."

"Buffy Salvatore." Damon said. "It has a nice ring to it."

"It _is_ a nice ring." Buffy said, holding her left hand up to admire the set. "My man's got taste."

Joyce laughed and kissed her daughter's hair. "I'm glad you're happy."

"You have no idea how much I've missed this." Alaric said. He held up a bottle of bourbon. "And this." Elena took the bottle from him. "No, hey. Hey!"

Before Elena could take a swig, Buffy took it away. "She just got her humanity back. Let her live a little." Jeremy said. He reached for the bottle but Buffy held it away from him.

"You both wish." Buffy said, taking a swig and handing it back to Alaric.

"I'm dead. What are they gonna do, throw me in juvie?"

"Well, at least you'd have a place to live." Alaric quipped.

"You're not planning on burning down any more houses, are you?" Buffy asked. "I kind of like this one."

"You all suck!" Elena said with a laugh.

"Hey! There it is." Alaric said. "That smile."

"I wasn't sure we were gonna see that again." Buffy said, playing with Elena's hair.

"I did some pretty terrible things." Elena said, taking a deep breath.

"Hey, no." Jeremy said. "No tears. If Caroline was right, we only have until tonight. We need a no-crying rule."

"But the crying is good. It means that I'm finally feeling something, and right now I…. I feel happy." She leaned her head against Buffy's shoulder and Buffy hugged Elena tightly, pulling Jeremy into the hug.

"I always knew you would make a good mother." Joyce said.

"Yeah?" Buffy shrugged. "I never had a chance to think about it."

Before Joyce could answer, Elena's phone started ringing. She took it out and looked at it. "It's the Grill."

"Must be Matt." Buffy said.

Elena nodded and answered her phone. "Hey, you went AWOL this morning. What happened?"

"Hello, Elena. It's your dead friend, Connor. You remember me?" Elena looked at Buffy with shocked and terror filled eyes. "We want Silas, and we want the cure."

"I don't know where they are, so I guess I can't help you."

Buffy got everyone up and moving. She motioned to Elena to keep Connor talking and asked Damon to get everyone inside. She grabbed Alaric and they headed off to the Grill. They stood behind Connor as he hung up his phone.

"You get off on terrorizing innocent people?" Alaric asked.

Connor turned around. "And who might you be?"

"The guy that helped me raise the 18-year-old you just threatened." Buffy snapped.

"Well, that 18-year-old snapped my neck with her bare hands."

"We taught her that."

Connor chuckled. "And here I thought you were a big bad Slayer. But you must not know a damn thing if you're trying to intimidate a dead guy packing C4." He opened his jacket slightly to reveal he was strapped with explosives.

Buffy rolled her eyes. "I'm going to reiterate a previous point that I made about you: You're an idiot." Connor grinned and lifted a detonator in his hand. It clicked just as Buffy grabbed him and hauled him outside with her super vampire speed. The bomb exploded, causing some damage to the edge of the restaurant. The Grill patrons screamed in fright and Alaric helped them to escape to safety.

Buffy walked back in inspecting her hair. "It got singed."

"Thank god it was after the wedding pictures." Alaric joked.

"Right!?" Buffy laughed. "Come on, let's get home before anymore of these fools show up. Race ya?"

"Hell no! You're faster than me and you know it."

"Oh come on! You were an Original vampire. You got speed."

"Oh, that's true." Alaric took off and Buffy laughed.

"That's cheating!" She called as she took off after him.

He laughed as she passed him and packed on more speed. She still beat him by a good six seconds, though. They walked into the house laughing at each other, but that quickly died out when they noticed the dead Vaughn laying on the ground in front of Lexi.

"Lex! No dead guys in the house…. Apart from the living dead guys, I mean." Buffy said. "Especially since my mom is here."

"Stefan did it." Lexi said.

"He shot Damon and threatened us." Stefan said in a defensive tone.

"Where is everyone?" Buffy asked.

"Your mom is on the phone with Dawn in the library. Dawn's pissed you didn't call her about the wedding or the fact that your mother is back." Buffy cringed at the thought of Dawn's wrath. "Damon's upstairs changing his shirt since he got shot. Elena and Jeremy are outside walking the gardens…." Stefan said.

"No, no, no! Get them back inside. These hunters seem to be everywhere and they probably don't stay dead for long." Buffy headed upstairs to her and Damon's room. Damon was rubbing his shoulder uncomfortably as he checked himself in the mirror. "Hey."

He turned with a smile. "Hey there Mrs. Salvatore."

Buffy laughed slightly. "Still getting used to that." She ran her hands up his chest and when she hit his shoulder, Damon groaned uncomfortably, flinching away slightly. "What was that?"

"Nothing." He leaned down to kiss her, but she bent back to avoid it.

"Take off your shirt."

"Starting the honeymoon early, huh?" He smirked, but she touched his shoulder again and he cringed.

Buffy pulled the collar of his shirt down to reveal the wound in his shoulder. It looked a lot like his wound from when Tyler…. "Damon, why isn't this healed?"

"Because the bullet was laced with werewolf venom, ok? The hunters are dicks."

"We need Klaus. We need his blood."

"Klaus would rather see me die so he can have you. Plus, Klaus is a thousand miles away sipping Hurricanes on Bourbon Street."

"That wound will kill you!"

"What about the cure?" Alaric asked, standing in the doorway holding up the vial.

"Where did you get that?"

"Stole it from Silas."

Buffy nodded, taking the cure from Alaric and handing it to Damon. "He's right, Damon. If you're human, the werewolf venom won't hurt you."

Damon looked past Alaric. "Sounds like Vaughn's awake." He walked past them and headed downstairs.

"Damon, wait…." She and Alaric headed after him and made it downstairs just as the door shut behind Damon and Vaughn. "Wait…. What just happened?"

"Is everything ok?" Joyce asked, walking out of the library and joining her daughter.

"Damon gave the cure to Vaughn and is leading him to Silas." Lexi said.

"What?" Alaric shook his head. "That can't be right. If those hunters give the cure to Silas…."

"They're not giving it to Silas." Buffy said. "Wherever Damon is taking Vaughn right now, it's to stall, because Damon hasn't had time to bury Silas' body yet. He's still here in my trunk. So I guess we're stalling the hunters now…. Thanks for that, sweetheart…. but Damon is still dying."

"Damon's dying?" Joyce asked.

"It was one bullet and it was only laced." Stefan said. "We still have a little bit of time. I will go to New Orleans myself and I will beg Klaus if I have to."

"What about Elena's graduation?" Jeremy asked, walking in with Elena.

"No, Jer." Elena said. "I never even sent in my college applications."

"I don't care. Mom and Dad would kill you if there wasn't a photo of you in your graduation getup."

"Jer, no. Not if you can't be there."

"Lexi'll keep me company and Buffy's mom will take lots of pictures. You're going."

"He's right." Buffy said. "You go get ready and I'll call Klaus."

Elena relented. "Let's go graduate."

Joyce walked over to where Elena's cap and gown were laying and picked them up. "Elena, may I help you get ready? I missed out on my daughter's graduation since she wouldn't let me go."

"I would like that." Elena said with a big smile.

Joyce smiled back and she and Elena headed upstairs to get Elena ready. Buffy smiled as she watched them go, but it melted as she pulled out her phone and dialed Klaus. It rang and went to voicemail. "Hey, Klaus, it's me. Listen, I really need you to come back to Mystic Falls. It's important. Please call me as soon as you get this. Please." She hung up and sighed.

"Just focus on the fact that we have plenty of time to save him." Alaric said, hugging her tightly.

"Will you find them? Damon shouldn't be missing graduation. I mean, his brother is graduating too."

Alaric smiled. "Yeah. I'll go find him." He kissed her hair and headed out.

"I better go get ready, too." Stefan said. He headed upstairs leaving Buffy with Lexi and Jeremy.

"So, Mrs. Salvatore, how does it feel to have a daughter and a brother-in-law graduating at the same time?" Lexi joked.

"Weird." Buffy sighed and shook her head. "If Klaus doesn't get here in time to save Damon I won't even get to enjoy being a Salvatore before I'm declared a widow." She crinkled her nose in distaste. "Of all the titles I've had, 'widow' is not one that would suit me very well."

* * *

><p>The students, all in caps and gowns, were milling about the football field getting ready for the ceremony. Caroline was pacing angrily in front of Bonnie as she ranted about no one being there. "Where is everyone?"<p>

"I'm here." Matt said, running up.

"Where have you been?"

"Oh, you know, making plans for the summer, dodging death by vampire hunter."

"Where's Elena? We can't do this without her." Bonnie said.

Elena arrived with Stefan, Buffy, and Joyce. Buffy was on the phone leaving Klaus another message. "We're here." Elena said, hugging Bonnie. "Thank you for today."

"Who's that?" Caroline asked, gesturing at Joyce.

Buffy hung up. "Caroline, this is my mom. Mom this is Caroline, that's Bonnie, and that's Matt."

"Your mom? I thought she…."

"She is. But she's a special case and she's here."

Caroline smiled brightly. "It is so nice to meet you! Buffy talks so highly of you. I see where she gets her good looks from."

"Thank you." Joyce said. "It's lovely to meet you, too, Caroline."

"She really does talk a lot about you." Bonnie said. "She's lucky to have such an awesome mom."

"Thank you, Bonnie."

"I can't believe it!" Caroline cried. "We're actually all here. We are all here together! Bonnie Bennett, are you crying?"

"It's our last hurrah before you guys go off to college." Bonnie said.

"Before _we_ go off to college."

"I…. kinda sorta missed the deadline." Elena said. "You know, being an emotionless bitch."

"Well, the perks of being a vampire: we can go wherever we wanna go. We can choose our own roommates. We could…. We could get a triple room!"

"I'm happy we're all here."

"Aw! Group hug!"

"Ah, I don't…. I don't hug…." Stefan said.

"Oh, get over yourself!" Caroline pulled everyone in for a big group hug, including Buffy, while Joyce took pictures.

They took a little more time to take various group shots before Joyce shooed them all off to get them in line with their classmates. Joyce looked at her daughter. "We should take our seats. I want to make sure I have a good spot so I can take good pictures for you."

"Thanks mom. I'm going to call Klaus again and we can head over." Buffy said. She dialed Klaus again and again it rang and rang before going to voicemail. "It's me again. Now is seriously not a good time to decide you're over me. Please call me back, Klaus." Buffy hung up and followed her mom to the stands.

* * *

><p>After the ceremony was over, Buffy and Joyce waited for Elena and Stefan to join them. Joyce took more pictures of everyone with their diplomas. While Stefan and Elena were taking a picture, Buffy's phone rang. She yanked it out, hoping for it to be Klaus, but it was Damon.<p>

"Where the hell are you!?"

"It's me." Alaric said.

"You found him?"

"At the quarry. It's not good Buffy."

"What do you mean?"

"Vaughn shot him again…. More than once…. And he doesn't have much time."

"Do you have the cure back from Vaughn?"

"Yeah. I got it before I tossed him off a cliff."

"Then make him take it and get him home."

"I would love nothing more than to get out of here before Vaughn comes back to life, but Damon won't take the cure. He wants it for Elena."

Buffy sighed in exasperation. "Ok, just hang on a little longer. I'm going to try calling Klaus again."

"Buff, we are past the point of Hail Mary phone calls. What do you want me to do, stand here and watch him die, or force-feed him the cure?" Buffy looked at Stefan, but suddenly a high-pitched noise caused Stefan, Caroline, and Elena to clutch at their heads in pain. "Buffy?"

Buffy turned to see Aja and the other dead witches approach them. "Get behind me mom." She moved Joyce behind her and away from the witches.

"Why aren't you in pain?" Aja asked. "You're a vampire."

"Because I've got a witch with way more mojo than you on my side. You can't touch me."

"What about her?" Aja pointed her hand at Joyce and she crumpled to the ground with a scream,

"Mom!" Buffy screamed, dropping down to catch her mother before she hit the ground. She held her tightly as Joyce screamed and thrashed in pain. "Stop it! She didn't do a damn thing to you!"

Suddenly Klaus showed up and threw a graduation cap like a disk at Aja. Her headless body fell to the ground and the noise stopped. "There are plenty more of these to go around. Who's next? I can do this all day." The witches turned and ran and Klaus went over to Buffy. "Is this your mother?"

"Yeah."

"You look like her." Klaus helped Joyce to sit on a nearby bench. "Is she all right?"

"I think she'll be ok." Buffy said, smoothing Joyce's hair. She looked at Klaus. "Very timely."

"I do my best. Where's Damon, then?"

"He's at the quarry with Rick."

"You get your mother home and I'll go fix Damon…. Again. I'll call you when it's done."

"Thank you."

Klaus nodded and disappeared. Elena came over and sat down next to Joyce. "Are you ok, Mrs. Summers?"

"I think I'll be ok." Joyce said, holding her head.

"Let's get you home." Buffy said, not liking seeing her mother's head hurting. It only reminded her that her mother had died from an aneurism caused by the surgery to remove a brain tumor years before and her time now with her mother was limited.

* * *

><p>Klaus stood with Buffy in the Slavatore gardens and watched her in the fading sun. "I can't thank you enough, Klaus. How did you get here so fast?"<p>

"I was already on my way." Klaus said. Buffy gave him a confused look and he chuckled, pulling out a piece of paper from the inside of his coat. "Your motherly pride was shining through when I received Elena's graduation announcement from you."

Buffy smiled slightly. "I sent them to everyone I call a friend since Elena doesn't have much family left."

"Friend. I like how you slipped that in there. Very sneaky."

"You know that I consider you a friend."

He smiled at her. "I have a gift for you. Consider it a wedding present, Mrs. Salvatore."

Buffy looked up at him, surprised. "How'd you know?"

"I have my sources." He smiled slightly. "I'm happy for you. Really. And that's why I'm offering you this." He reached in his jacket pocket and pulled out a small jar of blood. "I don't want to see you sad…. Ever…. So I thought this would be a decent gift for you. Your lot seems to get infected with werewolf venom on a regular basis…. Damon being the worst…. And I'm not always going to be able to rush in and save the day." He handed her the bottle, holding her hand in his for a moment. "If you run out, just call me and I'll give you more."

"I don't know what to say. I thought you would be angry that I married Damon."

"Well, I would've preferred that you waited until I'd had my chance…. But let's look at the bright side. Marriage isn't permanent." Buffy laughed slightly and rolled her eyes at him. "Look, Angel was your first love. Damon is your great love. But I intend to be your last and greatest love…. However long it takes." Klaus leaned in and kissed her on the side of her lips. "Congratulations, Buffy." He pulled away and looked around. "I should get out of here before 12 angry hybrids decide to pick a fight."

She watched him fade into the woods before she turned to walk back to the house. "And speaking of picking a fight…. I have a few choice words for my husband." Buffy headed inside the house and found Damon in the library staring at the fire.

He turned around and looked at her as she approached him. "Hi."

"Are you feeling better?" She asked.

"Yeah."

"So it's all healed up?"

"Fresh as a daisy."

"Good." Buffy slapped Damon hard across his face.

"Ow!"

"We've been married for a day and you were going to make me a widow!"

Damon rubbed his cheek. He stared at her angry face and sighed. "I wanted to apologize…."

"Good." She crossed her arms. "Go on."

"I said I _wanted_ to. And then I realized, I'm not sorry."

"You would rather die than be human and you expect me to be ok with that?"

"I didn't say you were supposed to be ok with it, I just said I'm not sorry. But you know what I really am? Selfish, because I make bad choices that hurt you. Yes, I would rather have died than be human. I'd rather die right now than spend a handful of years with you, only to lose you to Klaus when I'm too old and sick and miserable and you're still you. I'd rather die _right now_ than spend my last final years remembering how good I had it and how happy I was, because _that's_ who I am, Buffy, and I'm not gonna change. And there's no apology in the world that encompasses all the reasons that I'm wrong for you."

Buffy stared at Damon for a long moment. She finally nodded. "You're right. You are wrong for me. There are a thousand other choices out there better for me. You've been a terrible person. You constantly make all the wrong choices. And you are selfish. But so am I. I would've turned you right back into a vampire because I can't bear the thought of spending an eternity not able to be held by you." She walked over and hugged him tightly. "Ever since I was yanked out of heaven and brought back to this hell, you're the one that made me feel most alive. I'm not sorry either. I'm not sorry that I came to Mystic Falls and I met you. I'm not sorry that knowing you has made me question everything about myself. And I'm really not sorry that I married you because I love you more than life itself, Damon Salvatore." She looked up at him. "I love you." Damon closed the distance between their lips and kissed her passionately. They held onto each other until they were sure neither of them was going anywhere. Buffy pulled away first and looked up at him. "We should go to Italy for our honeymoon."

"I like that idea. Let's leave tomorrow."

"Works for me."

Stefan knocked on the door. "Hey."

"Hey, brother." Damon smiled. "We're going on our honeymoon tomorrow!"

"About time." Stefan smiled. "Lexi and I are going to take Silas out of here."

"Where are you taking him?" Buffy asked.

"Think the quarry will be deep enough?"

"Yeah, I don't think anyone's gonna stumble on him there." Damon said.

"Good. I'll see you guys when you get back, then."

Lexi popped her head in. "See you around, Buff."

"See you around, Lex." Buffy said. Lexi and Stefan left and Buffy turned to Damon. "Let's go start packing."

Damon smiled brightly. "Great plan."

* * *

><p>Buffy and Joyce were going through Buffy and Damon's clothes as they worked on packing for Buffy's honeymoon. Giles sat on the bed folding the clothes they picked out. Damon was in the bathroom gathering up the toiletries they would need while Alaric looked out the window.<p>

"I am so glad the last 24 hours got to happen." Joyce said. "I got to see my daughter get married and now I'm helping her pack for her honeymoon."

"I'm glad I got to spend one more day with my mom." Buffy said.

"I suppose I'm just chopped liver." Giles said with a playful smirk.

"You were never just chopped liver. You were the best Watcher a girl could have. And by the way, when I died to become a vampire…. Was that whole thing real?"

Giles smiled. "I don't know what you're talking about."

Buffy threw a shirt at him. "So I've said my goodbye to you, then, and that's all you're getting."

"Oh, Damon…. You should put those in individual plastic bags." Joyce said, going over to help Damon. "The shampoo always leaks and you don't want that all over the inside of your bag."

Damon smiled. "Thank you, Mrs. Summers."

"Call me mom. I don't think we have much time left, so we're cramming a lifetime into a few minutes."

Buffy laughed at her mother. "Mom, chill."

"No, it's ok, Buff." Damon said. "I'll go grab some bags from downstairs, mom." He disappeared using his vampire speed.

Joyce smiled brightly and went over to hug her daughter. "It's so good to know that I'm leaving you in good hands."

Buffy's smiled faded as she suddenly remembered what she'd been told about the Other Side. "Are you all alone over there?"  
>"I've been watching over my girls. I don't feel alone. And because I've gotten to say goodbye to you both and I know you're both very well taken care of…. I think I'll be able to move on now."<p>

Buffy clung to her mother as she started to cry. "I wish you didn't have to leave me. I've missed you so much."

"Oh, baby." Joyce kissed her daughter's hair. "I love you more than you'll ever realize. It makes me so proud to see everything that you've accomplished without me here. You're going to be great."

Damon walked back in with plastic ziplock bags. "Got em. Whoa. Tears."

"Damon, you look after my little girl." Joyce said.

"Don't worry, Mrs. Summers." Alaric said. "I'll haunt his ass if he hurts her. She's like a sister to me."

"And I have complete confidence that Willow will turn him into a wart on a toad's backside if he hurts her." Giles said.

"She threatened me with worse." Damon said, looking a little paler than usual at the thought of Willow's threat.

"What did she threaten you with?" Buffy asked.  
>"You really don't want to know. Back me up on this, Rick. You…." Damon looked up to discover that he and Buffy were the only two in the room. The veil must've gone back up. He sighed sadly and looked at Buffy. She was staring at the place her mother had been standing with a blank look on her face and tears shining in her eyes. Damon wrapped his arms around her and held her tightly to him as she cried.<p>

* * *

><p>Damon took Buffy's hand and kissed her knuckles. She looked away from the view out of the plane's window and over at him. "How are you feeling?" Damon asked.<p>

Buffy smiled. "I'm ok. No…. I'm great. I got to spend one last day with my mother. I finally married the man of my dreams. My kid graduated from high school with her emotions intact. The bad guy is gone. Life has finally settled down. And now I'm sitting in first class heading to Italy for my honeymoon."

Damon smiled. "Yeah."

"You forgot something." Elena said, popping her head around Damon's seat. "Jeremy is back to life thanks to Bonnie and we're all going to Italy!"

Damon sighed. "Did we seriously have to bring the whole family?"

Buffy shrugged. "I couldn't just leave after Jeremy came back to life. It was kind of too huge to ignore."

"Don't worry, Damon." Jeremy said, his head popping up over Buffy's seat. "We'll be on the other side of the Italian villa you guys rented. You won't even know we're there."

"Something tells me that's not even remotely true." Damon said.

"Can we go to the South of France?" Elena asked. "Isn't the Cannes film festival going on? We could compel our way into the parties and meet some celebrities."

"Oh! Catching Fire is supposed to be debuting there. I wouldn't mind seeing that before everyone else." Buffy said.

"What is it with you and those books?" Damon asked.

"What? They're really good!"

"I kind of burned my copies with the house." Elena said. "I need to buy new ones."

"This is going to be a long summer." Damon said, shaking his head.


	85. Chapter 84

_**A/N Hey guys! Yay! We're back in action! Sorry it's been a slow summer. Got a lot on my plate, but I suddenly find myself jobless, so I'll be able to finish those two chapters of Footnotes that I've been working on. One of them will explain the Pompeii reference in this chapter. **_

_**Enjoy!**_

* * *

><p>Chapter 84<p>

Buffy was trying to put the finishing touches on dinner while Damon was trying to distract her from it by kissing her neck. Elena was leaving for college in the morning and Jeremy would be going back to school. Damon was chomping at the bit to have the house all to themselves. Willow had signed up for classes at Whitmore, too. All summer, while everyone had been away, she'd been taking classes. She had decided to finish her senior year of college and get her degree in Occult Studies.

"I'm going to burn it!" Buffy complained as he nipped her earlobe.

"I don't care." Damon laughed.

"Seriously, Damon, tomorrow we will have the house all to ourselves." She turned around and kissed him. "Tonight we are celebrating the last day of summer break." He kissed her again. "With our family."

Damon groaned. "You're killing me!"

"You'll get over it." She kissed him quickly before turning back to the sauce.

Elena came bouncing in the kitchen. "When is dinner ready? It smells delicious and I'm starving! And Jeremy's stomach is growling so loud it sounds like a velociraptor invaded the house."

Buffy gave Elena an arched eyebrow while Damon said, "That's the last time we have a Jurassic Park marathon."

"Sorry. It was the first thing that came to mind."

"Ok, dinner is about ready." Buffy announced. "Can you go get Jeremy?"

* * *

><p>Damon had his arms around Buffy's waist as he stood behind her. His chin was resting on the top of her head and he was watching her and Elena go over Jeremy's cover story. "There were issues at home." Jeremy was saying. "Ever since I lost my parents, my aunt, I've been acting out…. drugs, drinking…. I was looking for attention, so I lit my house on fire and faked my own death."<p>

"Really stress the drug thing." Elena said.

"And I would definitely say that the fire was an accident." Buffy added. "Because there's crazy, and then there's…. well, Elena."

"Hey!"

"Or I could just not go back, considering my school already had a memorial for me." Jeremy said.

"I don't think so." Buffy said. "You're going back to school." A car horn honked outside the house.

"Caroline just pulled up." Damon announced. He was way too happy about getting rid of the kids.

"I-I can't leave." Elena said. "I should stay and at least wait until Jeremy settles in to school…."

"You're leaving." Buffy cut her off. "You're going to college. You're going to drink cheap beer and protest things you don't care about. You're going to have the awesome college experience that I didn't get to have. And Damon and I are going to take care of your little brother. Trust me, you have nothing to worry about."

"Ok, well at least Whitmore is only a few hours away, so if there's anything you need, Jer, just call me…."

"Hey, I'll see you on laundry day." Jeremy said, hugging her tightly.

Elena smiled. "Bye." She walked over to Damon and Buffy. "You guys…."

"We will take care of Jeremy. Now get out." Damon said.  
>Buffy rolled her eyes and gave Elena a tight hug. "Are you sure you don't want me to help you move in?"<p>

"I don't think Damon will let you go. Besides, you're newlyweds. You need as much time alone time together as possible. This is my wedding present to you."

"All right. Off you go, then." Buffy followed Elena to the door and waved at Caroline and Sheriff Forbes. She waved again as Elena got in the car and they drove off.

Damon turned to look at Jeremy. "You. Go to school."

"Damon!" Buffy smacked his arm. "Be nice."

"No, it's ok." Jeremy said. "Elena and I crashed your honeymoon and I nearly got us both killed in Pompeii."

"That wasn't your fault."

"You guys need a break from kids for a while." He gave Buffy a half hug as he walked past. "Have fun."

As soon as the door shut behind Jeremy, Damon grabbed Buffy by the waist and lifted her off the ground. She let out a little squeal and wrapped her legs around his waist. He brought her lips to his as he raced up the stairs with her.

* * *

><p>Buffy walked down the stairs wrapped in a sheet and talking to Elena on the phone. Her hair was in messy waves down her back. It was the first time all day that she'd left the bed, but she and Damon had needed blood. When Elena had called, it had given Buffy a good reason to head downstairs.<p>

"Wait a minute, how'd _that_ happen?" Buffy asked. Elena was telling her about the random roommate that had shown up.

"There must've been a mix-up at the housing office." Elena said.

"Well, there's always compulsion. It's the unwanted roommate repellant."

"That's exactly what Caroline said."

"So just compel her ass out the door."

"Buffy, what's the point in going to college if we're just going to recreate what happens in Mystic Falls?"

"Well, my first college roommate was a demon that was trying to suck my soul. So…."

"Thanks for that. Caroline's already worried about Megan. That's the last thing she needs to hear!"

"Just warning you how bad it could be."

Elena sighed. "Did Jeremy get to school ok?"

"Yes, Elena." Buffy walked past the parlor to find Katherine, disheveled and very human, standing there. "Listen, I've got to go. I'll call you later." She hung up and glared at Katherine.

"It's been a long summer, Buffy." Katherine said.

"Maybe for you."

"I heard you got married. Congratulations."

"Yeah. DAMON!" Buffy yelled up the stairs. A few seconds later, Damon appeared next to her wearing lounge pants. "Deal with her. I'm getting us that drink." She headed down to the cellar to grab a couple of blood bags and some clothes from the laundry room. After getting dressed and hitting the kitchen to warm the blood up a bit, she headed back into the living room.

Katherine was downing a glass of bourbon while Damon watched her pour another glass. "Thanks, babe." He said, taking the glass from Buffy.

"You're gonna have to cut me off soon." Katherine said. "My tolerance is a joke now. It's just so…. Glorious."

Buffy took a drink from her blood and looked at Katherine with a slight smile. "You're miserable."

"Please. I'm Katherine Pierce: I'm a survivor."

"You're a liar. Your hair is messed up…. Your nails are chipped…. You're a sad and miserable human being and you want one of us to turn you."

"I didn't say that."

"Then why are you here?" Katherine refused to answer. "Fine." Buffy bit her wrist and offered it to Katherine. "It'll give me the pleasure of killing you."

She shoved Buffy's wrist away. "I can't, ok? No one's ever taken the cure before. If I die, there's a good chance I may never wake up."

"And _that_ would be tragic." Damon said.

"And deep down, in that mushy-gushy Buffy-loving heart, there's a part of you that doesn't want me to die."

"Keep dreaming."

"What are you doing here, Katherine?" Buffy asked. Before Katherine could answer, the house phone started ringing. Buffy took it from Katherine before she could answer. "Hello?"

"Is this Miss Summers?" Principal Weber asked.

"It's Mrs. Salvatore now, but yet, this is her."

"My apologies. I hate to have to do this, but Jeremy was involved in a serious fight this morning."

"What?"

"I know this isn't what you want to hear after everything that's happened, but I was forced to expel him. He stormed out and no one has seen him since."

"You're right, I really didn't want to hear that. Listen, can we please talk about this expulsion thing before you make it official. He's been through a lot and…."

"I'm sorry, Mrs. Salvatore, but the paperwork is already in the process of being filed."

"Shouldn't you consult the parents before you make rash decisions? I'll find him." Buffy hung up and crushed the phone in her hand.

"Expelled?" Damon asked. "For what?"

"He was in a fight and now he's missing. We need to find him."

"Yeah. Of course." Damon and Buffy headed for the stairs.

"When we get back here, you're gone." Buffy said.

"Wait, Buffy! There's someone chasing me."

"Then run fast."

"You don't understand. I have enemies _everywhere_. What happens when word gets out that I'm a human? I can't protect myself! I'm weak and I'm slow. Do you have any idea what it's like to run in heels?"

"Yes. Not that bad." Buffy started to head for the stairs again, but Katherine grabbed her wrist.

"I have blisters, Buffy! Please, just…. help me. Please?"

Buffy groaned. "It's only because I'm in a hurry and you look like Elena. You can take my old room. But no funny business."

"Thank you."

"Yeah." Buffy headed upstairs to finish getting dressed.

* * *

><p>Buffy and Damon approached Jeremy sitting at a table in the Mystic Grill. They'd spent three hours looking for him after making a visit to the principal's office. This was the second time they'd come to the Grill.<p>

"One day." Damon snapped. "_One day_ where you don't screw it up."

"Leave me alone, Damon." Jeremy said.

"You're lucky you didn't put one of those idiots in ICU."

"Says the guy who once killed me."

"Yes, in the privacy of your own home! Away from prying eyes, unlike you who went all hunter in the middle of a hallway."

"Damon, chill." Buffy said. "You got expelled, Jeremy."

"Does that mean I don't have to go back to school?" Jeremy asked.

"Of course not. I compelled Principal Weber into a very generous three-day suspension." Buffy sighed. "Look, Elena doesn't need to know about this. Can we keep it between us?"

"I guess. You're not mad?"

Buffy let out a sharp laugh. "I'm pretty pissed, Jer. Your first day back and you got expelled. I know people don't understand and they're going to press your buttons, but you can't use your superpowers on them. Trust me, been there done that." She glanced over Damon's shoulder when a movement caught her eye. To her surprise, Stefan had just walked in. "Stefan!" She called, getting up and walking over to him. For some odd reason, he felt off. Her Slayer senses were sending warning signals.

"Buffy." He smiled and hugged her tightly. "How was the honeymoon?" Stefan asked, hugging his brother.

"It was great. Minus a little incident in Pompeii." Damon said.

"Welcome home." Buffy said, ignoring the uneasy feeling in her stomach.

"Thanks." Stefan looked at Jeremy. "Am I interrupting family time?"

"No. Just dealing with first day back at school drama and an annoyance at home."

"Yeah. Katherine's living at Château Salvatore."

"How do you know that?" Damon asked.

"Because I can read your mind?" Stefan paused and then smiled. "I'm kidding. Katherine called me first."

"Huh." Buffy sat back down next to Jeremy and Damon followed her lead.

Stefan looked at Jeremy and placed a hand on Jeremy's arm. "Hey, Jeremy. Looking good, man."

"Hey, Stefan. Glad you're back." Jeremy was obviously uneasy suddenly.

"Yeah…. yeah." Stefan looked at Damon and Buffy. "All right, I'll, uh, see you guys at home."

"Great." Damon said.

Buffy watched him leave and waved when he turned to glance back. As soon as he was gone, the uneasy feeling lifted a bit. "Something's wrong." She said at the same time Jeremy did.

"What?" Damon asked.

"Something's off about Stefan. I didn't even notice him come in." Buffy said. She looked at Jeremy. "How could you tell?"

"When he touched me, I felt a chill where my tattoo was." Jeremy said.

"What are you talking about?" Damon asked.

"Right before I died, Silas grabbed me and I felt the same thing."

"Silas is gone. Bonnie turned him into a big piece of rock, remember?"

"That was Silas."

"That's impossible."

"I'm a hunter. Our whole reason for existing is to kill him. I know what I'm feeling, Damon."

"I think he's right." Buffy said. "That definitely wasn't Stefan."

"I just watched him walk through a crowd of people that saw Stefan. There's no way he could fool that many people at once. I mean, he's psychic, but no one's _that_ psychic."

"Damon, seriously, I know what you and Stefan feel like. My Slayer senses are used to you and they went a bit crazy when he walked in. Just like when Silas was around. Would you trust us?"

"What did he want?" Jeremy asked.

"He didn't really say."

"He read our minds." Damon said. "He mentioned Katherine."

"Do you think he wants to kill her?" Buffy asked.

"Don't you?"

"Good point."

"So, do we go after him or let him take out Katherine for us?"

Buffy sighed. "She's human. I guess we need to go save her. But we're going to drive home."

When they got to their house, Buffy took the lead while Damon kept Jeremy behind him. Katherine came hurrying down the staircase while Silas followed slowly. She ran straight into Buffy, who handed her off to Damon who handed her off to Jeremy.

"Get her out of here. Don't tell us where you're going." Damon said. He made sure they got out the door as Silas made it to the hallway.

"God, you're slow." Buffy said. "Guess vamp-speed came with the upgrade."

"Get out of my way and give me Katherine." Silas demanded.

"First, drop the Stefan look." Silas let out a small laugh and Buffy and Damon exchanged glances. "What?"

"Shouldn't be too hard to figure out." Silas paused. "Nothing?" He laughed. "Does the word doppelganger mean anything to you?"

Damon groaned. "If I have to hear the word 'doppelgänger' one more time, I think I'm gonna actually have to learn how to spell it."

"You say you don't believe me, and yet both of your minds are spinning at the possibility."

"A, Get out of our heads; B, I think I'd know if my little brother had an evil twin."

"Oh, we're not twins. See, when I became truly immortal, nature retaliated by creating a version of me that _was_ killable. It's called a 'shadow-self'."

"Well, whatever you are, your plan didn't work. The cure's gone."

"What do you want with Katherine?" Buffy asked.'

"I could tell you, but wouldn't it be so much more fun if it were a surprise?" Silas retorted.

"You're not getting her."

"Do you really think you can stop me?"

"Obviously you don't know my track record."

"I've been doing my reading."

"Good on you. Where's Stefan?"

"He's suffering, like I suffered. So, call the hunter, bring me Katherine, and then I will tell you where your brother-in-law is."

Buffy sighed. "Fine. It's not like I give a crap about her." She took out her phone and dialed Jeremy's number.

"Hey." He said when he finally picked up.

"How far did you get?"

"Damon said not to tell you."

"Jeremy…." Buffy warned.

"We just passed Old Miller Road."

"Good. Turn around and bring her back."

"What? No!" Katherine cried just before Jeremy hung up.

Buffy put her phone back in her pocket. "There. Now tell us where Stefan is."

"You know it doesn't work like that." Silas said. "When Katherine is here, then I'll tell you."

Damon groaned. "Of course."

Silas chuckled and sat down. Buffy headed into the library to get a drink and get away from Silas. She checked her cell phone every few minutes to see where Jeremy should be. He hadn't called yet and he should've been here by now. There was a voicemail from Elena telling her that her father might be a vampire and he might have just killed her roommate. Buffy decided that could wait while she dialed Jeremy's number, but he didn't answer.

As she was sending him a text, Silas wandered in with Damon close behind. "Oh, your thoughts are churning. It's like a…. spool of pink taffy. It's very messy, but very fun to watch."

"Did anyone ever tell you that's creepy?" Buffy asked.

"You're worried. Jeremy's not answering the phone. He should be back by now. You think something's very wrong."

"Of course I do. Ever had kids before? You worry." Buffy pushed past him. "I'm going to find him."

"Hurry back."

Damon followed his wife out the door as she jumped in her car. "Do you think he's hurt?"

Buffy gunned the car and shot off down the driveway. "I think Katherine would kill him if it would keep her away from Silas."

"I know she would."

They drove down the road, heading for Old Miller Road. Buffy slammed on the brakes when she spotted Jeremy's car wrecked on the side of the road. "Jeremy!" She was out of the car and holding him in her arms. He wasn't breathing. Damon bit into his wrist and shoved it over Jeremy's mouth, feeding him his blood. "Open your eyes, Jer."

"Come on. You do not get to die on us, you hear me?" Damon said. "We're supposed to be taking care of you, you little punk!"

"Jeremy, I swear, if you don't wake up right now then I'll kill you myself!"

Jeremy gasped and woke up. "Katherine…. is gone." He said.

Buffy and Damon sighed in relief and Buffy hugged Jeremy close. She let out a little laugh. "It's ok. I don't care."

"Am I still in trouble?"

"Of course you are." Buffy and Damon helped Jeremy to stand. "And you're probably grounded, but right now we need to figure out what to do about your car."

Damon's phone rang and he handed it to Buffy. "It's our other kid."

Buffy smiled, taking the phone. "Our?"

"Yeah, yeah, yeah."

Buffy answered Damon's phone. "Hey, sorry I didn't answer earlier. Car trouble."

"What happened?" Elena asked.

"Some idiot broke the window. Based on your voicemail, sounds like your day sucked worse than mine. You all right? You wanna come home?"

"I can't. And especially if my dad's connected to this somehow…. I need to know why."

"Ok. I'll talk to you later?"

"Definitely. Bye, Buffy."

"Bye." Buffy hung up and turned to find Jeremy looking at her with a slightly shocked face.

"You didn't tell her Silas was here." He said.

"Nope. And I didn't tell her Stefan's missing, Katherine's in town, and you got expelled."

"So you lied."

"No, I took a page from my husband's book and withheld a bit of the truth. So Elena won't drop everything and come running home to help. We'll figure all this out." She looked at the car. "Starting with that mess."


	86. Chapter 85

Chapter 85

Buffy stood on the edge of the cliff overlooking the quarry. Willow had done a locater spell for Stefan and it had led them to the quarry. It made perfect sense that Silas would dump Stefan here. Now she and Damon had to convince Sheriff Forbes to help them locate Stefan.

"Damon, I know I said that I would help you find your brother, but I can't dredge this entire quarry." Sheriff Forbes said. "It's enormous."

"I'm aware of that." Damon said. "I mean clearly that's why we wanted to dump Silas's body here because it's big and deep and no one would find him here. Now say I'm Silas and I want to take over my doppelganger's life. Why wouldn't I dump him in a place that's big and deep where no one would find him?"

"Damon! I already agreed on holding off telling anyone about the Mayor's death until you've figured this all out. But I can't devote those kinds of resources to finding one person who may or may not be down there."

"He's here." Buffy said, turning around. "Willow's spell said so."

"And Willow's spell could've been manipulated by Silas."

"He's not…. He doesn't have any witchy powers like that anymore." Buffy shook her head and took off her sunglasses. "Liz, look…. If Stefan's down there, drowning over and over again, while his family was out having the time of their lives…. Minus that one little hiccup in Pompeii…. Do I need to elaborate the source of our urgency?" Liz took a breath to say something, but Buffy cut her off. "If it's a money issue, then consider it solved. We'll make a serious donation to wherever you tell us. Please, Liz. Help us find Stefan."

Liz sighed. "I'll get some deputies on it."

"Thank you, Liz." Damon called as she walked away from them. He turned to his wife. "You're good."

"I'm not good. I'm desperate, Damon." Buffy wrapped herself in his arms and looked out over the quarry. "I'm also very, very with the guilty feeling."

"Babe, we didn't know. We couldn't have known."

"We should've helped Stefan dump Silas's body before we ran off to Italy. Maybe then we wouldn't be in this situation. Maybe then…." Buffy's phone ringing cut her off. She pulled it out of her pocket. "It's Jeremy." She answered it and turned it on speaker phone. "Please tell us you found her."

"I didn't, but Matt did." Jeremy said.

"Huh…. How shockingly useful." Damon said.

Buffy rolled her eyes at her husband. "Where was she?"

"She was mid-catfight with some lady who maced her." Jeremy said. "We think Silas might have mind-controlled himself some new friends."

"How exactly did the Gilbert/Donovan brain trust put all that together?" Damon asked.

"Damon, be nice." Buffy said. "Never mind him, Jer. Just hide her, ok? Silas wants her bad enough to sic the whole town on her, then that means that we want her more. And you need to stay out of sight. You're the last person that Silas saw her with."

"Ok. Bye, Buffy." Jeremy hung up and Buffy put her phone back in her pocket.

Liz came back over to them. "The team is on their way. I'll let you know where to send the check."

"Thank you again, Liz!" Buffy called after her as she walked off.

"Think she's mad she didn't get an invite to the wedding?" Damon asked.

"What? No." Buffy shook her head. "Why would she be mad?"

"Well, whenever a founding family member gets married, it's usually a big spectacle. It's kind of a tradition around Mystic Falls."

"And since when are we into traditional?"

"True."

"Liz is just doing her job. And we are asking for a lot from her."

"We're paying her for it." Damon looked around and smiled. "Hey, we're alone! We've got this beautiful vista…."

"Damon, really? Stefan is down there somewhere and you're thinking about sex?"

"Actually, I wasn't. We haven't had a lot of alone time. I was actually hoping we could just sit and enjoy some time together."

"You were totally thinking about sex."

Damon smiled slightly. "Can you blame me? You're hot!" Buffy smacked his arm playfully and he caught her wrist, pulling on it to bring her closer. "And I love you."

She smiled and leaned into him, kissing him deeply. "I love you, too."

When the dive team got there, Buffy and Damon were laying side by side on the cliff staring up at the sky and holding hands. They got up to help set up for the search and find out what they needed to do. While Damon helped one man with an inflatable raft, Buffy answered her phone. It was Elena telling her about the weird professor that had kicked her and Caroline out of his class.

"It was mortifying!" She was saying. "We just sat there in silence."

"Need me to beat him up?" Buffy asked.

"Not yet. Whatever he knows, I'm going to get it out of him."

"Did you compel him?"

"No. Because the chances are that if he knows about vampires, then he also knows about vervain."

"How about violence? Did you threaten him?"

"No. I didn't threaten him."

"And you're supposed to be my kid." Buffy tsked tsked. "Have you learned nothing from me?"

Elena laughed. "I'll figure something out. I mean, Willow's here. She can help me."

"I'm really glad she's there so I have someone watching out for you."

"Stefan?"  
>"No, not Stefan. Willow."<p>

"Stefan's here. Right now."

"What?"

"Turn off your phone." Buffy heard Silas say.

"Elena! That's not Stefan! Elena? Elena?" Buffy turned to Damon. "We've got to go!"

"What's wrong?"

"Silas is with Elena." Buffy said as she turned and headed back for the car.

* * *

><p>Buffy and Damon burst into Elena's dorm room to find Caroline wrapped in a towel. She turned around, shocked, and yelled, "Oh my god! Towel! Knock!"<p>

"Chill. No one cares. No." Damon snapped.

"Where's Elena?" Buffy asked.

"I don't know. She probably went to the bonfire to get more intel on the weirdo professor."

"Silas is here. He's with Elena pretending to be Stefan. Get dressed."

"I thought that Stefan dropped his body in the quarry."

"Join the club." Damon said, tossing a shirt at Caroline. "Get dressed."

"Oh my god…. Oh my god, Elena was right."

"About what?" Buffy asked.

"She said that all summer she's had this pit in her stomach about Stefan. She said that she had this weird feeling that something is wrong with him."

"Wish she'd have shared that information with us." Damon said.

"Well, anyway, she was right." Buffy said. "Get dressed and meet us out there. We need to find her."

"Willow's class will be letting out soon. You should call her."

"Thanks." Buffy shut the door behind her as she and Damon walked out. As they headed back out of the dorm and onto the quad, Buffy stopped. "Why would Willow's spell stop working?"

"What do you mean?" Damon asked.

"Willow is the one that turned Silas to stone. And now he's not stone. Why did the spell stop working?"

"We can ask her." Damon motioned to Willow making her way across the quad, heading towards the bonfire.

"Willow!" Buffy called.

The red headed witch stopped and looked around. She spotted her best friend and smiled, heading over in their direction. "What are you doing here?" Willow asked, hugging Buffy.

"Silas."

"He's here?"

"He showed up pretending to be Stefan." Damon said. "Elena doesn't know."

"Told you guys you should've told Elena."

"Yeah, yeah, yeah. Our mistake."

"He still after Katherine?"

"Yes." Buffy said, looking around the quad. "Caroline said Elena was headed for some bonfire. Where is that?"

"Oh, it's this way." Willow gestured down one of the walkways off the quad. The three of them started walking. "It's a big thing around here."

"The bonfire?"

"Yeah. Sunnydale had some cool stuff…."

"Like the Initiative and its crazy science experiments that try to kill off the human race to make a new hard-to-kill Frankenstein's monster race?"

"Yeah! But Whitmore is so…. Homey, down to Earth, small town college."

"Yeah, I don't know what that means. My college experience was marred by soul sucking demons, the government trying to kill me, and that one time where time went all wonky."

"It's great here, Buffy. You should sign up for classes."

Buffy let out a sharp laugh as she continued to look around for Silas. "I don't think so. The whole point of college is so you can get a good job and make a lot of money. I skipped all that and married rich."

"Oh, yeah. I forgot."

"Hey, why did your spell stop working?" Damon asked. "Why is Silas not a stone statue at the bottom of the quarry?"

"I don't know. I channeled Bonnie's connection that she had with him to strengthen it. As long as she's alive, then…." Willow's eyes widened.

"Bonnie's still alive." Buffy said. "She's travelling with her mom."

"Have you talked to her? Like, on the phone? Have you heard her voice?"

"I…. Well…. No. I mean, we're not exactly BFFs. She's sent me a couple of emails, but…. You don't think she's…. I mean…. No."

"Do you realize the kind of power it would take to bring Jeremy back? She doesn't have it. That spell should've killed her. Especially if she didn't have the Urn of Osiris like I did when I brought you back. I've had my suspicions about it for a while. I've gotten some postcards and emails, but I haven't actually talked to her."

"No. I would see her, though. If she were dead."

"You've said yourself that ever since you turned, you haven't been able to see or feel ghosts like you used to. It's kind of a random thing and really only with ghosts that you had a deeper connection together. You know, Lexi and Rose…. And, like you said, you and Bonnie definitely weren't BFFs."

Buffy shook her head. "Why didn't you say anything?"

"I haven't wanted to bring it up this summer because, well, honeymoon. I didn't want to ruin it for you guys. And I wasn't sure. But every day that went by…. I'm worried it might be true."

"Jeremy can probably see her." Damon said. "We can ask him."

Buffy took his hand as she looked at something behind him. "I think we can worry about it later."

"Hello, brother and sister-in-law." Silas said, walking up to them. "But I suppose distant nephew and niece-in-law is probably more accurate." He turned his attention to Willow. "Hello, Willow."

Damon walked up to Silas and wrapped his hand around Silas's throat. "Where the hell's Elena?"

"There's no need for violence, Damon. You'll find her eventually." Silas pulled Damon's hand off his neck. "There you go." He looked over at Buffy. "You're looking lovely today."

"Oh, no. You don't get to compliment me." Buffy said. "The last bad guy that complimented me fell in love with me."

Silas laughed and looked at Damon. "I get why you like her. What I don't get is why she likes you."

"That's cause you haven't had sex with me." Damon said.

"Hmm. Cockiness masking fear. How transparent."

"You expect us to believe you came all this way just to talk to her?" Buffy asked.

"No, that doesn't really make much sense, does it? But if I told you exactly what I did, then it would ruin the fun. Enjoy the bonfire, Damon." Silas smirked at Buffy. "Mrs. Salvatore. Willow." He walked off with a smug step.

Willow turned to Buffy. "What is with you and bad guys? Angelus is obsessed with you. Spike got a soul for you. Dracula walks in and instantly wants to make you his bride. Damon takes one look at you and suddenly he's a reformed serial killer. Klaus is still trying to get in your pants. And now you've got Silas making eyes at you!"

"Yeah, is there a spell to make her not attractive to bad guys?" Damon asked. "I'm not looking to be the traded in reformed serial killer."

"I'm pretty sure you'll never have to worry about that." Willow looked up at the sky. "The bonfire will be starting soon. We should head that way."

* * *

><p>Buffy walked through the crowd with Willow while Caroline had met up with them and was searching the party with Damon. Buffy was on high alert. Silas was bad news. Really, really bad news. He may actually be more unkillable that Klaus.<p>

"You know what I don't get?" Willow asked. "I don't get why would Silas want to hurt Elena."

"Because he wants to hurt me…. Or Damon…. Or possibly both of us. I don't know. He's the bad guy. Does he need a reason?"

"As your best friend, I feel that it's my duty to remind you that if you had just told the truth to Elena, all of this could've been avoided."

"Yeah, yeah, yeah. I told you."

"But you didn't tell Elena and now he's after her."

"So this is my fault?"

"No. I'm not saying that. I'm saying that you left Elena unprepared for this because you didn't want to worry her."

"Thanks." Buffy deadpanned. "Your wisdom is invaluable."

"There's no need to get all pissy with me. Let's just find Elena."

Buffy grabbed a guy drinking a beer. "Hi. Have you seen Elena Gilbert?"

"I don't know who that is, but I'll be Elena if it'll make you stick around." The guy said.

"Keep dreaming."

"Come on, baby, I…."

Buffy grabbed the guy's arm and yanked him close, using her compulsion on her. "Go back to your dorm, sober up, and graduate college with honors. And stop hitting on married women, perv." She shoved him away and he looked at his beer with a look of disgust, tossing it in a garbage bin on his way back to his dorm.

Willow grinned. "I'm not sure whether to tell you to calm down or good job using your superpowers for good."

"Willow, I'm really not in a joking mood anymore."

"So…. calm down it is then."

"Silas turned the entire town square into a hunting party for Katherine. How am I supposed to calm down when every single person here could be working for Silas?"

Willow's grin faded. "Sorry."

Buffy pulled her phone out when it vibrated. It was text from Damon saying that he'd found Elena and was taking her back to her dorm. "Which way is Elena's dorm from here?"

"This way." Willow motioned towards a path and Buffy followed her. It became quickly apparent that the path led into the woods and nowhere near Elena's dorm.

Buffy sighed. "When did Silas get to you?"

"He's good with the mind control. I managed to block most of it, especially the part about killing my best friend, but it seems like the part about separating you from Damon stuck. I really didn't want to."

"It's ok. At least you're not trying to kill me." Buffy gasped. "But I bet that's what Elena's doing to Damon right now."

"I can't tell you where Elena's dorm is. It's part of the compulsion. If you could just knock me out…. Gently…. Then my unconscious mind can get rid of the compulsion."

"You want me to hit you?"

"Yeah. I can wipe out any compulsion in my sleep. It's a witch thing I learned when I sucked up all those books at the Magic Shop. One that, in hindsight, I probably should've taught Bonnie. So…. Hit me. Just…. Not too hard."

"I'd rather do it somewhere that's not in the woods. I'd hate to leave you here. Tell me where your apartment is."

Willow sighed. "It's too far away, Buff. I'll be fine. Knock me out."

Buffy groaned and punched Willow hard enough to knock her best friend unconscious. She caught Willow before she could hit the ground and tossed her over her shoulder. There was no way she was leaving her laying out here for who knows what to come along and eat her. After asking a few people how to get to Elena's dorm and explaining that Willow was just passed out drunk, she finally made it to her destination. Hopefully it wasn't too late.

Opening the door, Buffy found a shirtless Damon tied to a chair and Elena was sitting in a chair with an iron poker in her thigh holding her there. They both looked over at her, startled by her sudden appearance. And by the fact that Willow was unconscious over Buffy's shoulder.

"Hi, sweetheart." Damon said weakly. "Took you long enough. Troubles?"

"Silas got to Willow. You?"

"Silas got to Elena."

Buffy gently laid Willow down on the nearest bed. "I'll let her sleep it off. So, what's going on in here?"

"I was just explaining to Elena what's been happening in Mystic Falls."

Buffy looked at Elena. "How did you get stabbed to a chair?"

"I did it to myself." Elena growled.

"She's been compelled by Silas to try and kill me. Her anger is the trigger." Damon said.

"I just left!" Elena yelled. "What the hell is wrong with you people?"

"You're getting angry again, Elena. Remember: trigger."

"My brother got expelled! You two have got him playing white knight to Katherine, who's tried to kill me…. Repeatedly. Stefan's been…. He's been suffering, for months, while I've been running around Europe with you two, one of which is a self-proclaimed serial killer. Oh, my god. Oh, my god." Elena's anger flared up and pulled the gas line free from the fireplace.

"Whoa! Hey!" Buffy yelled. "That's the gas. Stop." She went over and pulled Elena away from the gas line. "You don't really wanna kill Damon. You need to realize that before you can break Silas' compulsion."

"I can't ok! All I can think about is killing him!"

"Well, you're gonna have to think about something stronger than your desire to kill me, or you're gonna kill us all." Damon said as Buffy went over to untie him. She hissed in pain as she realized the rags binding him were soaked in vervain. Elena grabbed a matchbook from the table she was now sitting by and tried to light one.

Buffy was standing in front of her, taking the matches before she could light one. She grabbed Elena's face and held her head steady. "Stefan. Think about Stefan. Caroline told me you've been worried about him, that you had a pit in your stomach. Describe it, tell me about it."

"What?" Elena asked. "I…. No, I can't…."

"Think about him. Think about the feelings you're getting. Describe it to me."

"It's…. it's like a chill, but I can't explain it…. It's like I can feel him. He's trying to reach out to me, but I don't know where he is, and I can't understand what he's trying to say. All I know is that he's scared, and he's lonely, and he's in a lot of pain. He's in a lot of pain. We have to find him."

"And we will. I promise you that we will. Ok?"

Elena took a deep breath. "The rage. It's gone."

Buffy smiled. "Good." She ripped the poker out of Elena's leg. "No more mutilating my husband or yourself, ok?"

* * *

><p>Elena loaded a suitcase into the trunk of Buffy's car with Caroline's help. Buffy and Damon stood off to the side with Willow. There was a large bruise on the redhead's forehead from where Buffy had knocked her out.<p>

"I haven't had a bruise this big since Drusilla put me in the hospital that one time." Willow said, gingerly touching the bruise.

"I really am sorry, Will. I tried to pull the punch as much as I could." Buffy said.

"No, it's ok. I asked you to. I needed you to."

"Are you going to be ok here?"

"Yeah. I've called the coven back in England to get some assist. Hopefully Silas won't be able to pull any more mind tricks on me."

"You're super witch." Damon said. "I'm sure you'll be ok."

"You did keep him from compelling you to kill me." Buffy said. "I mean, of everyone I know, you're the only one who could probably do it."

"Not that I'd want to." Willow laughed. "At least not today, anyway."

"Gee, thanks!"

"You've had your days where it would've been justified. But I'd miss you, so I didn't do it."

Buffy smiled and hugged her best friend. "Stay safe up here, ok?"

"I'll do my best. It's you I'm worried about." Willow looked over at Elena standing by the car with a man. "Oh, hey, it's Dr. Maxfield."

"Who?"

"He's the professor of microbiology."

"Oh, he's the guy that kicked Elena out of class." Damon laughed.

"You heard that?" Buffy asked.

Damon pointed at his ear. "Super hearing, babe."

"I know, but I thought you were paying attention to something else."

"Yeah, you're backside."

Buffy rolled her eyes and kissed her husband. "Come on, let's let Willow get to class and take our kid back home."

Damon groaned. "I knew getting the house to ourselves on a regular basis was too much to ask for."

"And here I thought you were just passionate about microbiology." The professor was saying. "I have office hours tomorrow. Come by, we can chat."

"Um, yeah, I would, but I've got other important things on my plate right now." Elena said.

"Let me know when that plate clears." Dr. Maxfield walked away.

Elena watched him curiously until Damon and Buffy joined her. "Well, I guess that's how a hero would do it." Damon said. "Honestly…. Who'd've thunk it? Aren't you the least bit curious about the whole Nancy Drew and the creepster-professor thing?"

"Caroline'll take over." Elena said with a shrug. "I can't stay here knowing that Stefan's out there somewhere."

"Yeah, well…." Damon pulled a ring out of his pocket.

"That's Stefan's daylight ring."

"Snagged it from Silas yesterday."

"We just need to find him."

"We're gonna save Stefan." Buffy said. "I promised you, didn't I?" Her phone started ringing and she pulled it out of her pocket. "Hello?"

"We found something." Sheriff Forbes said.

* * *

><p>Liz, Buffy, Damon, and Elena approached the large safe that had washed up onto land. "We didn't find anything in the quarry, but a deputy found this a few miles away." Liz was saying. "Didn't open it. If Stefan's been in there for three months…. chances are, he's hungry."<p>

"I knew someone who was trapped at the bottom of the ocean for three months." Buffy said. "Hungry doesn't begin to cover it."

"I think you should open it." Elena said to Buffy. "You're the fastest out of all of us." Buffy shrugged and reached down to grab the handle. She lifted the top of the safe open to reveal a bloody corpse inside. "Oh, my god. That's not Stefan."

"Well, you were right." Damon said. "He was hungry."

"I bet he still is." Buffy said, looking out at the woods.


	87. Chapter 86

_**A/N So sorry it took me so long. I've had a busy week. I ended up having to move back home and sadly my parents don't have the internet yet. They're working on it (thank the powers) but for now I have to wait until I go to a friend's house. Hopefully the next chapter won't take so long. Enjoy!**_

Chapter 86

Buffy was curled up against Damon's side sleeping peacefully. She was pretty sure she was dreaming about Italy. Damon's arms tightened around her and she pressed against him. Just as things were about to get good both in dreamland and reality, a scream came from Elena's room down the hall. Buffy and Damon shot up in bed and looked around.

"Was that Elena?" Damon asked. Buffy was out of bed and down the hall before he could even blink. "Sometimes I hate it when she does that." He complained as he made his way out of the room and down to Elena's room.

Elena was sitting up in bed looking panicked and Buffy was sitting on the edge of the bed holding her hand. "It was just a dream." Buffy said.

"No. It was Stefan." Elena said. "It was more than just a pit in my stomach. It was real. Like I was there with him."

"You've been spending too much time with me. I used to have dreams like that with Angel."

"Um, husband in the room." Damon said.

"Sorry, babe."

"Did they feel so real?" Elena asked.

Buffy glanced at Damon. "Uh…. Yeah. They felt pretty real."

"Can we skip the play by play of your psychic dreams with your jealous ex and skip ahead to Elena's dream, please?" Damon said.

Buffy smiled slightly and took Damon's hand. Elena sighed. "It was so vivid." She said. "I saw Stefan walking out of this bar. It had a, uh, a red awning and this broken neon sign…. And he was screaming in pain."

"Should I go check the attic to see if there's a crystal ball? Maybe it can conjure up an address."

Buffy turned to scold Damon like usual, but Katherine was in the doorway. "Route 29. Joe's bar." She said. "I think I had the exact same dream."

Damon let out a groan. "I'm going to get dressed."

Buffy stood up. "You know what? I think I'll join you."

"The bar's real." Katherine said. "That dream wasn't just a dream."

"Ok."

"You should know about that Little Miss Slayer. Your dreams are rarely just dreams."

"That's missus to you now, thanks. And I know that. Been a Slayer for a long time. We'll figure this out as soon as we're dressed."

* * *

><p>Elena was downstairs writing in a notebook while Buffy and Damon were upstairs tossing some clothes in a bag. If they found Stefan, he was definitely going to need clothes. And toiletries. Buffy showed Damon her tablet where she'd been searching for bars on route 29. "I've found 9 bars along Route 29 and none of them are called Joe's." She said.<p>

"So Katherine's a liar. Big surprise." Damon said.

"I don't know. Elena and Katherine have the same dream? That's not a coincidence."

"You don't believe in coincidence."

"Nope. That's why we're going out there to follow the lead." Buffy paused. "Is it just me or are we always searching for Stefan for Elena?"

"It's not just you." Damon zipped the bag up and they headed downstairs.

"I had a feeling that there was something wrong all summer, and I ignored it." Elena said as they joined her. "But I was right, Stefan was in a safe, and probably killed whoever it was that found him…. I know it sounds crazy, that I'm following some psychic dream, but it's the only lead that we have."

"It doesn't sound crazy." Buffy said. "It _is_ crazy. But lucky you, we're open-minded."

Katherine walked in carrying an overnight bag. "Shotgun." She announced. Everyone turned to look at her. "What? I get carsick in the back seat. Another charming, human side effect you stuck me with."

"Please tell me that she's not coming?" Elena said.

"Trust me, we have no interest in Katherine's well-being, but for some reason Silas wants her real bad, and if Silas wants her, we want her more." Damon said.

"Can't we just stash her in the cellar? Or maybe a deep, dark well with a pair of water wings?"

"Do you really think that I wanna take a road trip with you, America's most boring, self-righteous vampire?" Katherine asked. "Just remember, Damon and Buffy wouldn't have to play bodyguard if you hadn't shoved that cure down my throat."

"You were trying to kill me!" Elena snapped.

"I will admit, though, I take great pleasure knowing that you wasted your one shot at a human life on me."

"All right, play nice, or I'm gonna revisit the deep dark well idea." Buffy said.

"I wanna find Stefan just as much as you do, and not just because I don't wanna be a pawn that you can trade off for his life. I care about him. I always have. And since we've been having the same dream…. makes me think you care about him just as much."

"Yeah, duh. She loves him. I think she cares about him _more_ than you do. Especially considering the fact that you don't care about anyone but yourself." Buffy smirked. "Train's leaving the station now."

"Choo-choo!" Damon called. "All doppelgangers are riding in the caboose!" Buffy laughed as they headed out the door. Her phone buzzed and she pulled it out and smiled slightly. It was Klaus asking how life was. She texted back that it was the usual crazy with a bit of Silas thrown in. A moment later her phone was ringing.

"Tell me you're joking." Klaus said.

"Not joking. How's New Orleans?" Damon's attention was focused on her as he put the bags in the trunk.

"It's beautiful and full of intrigue. You should be here to enjoy it. But let's not talk about me. I thought Silas was at the bottom of the quarry."

"Little snag in that." Buffy glanced at Elena getting into the car. "Damon, I'll be right back."

"Ok." Damon said, watching her head back into the house.

Buffy made sure she was far away from Elena. "Willow used Bonnie's link to Silas to turn him to stone. But that link is gone."

"Bonnie's dead?" Klaus asked.

"Probably. We've been getting emails and postcards from her, but Willow thinks that the spell she did to bring Jeremy back from the dead killed her."

"Have you asked the young Jeremy?"

"No. He's got enough problems. He got expelled his first day back at school for fighting. I compelled the principal to change it to a three day suspension, but he's on thin ice. And on top of everything else, that is the least of my worries. Ready for this next part?"

"I'm not sure."

"My brother-in-law is Silas's doppleganger."

"I have to admit…. I didn't see that coming."

"None of us did. Silas dumped Stefan in the quarry, but now Stefan's missing. He was locked in a safe at the bottom of the quarry and somebody found the safe. Stefan killed him. He's been down there for three months, so…."

"I can imagine that he's hungry."

"And it's just like old times searching for Stefan again. This whole situation actually makes me miss the simple days when you were the big bad."

"Those days were never simple, but I miss you too, love. When things settle down, you should come for a visit. It would do me a world of good to show off my powerful friend."

"When things settle down?" Buffy let out a laugh. "Then I don't think I'll ever see New Orleans again." She glanced out the window to see Damon looking agitated. "I better go. We're headed out to follow a lead on Stefan."

"Keep me posted?"

"Sure. Bye Klaus. It was nice talking to you."

"It is always nice talking to you, Mrs. Salvatore. Tell your husband I said hello."

Buffy shook her head and hung up, heading back outside. "Ok, let's hit the road."

"Have a nice chat?" Damon asked as they got in the front seats.

"Yeah. He said hi."

"I'm sure he did." Damon turned the engine on and gunned it down the driveway.

* * *

><p>"Are you sure you know what you're looking for?" Buffy asked Elena. "The last bar had a red awning and a neon sign."<p>

"I'll know when I see it." Elena said.

"Me, too." Katherine added.

"Didn't ask you." Buffy said.

"I'm just trying to make conversation. Anything to drown out the sound of eggshells breaking. So, Elena, I couldn't help but overhear. You've been dreaming about Stefan all summer?"

"They weren't dreams." Elena said. "It was just a bad feeling, like something wasn't right with him."

"Oh, no, yeah, sure. I totally get it. There's still a connection between you two. Maybe deep down you know that he was your one true love and breaking up with him was a big mistake."

"Ignore her." Damon said.

"Yeah, as soon as the vervain's out of her system, we'll compel her and put her on mute." Buffy said with a grin.

"Or maybe Stefan's been trying to reach out to you all summer, but you've been too distracted with a trip to Italy to help him so he reached out to the person that he trusts: me."

"If that was the case, then he would've reached out to me." Buffy pushed on Katherine's face, forcing her back into the seat.

"That was rude."

"Yup."

Katherine huffed. "I'm going to sleep. This road trip is boring."

An hour later, Elena pointed at a bar on the side of the road. "There. That's the one." Damon pulled the car into the parking lot of the bar.

"Looks…. Homey." Buffy said as they quietly got out of the car.

Elena looked at Katherine sleeping in the backseat. "Are we really just gonna leave her in the car?"

"The only time she shuts up is when she's sleeping, and I didn't want to disturb our peace and quiet." Damon said.

Elena stopped walking toward the entrance and Buffy dodged around her. "I thought you said this was the one."

"It is." Elena said. "It looks exactly like it did in the dream. Isn't that a little freaky?"

"Yeah. It's a lot of freaky." Damon said. "Let's go see if Stefan's inside."

Buffy shook her head. "It's not freaky. Really, it's not. I have dreams like that all the time." Damon's head whipped around and she sighed. "Not with anyone specific, but dreams telling me where things are or when they're happening. They're Slayer dreams. They were really bad when the First was killing Slayers. I was there…. When they were killed." Buffy sighed. "Why you're getting them is beyond me, though."

"Maybe it's a doppleganger thing." Damon said, opening the door and walking in.

The girl working behind the bar looked up at them. "Can I get you something?"

"Yeah, sure." Damon got close to her and used his compulsion on her. "Why don't you tell me what happened to your neck," He glanced at her nametag. "Jo?"

"Some sicko attacked me, bit me, told me to run, so I did, and when I looked back, he was on fire." Jo said.

"The sun must have come up." Buffy said.

"He doesn't have his daylight ring." Elena added.

"And then what happened?" Damon asked Jo.

"Some woman shoved him into a truck, drove away." Jo said.

"Did you know this woman?"

"No. She was driving Cam Peterson's truck. He lives about 10 miles down that dirt road out back." Jo grabbed a shot glass and poured a shot of tequila. "Here. Looks like you could use one of these."

"Hmm. I could. Thank you." Damon threw it back and started gagging and coughing. Buffy held him up as his mouth and throat began sizzling. "Vervain."

"What did you do?" Buffy growled.

A woman walked in from the back room and raised a gun, pointing it at Buffy and Damon. "I told her to pour him a drink or I'd kill her."

"Who the hell are you?" Damon asked.

Katherine walked into the bar and the woman saw her. "Which one of you is Katherine Pierce?" The woman asked.

Katherine pointed at Elena. "She is."

"Katherine is a compulsive liar…. but I need her alive."

Elena rushed at the woman, throwing her against a table. "Katherine, run!" Katherine ran back out the front door.

The woman's eyes vamped out. "You really do look exactly alike." She straightened up and threw Elena against the wall with vampire strength, then rushed out of the building.

"Elena, go after her!" Buffy said. Elena rushed out after the woman.

"Wonderful. Now we've got a vampire bounty hunter to deal with." Damon said.

"Whoever she was, she wants Katherine, which means she's probably a Silas spy." Buffy said.

"And you sent Elena after her."

"She's a big girl. I have faith in her. We need to find Stefan. We've got a ten mile hike to a cabin to get on."

"You're faster. Go. I'll be right behind you."

"Come on." Buffy grabbed his hand and took off. She kept her speed to something Damon could keep up with and the ten miles went by quick. The cabin appeared in a clearing and they stopped at the front door. Damon turned the knob and they walked in to find Stefan bound to a chair and surrounded by a circle of herbs on the floor. "Oh, Stefan…."

"You couldn't call a brother?" Damon asked.

"Nice to see you, too, Damon." Stefan said. "Hey, Buffy."

"Hi." Buffy walked over to start working on getting the thorny vines holding Stefan to the chair off of him.

"What the hell is going on here?" Damon asked, coming over to help.

"Well, Silas' ex-girlfriend decided to come back from the Other Side." Stefan said.

"Qetsi-whatever?" Buffy asked.

"It's Qetsiyah." A woman said. "Do you see why I want to change it?"

"Don't feel bad." Buffy said. "I've always had a hard time with weird names."

"You're one to talk about weird names, Buffy." Qetsiyah said.

"Buffy is not weird. It's just…. 80s. What would you like to be called?"

"She likes Tessa." Stefan said.

"You won't be able to break those vines." Tessa said. "The spell won't release him until I get what I want."

"Well, I guess the rumors are true." Damon said. "You are a ray of sunshine. Question: why is my brother wearing your compost pile?"

"I'm going to link Stefan to Silas. Casting a spell on his doppelgänger will neutralize Silas' mental powers. Once he's weakened, I will force him to take the cure."

"Well, that's a great idea: force the cure down his throat. The cure is gone, done, it's ingested."

"Katherine, you mean? I'm aware of her condition. She was supposed to be with you."

"Wait…. Katherine took the cure?" Stefan asked.

"We have a lot to catch up on, Stefan." Buffy said. "Wait till we tell you about Pompeii!"

"Wait a minute…." Damon said. "Pompeii is a good story, but you should tell him about the villa we bought. And what do you mean 'supposed to be with us'? Did you plant those dreams? What is it, some kind of, like, witch party trick?"

"So where is she?" Tessa asked.

"We ran into a little snag." Buffy said. "We seem to be running into those a lot lately."

"Then I'll get started without her." Tessa began chanting over a bowl.

"Ok, well, thanks for the hospitality, but we should really get going if we want to beat traffic." Damon said.

"Yep, yep. He's right." Stefan said.

"Probably don't want to get on my bad side." Tessa warned.

"You realize you're not the only one with a bad side, right?" Damon asked.

"Aren't you brave? Without Silas' mental powers, he is an immortal nobody. We can defeat him. Isn't that what you want?"

Stefan sighed. "Just do it, all right? Just get it over with. Do it."

"Are you sure?" Buffy asked. She glanced at Tessa. "I recognize some of those words and it sounds pretty painful for you."

"If it defeats Silas, then let her do it."

"You need to get out of my circle now." Tessa said.

Buffy and Damon exchanged glances and finally backed out of the circle. Tessa dipped her fingers in the hot molten metal in the bowl and approached Stefan from behind as she chanted. She pressed her fingers against the sides of Stefan's head and he gasped.

Damon looked at Buffy. "You speak Latin?"

"Not really. But my best friend is a witch who uses Latin a lot. I picked up some things."

Stefan groaned in pain and the circle of herbs surrounding Tessa and Stefan ignited into flame. Buffy and Damon stepped back as Damon said, "What are you doing to my brother?"

"I'm frying Silas' brain." Tessa said. "No one said it would be pretty."

Stefan's eyes began to bleed. Buffy moved forward and Stefan's head rolled to the side as he lost consciousness. "We're done here." Buffy growled, rushing over to Stefan.  
>"You're right. We're done." Tessa said. "It worked."<p>

Buffy held Stefan's head up and gently shook it. "Stefan. Stefan! Wake up, Stefan!"

"Whatever you did to him, undo it." Damon demanded.

"Relax. I just burned through his conscious mind." Tessa said. "He'll wake eventually. How is Willow liking those classes? She's gotta be pretty bored by now. She already knows all of that stuff."

"Spying on us from the Other Side?" Damon asked as he and Buffy started undoing the vines holding Stefan to the chair.

"Don't flatter yourself. You people are like watching a soap opera, except boring and with no volume control. You know, there was one thing worse than being on the Other Side and watching Silas resist the cure."

"Oh, yeah? What was that, realizing that your plan totally sucked?"

"Century after century, I watched versions of Stefan and Elena find each other, like magnets, always the same story: conquering all, falling in love." Buffy and Damon exchanged glances. "You didn't think your brother was Silas' first shadow? Destiny has been trying to get the doppelgängers together forever. Just like destiny put you and Angel together."

"Look here, Miss Crazy, why don't we just dial down the destiny talk a notch, ok?" Damon snapped.

"You don't want to hear it, but the universe is working against you."

"What are you even talking about?" Buffy asked.

"You and Angel are soulmates. It's destiny."

"If you're trying to downplay your reputation as being a psychopath, you might not want to say you're a spokesperson for the universe."

Tessa turned to Damon. "You and I are the same, Damon: the obstacle standing between two fates. Silas had his true love and Stefan has Elena and Angel has Buffy. We're merely the conflict that makes it interesting."

Buffy held up her left hand to show Tessa the rings there. "Angel is not in the picture anymore."

"His soul is permanent. There is nothing standing in your way of being with him anymore. You can't tell me that you didn't play with the notion of leaving with him."

"I didn't. Not for one second. You don't know anything about me."

"I know you were destined to meet Angel."

"Yeah, I was. And he helped me become a better Slayer and a better person and that is why he is my friend. But I love Damon and I married Damon and Angel will stay my friend. So butt out." Buffy threw the thorny vines at Tessa.

"Touchy, touchy."

Buffy moved towards Tessa threateningly. "And while we're at it: You 'burned through his conscious mind'?"

"Look at you leaking scary Slayer all over the place."

"You burned through his conscious mind. What does that mean? When he wakes up, will he still be Stefan?"

"Of course he will!"

"Don't lie to me. I can send you back to hell."

"You can try, but just because Willow has put protection spells on you and Damon doesn't mean I can't burn right through them."

"Stefan!" They heard Elena yelling from outside. Buffy turned back to Tessa, but she was gone. A moment later, Elena burst through the door. She spotted Stefan and ran to him, touching his face. "Stefan! Hey! Oh, no. Stefan, hey. Stefan, can you hear me? Stefan! Wake up. Oh, god."

"We should probably get him home." Damon said.

"What's wrong with him?"

"Qetsiyah used him to shut down Silas's mind powers." Buffy said. "He won't wake up for a while."

* * *

><p>Stefan was lying on the sofa in the living room still unconscious. Elena was sitting at his side and Buffy and Damon were sitting on the stairs in the hallway. Damon took her hand and kissed her knuckles. "Thank you." He said.<p>

"For what?" Buffy asked.

"For telling that crazy witch that she doesn't know a thing about us."

"Damon, I love you. Nothing and no one is going to change that."

"Not even Klaus?"

"Especially not Klaus. He's my friend and nothing more. And yes, Angel is my friend, too. We have a history…. A very deep and very complicated history, but at the end of the day…. He's my past. You're my present and my future. I meant every word that I said."

Damon pulled her to him and kissed her passionately. After a long, breathless moment, they pulled away with big grins. "No one tells me how I live my life, no one tells me who I love, especially not some vindictive prehistoric witch, and definitely not the universe. And I'm not gonna let someone else's idea of destiny stop me from loving you or being with you or building a future with you, because you are my life."

Buffy kissed him again. "I love you so much."

Damon smiled brightly. "I love you, too." He said, standing up and pulling Buffy to her feet. "Let's see how Stefan's doing." They walked into the living room just as Elena was putting on Stefan's daylight ring. "Well, he's got his daylight ring back. We're all set for a picnic."

"He's lucky he has a brother who looks out for him." Elena said. "Otherwise, you might have pawned it for a pinball machine."

"Hmm."

Buffy smacked him in the stomach. "You don't even like pinball." She walked over and leaned against the back of one of the chairs. "So, we learned something very interesting while we were at the cabin."

"Oh yeah?" Elena asked, standing up and joining Buffy and Damon.

"She told us a very interesting little story about the history of doppelgängers. How they're fated to fall in love with each other."

"What?"

"Basically, the universe programmed you to fall in love with Stefan." Damon said. "I'm paraphrasing."

"The universe?"

"Her words, not mine."

"So, she's crazy?"

"Maybe. Maybe she's not."

"Elena, you love Stefan. He loves you. I can't think of any reason you two can't be together."

"He doesn't want me as a vampire."

Buffy rolled her eyes. "He loves you. He's got you forever. Give him a chance."

Before Elena could say anything else, Stefan started waking up. Elena turned to see Stefan standing up.

"Welcome back, brother." Damon said.

"Hey, Stefan." Buffy said. "We missed you."

"We really did." Elena added.

"Uh, I'm sorry…." Stefan said. "I…. I have no idea who you people are."

Elena looked at Damon and Buffy with a confused look. Buffy sighed. "I called that."


	88. Chapter 87

_**A/N I am really sorry about how long this took. It hasn't been the easiest couple of weeks for me. Hope you guys enjoy.**_

Chapter 87

Buffy rode in the back of the stolen 1969 Mustang while Stefan rode shotgun and Damon drove. Stefan was reading another one of his journals. Damon hoped that the journals would jog his brother's memories, but so far that wasn't happening. They'd argued that they needed to get Willow involved, but had decided to try old fashioned memories first. Stefan was still getting used to the idea of being a vampire. Best not to throw in a super powerful witch.

"March 12, 1922," Stefan read. "I blacked out for days…. I wake up with strangers' blood…. In places I don't recognize with women I don't remember."

"I feel alive again." Damon interjected.

"All right, I think I've read enough."

Buffy looked at her husband. "When did you memorize Stefan's journals?"

"I needed ammo to throw at my baby brother when he got on my nerves." Damon said.

"Oh. Well, that I understand. I used to do the same thing to Dawn when we were younger."

"And Dawn is your…. Little sister?" Stefan asked.

"Yes." Buffy watched Stefan for a second. "Anything else coming back?"

"No. Nothing. I know what day it is. I know what year it is. I know this car has a V8 engine. I am two journals deep and I have absolutely no memory of who the hell I am." Stefan took a sip from the blood bag Damon had given him.

"Brutal." Damon said.

Stefan waggled the empty blood bag at them. "Is this supposed to fill me up?"

"Well, yes and no. Technically yes, cause you're a vampire."

"Weird."

"Realistically? No. Cause you're you."

"Ah, yes. The insatiable, blood lusting, vampire Ripper of Monterey."

"And we're only in the 1920s, baby."

Stefan rolled down the window. "Well, sorry, but this is a lot to process." He started to toss the bag out the window, but Buffy moved faster than he could track and had the bag out of his hand.

"Ew…. Don't litter. You're a vampire, not a caveman." She said.

"So, let me get this straight: I helped you two steal this car, I found out I was a vampire who killed his own father, and yet I don't litter?"

"You're a man of principals, Stefan, who had his memories erased by a 2000 year old witch." Damon said.

"Yeah? Well I bet that 2000 year old witch probably drives a little faster than you." Buffy let out a laugh that received a glare from Damon. "Let me guess," Stefan pointed at himself. "Fun brother," He pointed at Damon. "Safe brother?" He turned to look at Buffy. "You don't strike me as a safe kinda girl. Are you sure you and I aren't married?"

Damon let out a growl and slammed his foot down on the accelerator. "What are you doing, Damon?" Buffy asked.

"Trust me?" Damon asked.

"Do we really have a choice?" Stefan asked.

"Nope." Damon pulled the emergency brake and the car spun out of control. It flipped more times than Buffy could count as they were all thrown about the interior and then thrown out of the car. Somehow, Buffy managed to roll and pop to her feet to watch the car come to a fiery stop. Damon and Stefan laid on the road amongst the debris.

Damon laughed slightly and turned to look up at Buffy. "Are you out of your mind?" Buffy snapped at him. "That car was a classic! That's the whole reason I chose it."

"Just had to prove a point." Damon said.

"Yes, we know! You're the fun brother! And I'm your wife, not Stefan's. The poor car didn't need to learn that lesson in such a hard way."

"I'll buy you one." He smirked as he stood up.

Buffy rolled her eyes at him as he walked behind her. "Oh, yes, turn on the charm. That always works."

"You're not really mad at me." His hands snaked up her hips and around her waist, pulling her back against him. "You actually had some fun with that."

"Fun is driving really fast in a car like that. Or getting wild in the driver's seat _while_ driving really fast."

"Damn! I didn't even think of that."

"Now you've ruined it."

"Living with you two must be interesting." Stefan said.

"You have no idea." Damon said with a smirk, moving Buffy's hair away from her neck and kissing just below her ear.

Buffy smiled and melted into Damon with a sigh. "We've got a nice little walk back into town."

"Just gives us more time to work on getting Stefan's memories back." Damon took her hand and they started their trek back to their house.

* * *

><p>The next day, Buffy, Damon, and Stefan were at the Mystic Grill. Everyone around them was celebrating Remembrance Day by ringing a bell and taking shots. After lunch, the three of them had decided to go ahead and join in, too. Stefan had read through another journal before he'd wanted to go out and see the town.<p>

A guy at the bar held up a shot and rang the bell. "To Uncle Steve!"

"To Uncle Steve!" Everyone raised their glasses and took a drink, including Buffy, Stefan, and Damon.

"Wow. Ahh….. This town always so upbeat about dead people?" Stefan asked.

"Well, in the theme of morbid town tradition, you go back to the 1820s when everyone was so paranoid about the cholera thing that they would occasionally bury a body a wee bit before its time." Damon said.

"So, we have a holiday dedicated to burying people alive?"

"Well, they were so paranoid that they would actually request to be buried with a string attached to a bell above ground, and then the whole family would hang around the grave for 24 hours in hopes of hearing the bell and that their loved one would come back, but now it's just really…. It's really a kick-ass excuse to get hammered."

A waitress came to the table and started to pick up the empty glasses. Buffy caught Stefan staring at the waitress' neck. "Hey, there." She said to the waitress. "We'd love another round, please."

"You got it." As the waitress walked away, Stefan followed her with his head and even stretched his neck a little in her direction.

He snapped out of it and looked at his family. "What the hell was that?"

"That, my brother, was you jonesing for something a little stronger than a blood bag." Damon said.

"So, what's the problem? You spent the whole day trying to convince me I was a vampire. I'm convinced. Let me act like one."

"Well, unfortunately, Stefan, there are two types of vampires in the world, ok? There are those that can handle moderation…."

"And then there's you." Buffy finished.

"Well, I'm no shrink." Stefan said. "Right?"

"Right." Buffy and Damon said.

"But maybe killing our father and turning into a vampire and all the trauma associated with that is what made me become a vampire who feeds on people and then rips their heads off, but now that I don't have all those memories and all that guilt, maybe the Ripper thing won't be such a problem."

"Let's not try it out, ok?" Buffy said. The bell rang again and they clinked their glasses together.

As they were about to drink, Elena walked in. "And here I thought catching up on nearly two centuries would be a drag."

"Remind me of your name again." Stefan said.

Elena tried to hide the look of hurt. "Elena."

"Elena. Right."

"You haven't told him about me?" Elena asked Buffy and Damon.

"200 years is a long time." Damon said as the bell rang again.

"Right. Well…." Elena grabbed for a shot, but Buffy took it from her and drank it.

"Sorry. You're underage." Buffy smiled at her.

Elena sighed and sat down. "Willow wanted me to let you know she's going to stay at Whitmore."

"I thought she was coming back for a visit."

"Excuse me." Stefan stood up and headed towards the bar.

"She said you should answer your phone so she could tell you that she's got to head to DC this weekend for some Watcher Council business." Elena said.

"Well, I would answer my phone, but it got destroyed this morning." Buffy said, glancing at Stefan flirting with the waitress.

"Destroyed?"

"Long story. We ordered a new one already and it'll be here tomorrow."

"You go through phones faster than you go through a bottle of bourbon."

"I live a different lifestyle than most."

"And it's not like we can't afford it." Damon said.

Elena turned to Damon. "So, Mr. 'So Far, So Good,' Mr. 'I Can Handle My Brother,' Mr. 'I Know What I'm Doing.'"

"Hey. I never said I know what I'm doing."

Elena grabbed her phone and dialed a number. "Who are you calling?" Buffy asked.

"Bonnie. A witch did this to him. Maybe a witch can undo it."

Buffy took the phone from Elena. "Don't worry about it. Willow will handle it when she gets back. Besides, I trust her with Stefan's brain more than I trust Bonnie. Let's just let Stefan be Stefan."

"Fun, carefree, drunk Stefan without a 100 years of vampire guilt on his shoulders." Damon added.

"That guilt came from a blood addiction that might still be hard-wired in his brain." Elena said.

"You take one philosophy class, now you're the queen of nature versus nurture?"

Elena glanced over at where Stefan had been. "Hey. Where'd he go?"

"You don't see that cute, little waitress anywhere, do you?" Damon asked. He caught the look from Buffy. "She doesn't hold a candle to you, babe."

Buffy sighed and closed her eyes, extending her senses to take in the entire restaurant. After a moment, she heard Stefan in the backroom saying, "I keep being told that if I have one taste I won't be able to stop…. and although the thought of killing you scares the hell out of me, this feeling of hunger that I have inside of me is just so much more powerful." Buffy was gone from the table before Elena or Damon could blink. Stefan had vamped out and was about to bite into the waitress's neck.

Buffy grabbed him and pulled him away. She turned to the waitress and caught her eyes. "Go away and forget this happened." The waitress turned and walked out. Buffy turned back to Stefan. "Ok, I think it's time to move on from The Grill."

"And go where?" Stefan asked.

"Well, it's Remembrance Day. Let's go remember the Salvatore family."

* * *

><p>The cemetery was filled with people drinking and the sound of bells ringing. Elena and Stefan followed Damon and Buffy as they headed towards the Salvatore family crypt. Stefan noticed a tombstone with the name Honoria Fell on it.<p>

"What kind of name is Honoria Fell?" He asked.

"Shh. You're kind of the one that killed her." Damon said.

"Oh."

The four of them walked into the Salvatore mausoleum. "Hindsight being 20/20, way too much temptation at the bar, so if this Ripper gene is biological, then we need to minimize human contact until we get your brain all witchy-wooed back to normal, so here it is."

"So, this is the family crypt, huh?"

"Mmhmm."

"Anybody here I didn't kill?"

"Well, we've covered our father, who art in hell." Damon rang a bell he'd stolen from a grave. "Uncle Zach, my bad." He rang the bell again. "On the bright side, our mother died of consumption." One more ring of the bell.

"Oh, good." Stefan said.

"And there's one more name in here that we should honor." Damon gestured at a wall and Buffy looked over to see that someone had carved Joyce Summers into the marble.

"Damon…."

"I thought you'd like to have somewhere to pay your respects to your mother since her grave was swallowed by a Hellmouth collapsing. She may not have been a Salvatore, but she's still family." Damon rang the bell for Joyce and Buffy smiled at him.

She reached up and kissed him lovingly. "Thank you, Damon. This means the world to me."

"I didn't kill her, did I?" Stefan asked.

Buffy smiled at him. "No, you didn't. It was an aneurysm from a brain tumor a long time before I even met you."

Damon's phone vibrated and he pulled it out of his pocket. "Oh." He held it out to show Buffy the text from Jeremy that read _I need to talk to you and Buffy ALONE._ "We've got to go. Party on without us. Brother…. for you." He put a bottle of liquor down. "And this is for you." He handed the bell to Elena who was lighting some candles.

"We'll see you later." Buffy said, following Damon out. As soon as they were out of earshot, she looked up at her husband. "I have a feeling this is where we find out for sure that Bonnie is dead."

"Yeah."

"How are we going to break that news to Elena?"

"I don't know."

"I've wanted to keep it from her. You know, just in case it wasn't true."

"Well, if it is true, then we need to prepare ourselves to break her heart."

"I know."

Damon reached out and took her hand, giving it a quick squeeze. When they got home, Jeremy was sitting in the living room staring at the fireplace. He looked over at them and Buffy looked around for Bonnie.

"So what's wrong?" Damon asked. "We're here."

"I've been lying to everyone for months." Jeremy said. "And I can't keep lying knowing that everyone's waiting for Bonnie to swoop in and save the day."

"No one's waiting on Bonnie to save the day. There's no pressure."

"What were you lying about, Jeremy?" Buffy asked.

"I was dead." Jeremy said. "I wasn't supposed to come back. Magic finds a balance. I'm not supposed to be here. You can't just bring somebody back from the dead. There is always a price to pay for it."

Buffy sighed. "She was the price."

"Wait, you knew?"

"We had our suspicions. Well, Willow did. We were a bit…. Busy this summer. But Willow's a witch. She gets the balance thing and she knew that a spell that big without a magical thingy to channel that power through would kill Bonnie. She told us about it when we picked Elena up from Whitmore."  
>"That was a while ago. Why haven't you told anyone?"<p>

"Because this kind of news will hurt Elena. I didn't want to break her heart again." Buffy sat down. "I really hoped that you were going to tell us she was fine and really travelling around the world." She looked up at Jeremy. "Are you ok?"

"I've been in contact with her all summer. She doesn't want people to know she's dead…. But they need to know."

"Yes. They do." Buffy reached out and took Jeremy's hand. He sat down next to her and she pulled him to her in a tight hug. "I'm sorry you've had to carry this burden all summer."

"Me too." Jeremy looked at Buffy. "How do we tell Elena?"  
>"I don't know. I just…. I don't know."<p>

"We'll find a way." Damon said.

* * *

><p>Buffy sat on hers and Damon's bed drinking from a glass of bourbon that Damon had brought her. Elena had called his phone a number of times, but they had decided to ignore it for now. Buffy looked around the room and sighed, shaking her head. "You're so stupid, Bonnie! You should've just worked it out with Willow. I am so happy to have Jeremy back, but damn it you're an idiot."<p>

Buffy glanced at Damon's phone sitting on the bed next to her. She let out a sigh. She was going to have to tell Elena eventually. "Hey! Where are you? I've been calling." Elena said when she answered her phone.

"Sorry. We're at home." Buffy said. "Look…. I really need to talk to you about something."

"Buffy, Stefan's gone."

"What? What happened?"

"I told him about why I broke up with him and before I could explain everything, he just…. He stormed off and said that he was hungry. Buffy, there's an entire graveyard full of people here tonight."

"Ok. I'm on my way." Buffy hung up and climbed out of the bed. "Damon! We have a problem!"

* * *

><p>After hunting the whole town for Stefan, Buffy, Damon, and Elena found him by the fireplace back at their house. And to their surprise, he was burning his diaries. Elena moved forward with a worried look. "Stefan. There you are." She said. "We've been looking everywhere for y…."<p>

"What you doing there, brother?" Damon asked.

"Well, you know, just tying up a few odds and ends." Stefan said.

"You sure you want to do that?" Buffy asked.

"Well, I know what I don't want. I don't want to be the person in these journals anymore. I don't want to live in this house. I don't want my brother's advice. I don't want to hear how I supported you, Elena, and I definitely do not want to continue this conversation." Stefan grabbed a bag and started walking.

"Stefan, wait." Elena said.

"Don't worry. I'm not gonna go on a Ripper binge. Besides, Caroline said she'd call me every hour to make sure I was ok and, uh…. I actually do trust her." Stefan paused. "I'm not sure what I think about you, Buffy. You seem pretty trustworthy…. And a victim in everything."

"Thanks?" Buffy said.

"Yeah. Your number seems to be in my phone, so I'll call you if I need you."

"But…." Elena started as Stefan headed out the door.

"I think we just got dumped." Damon said.

"What all did you tell him?" Buffy asked. "He was pissed."

Elena shook her head. "I…. I told him that I had feelings for Damon before and I didn't think it was fair to him to keep dating him until I worked everything out."

"Oh…. That explains the victim comment. He probably thinks that you slept with Damon behind my back."

"If Willow isn't coming, then we need Bonnie. Why hasn't she called us back? It's so unlike her. He can't stay like this."

Buffy glanced at Damon. "Elena, Bonnie can't help us." He said.

"Did you guys talk to her? What did she say? There's got to be something that she can do. I mean, she'll figure it out. She always does."

Buffy sighed and moved towards Elena. She gently took Elena's arms. "Bonnie's dead, Elena."

There was a long pause from Elena as she processed what Buffy had said. "What?!"

"She's dead. I'm sorry."

"I don't understand…. How? When?"

"Can we sit? Before you grab a match and torch this house too?" Buffy gently led Elena over to the couch and sat her down. She sat down next to Elena and Damon sat down on the coffee table in front of them. "She's been gone all summer."

"Why didn't you say anything!? How could you go on a honeymoon and be happy while Bonnie…."

"We didn't know, Elena!" Damon snapped. "We only just found out ourselves."

"Willow had had her suspicions, but she wasn't sure. And she didn't want to ruin our vacation with it."

"She should have! We should've known. She's should've…."

"Jeremy knew. All summer. He was there when she died. She gave her life to bring Jeremy back." Elena sucked in a breath and blinked rapidly. "She didn't want him to tell us. He's been hiding it from us because she wanted him to. He couldn't take it anymore and he told us the truth today." The weight of everything hit Elena and she began to sob. Buffy pulled her into a tight hug and held her until she fell asleep from crying.

* * *

><p>Buffy walked into hers and Damon's room to find Elena violently rummaging through their closet. "Hey." She said.<p>

"I don't have any clothes." Elena said. "I have nothing to wear. I mean, I burned my house down with all of my funeral clothes in it. I'm supposed to be strong, I'm supposed to have learned how to handle this, but…." She started crying again. "I can't. I can't keep doing this, Buffy. Stefan's gone, Bonnie's dead…. She gave up her life so that I could have my brother back, and I didn't even know about it."

"I know."

"I can't believe this is happening." Buffy pulled Elena to her and stroked her hair. "I can't believe she's gone."

"I'm so sorry. I'm sorry." After a few more moments of crying, Buffy pulled back and looked at Elena. "I've got a dress you can have. Come on, let's get you ready."

An hour later, Buffy, Damon, Elena, Willow, Caroline, and Matt walked towards the stump of a tree in the woods. Jeremy was already there wearing a black suit. He placed a picture frame on top of the stump. Caroline approached the stump and placed black and red cheerleading pom poms on top. Matt walked over and placed a coach's whistle on the stump. Buffy and Damon took a cute little witch doll that matched the charm Bonnie had helped pick out for Buffy's Pandora bracelet and placed it on the stump. Elena walked up and scattered white feathers over the stump and all the other items before backing away as she began to cry again. Caroline hugged her as Willow walked up and placed Bonnie's grimoire on the stump.

Willow also set down a pillar candle and lit the wick with her powers. "Journey on now, sister. We will follow when we can. May you be born again at the same time and in the same place as those you knew and loved in this life. May you know them again and love them again." She turned to the east. "The sun will rise again." She turned to the south. "Life continues." She turned to the west. "Love is all that we can be sure of." And finally she turned to the north. "Only the Mother is eternal." She touched the candle and closed her eyes, saying a silent blessing for Bonnie, before walking over to join Buffy and Damon.

Jeremy grabbed a bell that was sitting on the stump. "We ring this bell in honor of Bonnie, in remembrance for her." He rang the bell and placed it back on the stump. "I'm not sure what else to say."

"You don't have to say anything, Jer." Buffy said.

Jeremy looked to his side as if he were listening. "She says that she's not going anywhere, that she has been here all along. Bonnie has watched you have the summer of your life." He looked at Elena. "She saw you happy and she knows you think now that you can't have a normal life…. That you have to be there for everyone, but you don't. Everyone will find their way, so you are gonna repack your things, you're gonna go back to college, and you're gonna live it up." He turned to Matt. "You didn't do anything wrong, Matt. You know she would have sent you 300 e-mails back if she could. She misses you." Jeremy turned to Caroline. "Caroline…. She watched you decorate that dorm room like your life depended on it. And I know that college isn't everything you expected and that you feel like something's missing, but…. Tyler…." Tyler appeared behind everyone, walking up and holding a single white rose. Caroline ran to hug him and clung to him as he walked over and placed the rose among the other items. Jeremy turned to Willow. "Thank you for guiding her and mentoring her as best you could. She wasn't the easiest student to work with, but you helped her." He turned to look at Buffy and Damon. "She says she knows you guys didn't always get along and that you had your moments, but she cares about you two. She is incredibly happy that you two found each other and love each other. She wants you to make sure that you always continue to push each other and love each other and make each other better." Damon wrapped his arm around Buffy tightly, kissing her hair. For the first time, Buffy could see Bonnie looking at all of them as she held Jeremy's hand, a serene smile on her face.


	89. Chapter 88

_**A/N I am so very, very sorry for how long this took. I know I'm incredibly behind. That's what happens when you get the flu and the rest of your life gets backed up. I don't know why I let my mother talk me into getting a flu shot. I always get sick from it. Never fails. I don't know why I let myself get suckered into thinking this time might be different. Sometimes mother isn't always right. **_

_**Enjoy this chapter. I hope to hammer out the next couple soon and get caught up. HOPE. Not promise.**_

Chapter 88

"No, Damon! No!" Buffy yelled at her husband as they paced around their room.

"Why not? It's a good plan!" Damon yelled back.

"It's a stupid plan! One that you're hinging on the word of a psycho!"

"You left plans up to Klaus plenty of times and he came through!"

"Because, despite his inability to do the right thing for the right reasons at the right time, he cares about me and what I think of him. Silas doesn't care about anything or anyone except his long dead love! Why would he help us?"

"Because we'd be helping him out, too."

Buffy shook her head. "Oh, right, that's a great reason for him to not double cross us!"

"Then we keep our guard up!"

"Yes, because that always works." Buffy threw up her hands in frustration and paced towards the window. She took a few deep breaths and turned back to Damon. "Let's look at this from a different angle, then. Did you happen to think that maybe bringing Bonnie back would upset the balance her death created? That if she comes back, the balance shifts and takes Jeremy away?" At his confused face, she sighed. "Yeah. Didn't think so. I do know a little bit more about the witchy-woo-woo stuff than you do. Just because Silas's death creates a balance to bring Bonnie back doesn't mean that the balance Bonnie's death created won't shift and take Jeremy away."

"Well, what about Willow? Why can't she do anything about this again?"

"Because there are no more special urns out there. When she brought me back, it got destroyed. Without it, she would've died like Bonnie did. And no offense to Bonnie, but I'm not willing to sacrifice the world's most powerful witch, who by the way is my best friend, for the world's least competent witch."

"I wouldn't exactly call her the _least_ competent witch. She did manage to bring Jeremy back."

"Yes, I am very happy that Jeremy is back, but she killed herself in the process. She thought she could do it without dying. That's why she hid from us all summer. She may be able to pull off small spells, but she always manages to seriously mess something else up with anything bigger than parlor tricks. Need I remind you about my seventeen year old self making a guest appearance and almost throwing a wrench in our fresh-off-the-I-love-you-train relationship? Or how about…."

"You can't tell me that Willow's never messed anything up."

"No, I can't. But Willow never allowed a thousands of years old almost-vampire manipulate her into destroying the world and wiping her mind of it. When Willow almost destroyed the world, she did it all on her own and was able to control it when she realized what she was doing was wrong. And that's where Bonnie and Willow seriously differ. Willow has control while Bonnie's never had any control over her powers. It's always been Willow that stepped in and fixed things."

"You do realize you're being incredibly harsh right now, right? I mean, you're outdoing me in the harsh category."

"Well, somebody has to be the voice of reason in this crazy plan you've concocted. And so far, my reasoning is kicking your reasoning's ass."

"Buffy," Damon took her hands and stared into her eyes. "Can we please just try this? It would make Elena happy to have Bonnie back."

"But it would devastate her if Jeremy was taken away again in the process. I'm tired of this back and forth with death, Damon. Let Bonnie's sacrifice stand and let Elena mourn and move on."

"What about Jeremy? He's in love with a ghost…. Again…. And he's miserable about it." Buffy was silent, not really knowing how to respond to that. "Let's let him make the decision. If he wants to go for it knowing what _could_ happen, then we go for it."

"Why would we leave that big of a decision in _his_ hands?"

"Because every teenager has to grow up at some point?"

"And signing his death warrant is a way of growing up?"

"_Possible _death warrant. There's no guarantee that bringing Bonnie back will kill Jeremy."

Buffy shook her head after a long moment of contemplative silence. "I can't believe that I'm seriously considering leaving this decision to a teenager who is in desperate need of a therapist."

"So, you're saying that Jeremy can decide what to do?"

"No." She sighed. "Maybe. On one condition."

"What's that?"

"That Elena has a vote too."

"What if she votes different from Jeremy? Obviously you and I have different opinions…."

"Then we call in someone neutral to the argument. Someone who's not friends with anyone involved."

"And who would that be? Katherine?"

"Rebekah."

"Barbie Klaus? Seriously?"

"She's the only one that's impartial to the situation and doesn't give a damn about everyone involved."

"She gives a damn about you."

"Depends on what day of the week it is."

Damon sighed. "Fine. We have a deal." He smiled and wrapped his arms around her. "We're good at this arguing thing."

* * *

><p>Jeremy was sitting on a chair with Buffy leaning coolly against the fireplace and Damon standing up in front of Jeremy. He was explaining the plan to Jeremy and letting him make the call. Buffy caught glimpses of Bonnie sitting in the chair beside Damon.<p>

"So, as we know, in a psychotic lapse of judgment, Bonnie brought you back to life and died in the process." Damon said. "May she rest in peace."

"She's actually right over there." Jeremy said.

Buffy caught Bonnie waving at Damon. "Whatever." He said. "Look. The whole point is, I just happen to know a supernatural being who just happens to want to die, and in the spirit of nature needing balance and life for a life and all that stuff, I just think it would be a huge waste of a perfectly good death."

"Wait. You want to work with Silas?" Jeremy asked.

"From the beginning, Silas's whole bad-guy plan was to kill himself, pass on to wherever he was gonna pass on to, and reunite with his dead girlfriend, Amara. I want to use his death to bring Bonnie back to life. To die, he has to be mortal. If he's mortal, then he's a witch, and if he dies as a witch then he's stuck on the Other Side forever."

"He already tried to bring down the veil to the Other Side. He failed."  
>"Maybe he has a plan B." Bonnie said. "Maybe he wants to do more than just drop the veil and let all the ghosts out."<p>

Damon noticed that both Buffy and Jeremy were paying attention to the chair where Bonnie was supposedly sitting. "She knows I can't hear her, right?"

"She thinks Silas wants to destroy the Other Side completely." Jeremy said.

"Powerful spells are bound by something even more powerful…. The moon, a comet, a doppelgänger. The Other Side was made 2,000 years ago, and it still exists. That means she must have bound it to something that could exist just as long."

"Why is it that I can hear you just fine now, but you keep flickering in and out of my vision?" Buffy asked Bonnie.

"Because our relationship isn't exactly a great one, but you actually want to see and hear me, so you can…. Sort of."

"Oh. So it's like bad reception, then."

Damon shook his head. "Ok…. Back to my original question. Let's say Silas destroys the Other Side, cures himself, becomes a witch…. Is it supernaturally possible that he can do a spell that swaps her life for his life once he poof kills himself?"

"Supernaturally, yeah, it's possible, but this is the same Silas who murdered my father." Bonnie said. "He's ruthless, and whatever spell he could do, there'll be some consequences. There always is."

"That's what I said!" Buffy said.

"I know you did. And I agreed with you."

"Oh, you heard that conversation."

"I would call it more of a fight, but yeah. I heard it. And I agree with you. Bringing me back could make Jeremy go back to being dead. So no. My answer is, definitely not."

"What'd she say?" Damon asked. Jeremy looked at Buffy and Buffy leveled a told-you-so look at Damon. "Tell me?"

"She's in!" Jeremy said.

"What?!" Bonnie cried as Buffy said calmly, "No she isn't."

"Buffy!" Jeremy complained.

"Well, she's not. Don't lie."

Damon shrugged. "Well, Bonnie's vote doesn't count. The deal was Jeremy and Elena get to make a vote and if there was a difference of opinion, then we have a neutral party on standby."

"Buffy!" Bonnie cried.

"Sorry, but that was the deal." Buffy pulled out her cell phone. "Let's call Elena and get her opinion."

* * *

><p>Buffy sighed and walked into the Mystic Grill behind Damon. Elena had said no to the plan. In fact, she'd had a few choice words about the whole plan for Damon after she'd learned about Buffy and Bonnie's fears over upsetting the original balance. So, Buffy had ended up calling Rebekah. Rebekah had been a bit annoyed at being called, but then had allowed them to explain the situation and the plan. She thought it over for a minute before saying that they needed to get rid of Silas and that it was only an 'if' holding them back. Her reasoning had been that the original price had been paid with Bonnie's death and that now there was a new deal and a new price and that it probably wouldn't affect the first deal.<p>

Buffy didn't agree with that reasoning and had wanted to call someone else, Damon hadn't let her. They'd made their deal and Rebekah had been the impartial tie breaker. There's been no doubt about the impartial part when she said that she hoped they all got killed anyway and hung up.

"She's such a joy." Damon said, opening the door to the Grill for Buffy.

"Apparently it's not a good day for me." Buffy said. She gestured at the bar where Silas was sitting. "There he is."

"You sure it's not Stefan?"

"Positive. It doesn't feel like Stefan. Besides, you called him and told him to meet us here. Stefan is avoiding you and you tend to frequent this place a lot, so he isn't coming here."

"You've talked to him?"

"A couple of times. He likes me, remember." Buffy took a seat two away from Silas so Damon had to sit between them.

"Why did you call me?" Silas asked.

"Same reason you answered. You need help, and we're gonna help you." Damon said.

"What makes you think that I need help?"

"Well, for starters, you're still here, as in, why do you suck so badly at killing yourself?"

"If you're just going to insult me…."

"The question should be: What do we need to do to help you kill yourself?" Buffy asked. "Preferably without bringing down the barrier and releasing our supernatural enemies."

Silas smiled at Buffy and slid her over a drink. "There's a mystical anchor. That's what binds her spell to the Other Side. I want to destroy it. Qetsiyah, or Tessa, or whatever the hell she's calling herself these days, she wants to protect it. So, she's the only person that knows where the anchor is hidden, but fortunately, she will be at the Whitmore Historical Ball this evening."

"Really?" Damon asked.

"Mm."

"I thought you said you lost all of your psychic powers."

"Oh, I did, but I still have my incredible powers of observation, and I observed her buying a Cleopatra costume today."

"So you want to go to that party? That's not too much of a problem." Buffy said. "We can get in because we know two people that happen to go to Whitmore. Done deal."

"What do you want from me?"

"When you die, we need you to perform a spell that will kill you and bring back a witch friend of ours." Damon said.

"Ok. Fine."

"So, we have a deal."

"Well, we have half a deal. I'm resurrecting some witch with my death, but we have yet to discuss how you're helping me."

"Well, you've yet to tell us what you want…."

"Oh, it's fairly simple, actually. I want you to kill your brother."

"Um…. No." Buffy said. "Not going to kill Stefan."

Silas chuckled slightly. "I don't mean for good. Just long enough so I can use my powers to read Qetsiyah's mind and find out where the anchor is."

"So, snap his neck and knock him out." Damon said. "That's simple enough."

"Too simple." Buffy said. "What's the catch?"

"There is no catch." Silas said. "Just keep him out until I get the anchor."

"Fine." Buffy stood up. "Damon, we need to find costumes for the ball."

"Elena's going as Queen Elizabeth I. We should go as her parents." Damon said with a bark of laugher, following her out.

* * *

><p>Buffy looked down at her dress and adjusted the corset underneath it again. It was incredibly tight, but Damon assured her that she looked amazing in it. She toyed with the pearl necklace around her throat and adjusted the gold B before smoothing out her brown wig. Damon had opted for the sexier version of Henry VIII. He was wearing a white billowy shirt that showed off part of his chest, a large chain around his shoulders, and tight pants with knee high leather boots.<p>

Elena spotted Buffy and Damon walk in and made her way over to them. "I didn't know you guys were coming."

"Willow invited us." Buffy said.

"Are you two seriously Anne Boleyn and Henry VIII?"

"We thought you'd appreciate it, Liz." Damon said.

"Well, you guys look amazing."

"You're not so bad yourself." Buffy said, toying with Elena's red wig.

"Where's Willow?" Damon asked, looking around. "Or should I say: where's Amelia Earhart?"

"She looks pretty awesome." Elena said. "Last time I saw her, she was talking to one of her professors near the bar."

"Is that Stefan?" Buffy asked.

"He came here with Caroline and Tyler. They're Bonnie and Clyde."

"How are you doing?"

Elena sighed. "Bonnie died 3 months ago, and what was I doing? I was having the summer of my life on the trip of a lifetime."

"Ah, guilt." Damon said. "Don't know it, but I've heard it can be a real bitch."

"I know it's not my fault that Bonnie died, but it is my fault for not figuring it out sooner."

"Elena, you are allowed to be happy once in a blue moon." Buffy said. "None of us knew about Bonnie."

"Except Jeremy." Damon said. "He was lying to us all summer."

"Damon." Buffy warned.

"I should've figured it out." Elena said. "I know that it's not the same, but I'm not gonna let Megan's death fall through the cracks, too." She looked over at a guy sulking around the party in a tuxedo shirt.

Buffy followed her gaze. "He's kinda cute. Who is he?"

"It's Megan's hometown friend, i.e. the latest person of interest in the Whitmore mystery. I'll be right back." Elena walked away to go talk to the tuxedo t-shirt guy.

Buffy looked over to see Damon texting Silas that Stefan was at the party. He put his phone back in his pants with a smirk and said, "Lady Anne Boleyn, who in their right mind would cut off a head so gorgeous?"

Buffy smiled and shook her head. "You, my king and not-so-loving husband."

"Well, maybe I can dance my way out of this doghouse."

"Maybe. We'll see." Buffy took his hand. "You can definitely buy me a drink while we search for Amelia."

Damon laughed. "Why do I feel like we're going to be looking for a long time?"

"Probably because people are still searching for the real Amelia. Fortunately for us, we're just searching for her doppelganger and we have experience in that field."

"That we do, Mrs. Salvatore."

"Speaking of doppelgangers, there's Stefan." Buffy said, motioning to Stefan at the bar. "And he's with Tessa."

"Nothing personal, little ex-boyfriend drama." Tessa was saying. "Let me make it up to you. Buy you an 'I'm sorry' drink?"

"More like an 'I'm sorry' keg." Damon said as he and Buffy joined them.

Stefan turned his back to Damon and gave Buffy a dazzling smile as he checked out her costume. "You look ravishing, Mistress Boleyn."

"Thank you. It's a good thing I don't need to breathe." Buffy said, tugging at the corset. "Can I talk to you a moment?" She glanced at Tessa. "Alone?"

"Sure." Stefan held out his arm and Buffy looped hers through it.

"Give us a minute, Damon." She said as she led Stefan off to another room.

"I have to say…. You look better as a blonde." Stefan said as he inspected her wig.

"Yeah. It's starting to itch, too. And who are you supposed to be?"

"Caroline tells me that I'm James Dean."

"Ah." She adjusted the collar on his leather jacket. "That's a good look for you."

"Are you hitting on me?"

Buffy shook her head. "Ew. Not a chance. Look, I know you think that I'm some victim in all of this, but I'm really not. Elena loves you. She was just confused because of a sire bond. But that's gone now. Damon loves me. He would never cheat on me with someone he views as a daughter. Even though it takes a very large amount of alcohol for him to admit that."

"From what Tessa told me…."

"Stefan, Tessa is insane. I'm telling you because I love you…. and I really miss you. I know you don't have your memories, but you were one of my best friends. For a while, you were my only best friend because Damon killed mine."

"He killed Willow?"

"No. He killed Lexi. Who you would remember as your very best friend…."

"Until my brother killed her."

Buffy shot him an annoyed glare. "Who you would remember if the crazy bitch hadn't fried your brain." She smiled slightly and playfully punched him in the shoulder. "It was you and me against the world for a while after Lexi died, brother."

"Until you married your best friend's killer."

"It all worked out. She was a bridesmaid at the wedding with a couple of my other best friends…. Dead and alive."

"You seem have a lot of best friends. Should I be offended?"

"Well, to me, if I call you a best friend, it means I consider you family."

"If you and Damon are married, then we are _officially_ family."

Buffy smiled. "Yes, but I considered you a brother long before Damon and I even got together."

That caused Stefan to smile and give her a tight hug. "God, that corset isn't cheap." He said, poking the strict boning that had jabbed him.

"No. It was pretty expensive. I was assured that it was a very good corset and that it is as authentic to the time period as possible…. Without killing any whales." She tugged at the corset again. "How the hell anyone could stand to be in one of these for longer than an hour is beyond me! Anyway, I have a favor to ask of you…. As my best friend and brother in law."

"Ok. Shoot."

"So, Damon has come up with this crazy ass plan to bring Elena's best friend back from the dead, but in order to enact said crazy ass plan, we need to help someone else out."

"I don't think I'm going to like where this is going."

"Yeah? Join the club. I lost the vote, so I've got to go along with it. Damon was just going to jump right in, but I'm going to be a little more civilized about it and give you a choice."

"Sounds like Damon isn't going to give me a choice either way."

Buffy shrugged. "I won't let him if you choose not to help. But even without your memories, I have faith that you're still the same Stefan."

Stefan sighed. "Ok. What do you need from me?"

"I need to break your neck so you can be temporarily out of it so we can help Silas become mortal so he can do the spell to bring Bonnie back and kill himself in the process." He blinked at her, processing everything that she'd said. "Look, I know Silas is the bad guy and I will take every pleasure in watching him die, but we're going to try and get something good out of it."

"Refresh my memory. Bonnie is…."

"Elena's best friend who died bringing Elena's little bother…. My adopted son…. Back to life. She did an amazing thing and we'd like to try and repay her by bringing her back to life."

"You said you lost the vote."

"I don't want to work with Silas. I don't trust him as far as a chipmunk could throw him. But I won't sacrifice my best friend Willow to bring back Bonnie. So, Silas is the only witch that I know who's willing to die and bring Bonnie back."

"And you need to snap my neck why?"

"Because the binding link gets temporarily severed when you're temporarily dead and Silas can read Tessa's mind to find out where this thingamabob is that will destroy the Other Side so he can die. It's a long and complicated story and honestly, I kind of tuned some of it out. I got the gist of it, though. But I promise, it won't take long. You'll only be out for a little while."

Stefan sighed. "I'm trusting you."

"You'll do it?"

"Yes. I'll do it. It seems to be important to you and I like you. I also trust you because you told me the truth and didn't break my neck on the sly. So, go ahead." Stefan closed his eyes and steeled himself to have his neck broken.

Buffy reached up and gently took his head between her hands. "I promise it'll be as quick as possible. And I'm sorry." She quickly turned Stefan's head and broke his neck. He collapsed and Buffy caught him, awkwardly carrying him over to a chair and sitting him down.

Damon walked in with Silas. "I thought I was going to do that."

"Hurry up. I promised him he wouldn't be out long."  
>"You asked him?"<p>

"Of course I did. I'm nice." Buffy took Stefan's jacket off and handed it to Silas. "So, get moving."

"Daylight ring, please?" Silas said.

Buffy sighed and took Stefan's ring, tossing it to Silas. "I want that back."

"You will have it back ASAP, Mrs. Salvatore." Silas gave a slight bow and walked out of the room.

She sneered at his retreating back. "I really don't like him."

Willow walked into the room and looked at Stefan's unconscious form. "Um…."

"Will, you look amazing!" Buffy said with a bright smile.

"So do you guys…. Uh, what's going on? Is that Stefan or Silas?"

"Oh, that's Stefan."

"Is he ok?"

"He's fine. I just broke his neck."

"You…. What!? Why?"

Buffy sighed. "Because Silas needs to read Tessa's mind so he can figure out where this anchor thing is so he can get rid of the Other Side, kill himself, and bring Bonnie back to life in the process." Willow stared at Buffy like she'd lost her mind. "It was Damon's plan. I lost the vote."

"It's an insane plan!"

"I said that."

"Damon, bringing Bonnie back could kill Jeremy. Her death was the balance that brought him back."

"I said that, too."

"We have to try." Damon said.

"And working with Silas!? What is wrong with you!?" Willow cried.

"Ok, keep your voice down. We don't need you to cause a scene. Yes, I know all about the possible consequences thanks to my lovely yet berating wife. We even put it to a vote."

"With who? Klaus and Rebekah?"

"Actually, Klaus was against it like me, but I promised that Rebekah could be the tie breaker because she's impartial." Buffy said.

Willow blinked at Buffy. "So basically you've lost it too?"

"Yeah. Pretty much." Buffy sighed. "Look, as much as I'm against it…. Bonnie deserves a second chance at life. What she did for Jeremy…. It was amazing. And if this works, then she'll be back."

"But Jeremy could be dead again."

Buffy looked away. "It's his choice."

"You left it up to a teenager? A teenager who has done some pretty dumb teenagery things not that long ago?"

Buffy sighed. "Jeremy's been through a lot. Yes, he's a teenager, but he's also grown up."

"He was expelled for getting into a fight only a couple of weeks ago."

"Willow, tone down the judgment. Jeremy is _my_ kid and _I_ think he's capable of understanding what's at stake."

"Then why did you bring in Rebekah?"

"Because _I_ know what's at stake and _I_ really don't like it. But I know there are choices that I made that my mother didn't like. She hated a lot of them, but she let me make them because they were mine and I had to learn from them. If you have a better spell to offer to the situation, then I'm all ears."

Willow sighed and looked away. "I don't have anything that isn't dark magic and won't sacrifice an innocent human life."

"I didn't think so."

"If I had an Urn of Osiris…."

"You don't. It's gone. So, we're in it now. Let's just see how this pans out. Could you please go out there and keep an eye on Tessa and Silas? I'd like to make sure this happens quickly."

"Yeah, I guess." Willow turned and walked out.

"Boy, she's pissed." Damon said.

"Yeah? So am I." Buffy sank into the chair near Stefan and let out a groan. "Ugh! I can't even sulk in this damn thing."

"But you look hot."

"I'm glad you decided to go with the Jonathan Rhys Meyers Henry VIII instead of the Eric Bana one. I can't picture you in all those layers."

Damon leaned over her, bracing himself on the back of the chair. "That shade of red is particularly fetching on you Mistress Boleyn."  
>"Why thank you, Your Majesty." She tilted her head back to allow Damon to kiss her.<p>

"Would this be considered makeup sex?" He asked against her lips.

"We're not having sex right now." Buffy ran her hands against his exposed chest.

"Oh why not?"

Stefan groaned beside them and Buffy gestured at him. "That's why."

"That was fast."

"He's been drinking human blood."

"Is it done yet?" Stefan asked groggily.

Buffy leaned towards him. "Sadly, it's not. I know I promised it would be over quick. Do you mind?"

He sighed. "Go ahead."

Damon snapped Stefan's neck quickly and his wife leveled a glare at him. "What?" He asked.

"You're very rude."

"It's an endearing quality."

"Not all the time." Buffy stood up and moved around the room. They'd ended up in a library. She ran her fingers across the spines of the books, reading the titles on them as she went by. "They should get some better books. For a college, this library kind of sucks."

"Not every school can stock their libraries with the history of the demonic world and spell books from other dimensions."

"They should strive to. It makes for a colorful syllabus to pepper your school days with."

"Oh, I love it when you talk academically. Gets me all hot under the collar."

Buffy rolled her eyes at him. "Silas needs to hurry this along. I'm not enjoying this party."

"All we have to do is lock the door…."

"I already said no."

"Stefan's not going to wake up for a little while."

"I love you, but I'm not going to have sex over your little brother's unconscious body."

"It wouldn't be _over_ his body." He pouted.

"Hit me up later after we get home and my answer will be different."

"I'll take you up on that." Damon grabbed a random book off the shelf and sat down in Buffy's vacated chair. "Let's see what fascinating read I've chosen to pass the time." He looked down at the book with a smile that faded. "_To Kill A Mockingbird_."

"I had to read that three years in a row back in school for English class. It is _not_ my favorite book."

Damon tossed it over his shoulder. "Mine either." He started rummaging through a drawer in the end table next to him. "Oh! Cards. We could play strip poker."

"Good luck getting me out of this corset and then back into it." Buffy wandered over to the displays and looked in on a few of them. "Not sure why people find old cups to be exciting." She tapped on the glass with a fingernail. "Where are the weapons? Those are the exciting things."

Damon followed her into the next room where there were more exhibits. "I don't think these stuffy Whitmore people will have anything interesting like weapons."

"Well, Tessa sure thinks there's something here."

"Why do you say that?"

"She's here. And not just for a good time. She's probably looking for something."

"We can't know what unless Silas reads her mind and tells us."

"Which he won't. But Willow might be able to tell what Tessa's after." Buffy turned and looked at Damon. "She's a powerful witch. Why wouldn't she be able to sense something mystical that a witch would be after?"

"You are a genius."

"Stay here and watch over Stefan. I'll go find Willow." Buffy kissed Damon quickly and rushed out to find Willow. She found her talking to a professor off near an exhibit room. "Hey."

Willow excused herself and walked away with Buffy. "Don't worry, I've been keeping an eye on Tessa. She's dancing with Silas."

"I know. I need your help finding something."

"What are we looking for?"

"Whatever Tessa is here for. Do you think you can find it?"

"What is it?"

"I don't know. It's got to be mystical, though. Why else would she be after it?"

"You want me to find a mystical thingy, but you don't know what the thingy is?"

"Yeah. Can you do it?"

Willow shrugged. "Probably." The two of them headed into the exhibit room. There were velvet ropes marking these particular exhibits closed, but that didn't stop them. They stepped over and walked in. "Ok, something mystical a witch would be after."

Willow held her hands out to her sides, palms up, and closed her eyes. She mumbled something under her breath and opened her eyes. They were completely white. Buffy watched as she dropped one hand and the other extended out in front of her. She followed Willow across the floor towards what looked like an open display of old jewelry. Willow's hand floated over the display and her eyes faded from white back to dark green. She plucked up one of the necklaces that was a plain, square, wooden pendant on a leather string.

"That's it?" Buffy asked, eyeing the unassuming necklace.

"It's radiating magic." Willow held it up to eye level.

"Doesn't look like much."

"It's got to be what Tessa wants. She probably used this to channel her power through to boost her power for spells." The red head smiled and put the necklace in her pocket. "Mine now."

Buffy smiled as they headed back for the party. "I'm such a bad influence on you."

"I blame Faith. She made you steal."

"I stole things before that. Makeup, mostly."

Willow chuckled. "So are we done with Tessa and Silas?"

"Not by a long shot. We've still got to cure Silas, have him do that spell to bring Bonnie back, and destroy the Other Side so he can be with his lady love for all eternity."

"Isn't the cure in Katherine?"

Buffy smiled. "That's the best part. He has to kill Katherine to get the cure."

"I never thought I'd be happy about you actually killing a human, but I'm actually kinda giddy about that part of the plan."

"I was going to make Katherine suffer for a while…. A really long while…. Before I actually killed her, but now…. She's human and though it does take away torturing her for a few hundred years, I don't think I could make her as miserable as she is as a human. Now I can't wait to feed her to Silas." Buffy walked back into the room where she'd left Damon with Stefan, but Stefan was gone and Damon was lying unconscious on the floor with a broken neck. "Damon!" She dropped to her knees and bit into her wrist, feeding Damon her blood. His neck let out an audible pop as it healed and he gasped. "What happened?"

Damon groaned. "Stefan happened. He wasn't too happy about me snapping his neck like I did."

"Where did he go?" Willow asked.

"I don't know. I was a bit dead at the time." He sat up with Buffy's help. "Did you guys find what Tessa was looking for?"

"I think so." Willow held up the necklace from her pocket.

"That's it?" Damon asked incredulously.

"That's it. I'll keep it with me. You guys go find and deal with Silas." Willow put the necklace back in her pocket. "I'll see you later."

"Thanks for helping." Buffy called after her.

"She's mad." Damon said.

"She's right to be." Buffy said as she helped her husband to his feet. "We shouldn't be helping Silas and we should definitely not be taking this risk with Jeremy."

"It's his choice."

"I know it is, but it doesn't mean I have to like it."

Damon sighed. "Let's go find Silas and get this over with."

* * *

><p>Buffy and Elena sat on one couch while a desiccated Silas laid on the other. They'd found him like that in the room where Buffy and Willow had stolen the necklace Tessa had been after. She was obviously pissed about her necklace and that Silas had tricked her. Damon was pouring some drinks for himself and Buffy across the room.<p>

"So, Professor Blondie knows about vampires?" Buffy asked.

"He said that if I don't drop out of school, the wrong people are gonna start asking the right questions." Elena said.

"I should have a talk with him about encouraging my kid to drop out of school. What are you gonna do?"

"I don't know, but all I do know is that finding out the truth about Megan isn't gonna bring Bonnie back."

"Well, neither is a desiccated Silas in our living room." Damon said, walking over and handing Buffy her drink.

"So, the only way for Silas to trade in his life for Bonnie's is if he's a witch, but the only way to become a witch is to have the cure."

"Yep."

Someone knocked on the door and Elena looked in that direction, then at Damon. "What?"

"Now, who could that be?" Damon smiled brightly and put his drink down, heading for the door.

Buffy stood up with a blank look on her face as she watched Damon open the door for Katherine. "What's so urgent? I'm on the run." She walked inside. "Don't exactly have time for a pit stop." She spotted Silas on the couch. "Or maybe I do. Maybe I have all the time in the world. Katherine Pierce eludes death yet again! Ha, ha! And you people finally did something right for once. How does it feel?"

"Thrilling." Buffy said.

Katherine heard the threat in Buffy's voice and turned around to see it on her face. "Buffy, no."

Buffy used her incredibly fast speed to grab Katherine by the back of her head, knotting the hair between her fingers. "He needs the cure to become a witch." She let her fangs drop and her eyes change and she yanked Katherine's head to the side. She bit into her neck and tore into it, making the wound bleed profusely.

Katherine screamed as Buffy dragged her over to Silas. She looked over at Damon and Elena watching impassively. "No! No. No. No, Buffy. No, no, please! He needs all of my blood. It'll kill me, Buffy. Buffy, please, I don't want to die. I don't want to die, Buffy. I don't want to die. Please."

"Yeah? And what did you think Jeremy wanted when you did this to him? Good bye, Katherine." Buffy shoved Katherine's severed neck into Silas mouth, just like Katherine had done to Jeremy. She held her head there as Silas gulped down her blood, gaining the strength to hold her himself. Katherine struggled right up until the end. They watched Silas let go of her and she fell to the floor.

Buffy stared at Katherine with a satisfied look on her face, but it melted into that of shock when she heard a heartbeat coming from the supposed-to-be-dead Katherine. "Do you hear that?" Damon asked.

"You've got to be kidding me." Buffy groaned.

"Takes a licking, keeps on ticking."

Katherine opened her eyes and started breathing again. She looked at Buffy, Damon, and Elena. "Am I in hell?"

"Not yet, but I can arrange it." Buffy growled. Katherine obviously didn't have the strength to move, but she managed to find it when she realized Buffy was completely serious about killing her. She struggled to her feet and ran out as fast as she could.

Silas opened his eyes with a smile. "You, Mrs. Salvatore, are terrifying."

"And you're human again."

He got to his feet. "Why, yes I am." Buffy, Elena, and Damon watched Silas strut out of the house.

"Where's he going?" Elena asked.

"To be human, I guess." Damon said. He turned to Buffy. "Well, I guess _tomorrow_ is the day we bring Bonnie back."

"Guess so." Buffy said.

"What's say _tonight_ we head upstairs and you make good on that promise you made me earlier?" He held his hand out to her and she smiled slightly, taking it.

"What do I do?" Elena asked.

"Get some sleep." Damon called over his shoulder as he and Buffy left the room.


	90. Chapter 89

_**A/N Sorry about all the delays. Got a lot on my plate right now. **_

_**I also wanted to take this time to mention that I'm not following the cannon from the Buffy comic books. I'm not their biggest fan. I'm going with what I feel is right for THIS story and trying to blend the mythology from both worlds. Yes, Willow is super powerful, but she's also got rules to follow (just like all witches do) and there are certain magics that she wants to stay away from because, as she knows all too well, they're dangerous and she has a tendency to go overboard with the dark magics.**_

* * *

><p>Chapter 89<p>

Buffy and Damon laid in bed in their room and picked at some grapes and cheese on a plate between them. "This is nice." Buffy said, letting Damon feed her a grape before he kissed her.

"It is nice." Damon said against her lips.

"It kind of reminds me of our honeymoon."

"How so?"

"Oh, you know…. Quiet, peaceful…. Our life rocks when it's like this."

"Yeah, but it is our life and just like our honeymoon, it means that somebody's going to kick down that peaceful door and shatter the peace and quiet."

Buffy let out a groan. "Don't jinx it!"

"In 10…. 9…."

Buffy used her super and was suddenly on top of Damon, pinning him to the bed with his arms above his head. "Can't you just let me enjoy the moment?"

"…. 6…. 5…."

"Damon!"

"…. 3…. 2…."

Buffy shoved her lips onto his to silence him, but of course the door burst open and Silas strolled in, opening the curtains with his magic.

"1…." Damon groaned.

"Good morning, frenemies! You know, I'm only a few hours into my old life as a witch, but somehow, the sun feels warmer." Silas walked to the window and let the sun hit his face. "Probably because I'm not cursed with having to outlive it anymore."

"What's with the home invasion, Silas?" Damon asked, sitting up as Buffy moved to sit between his legs.

"Well Damon, after 2,000 years of a miserable existence, I finally get to die."

"Sounds like fun." Buffy growled.

"Oh, I'm sorry…. Was I interrupting something?"

"Only our lives, but we'll get over it once you're dead." The blonde got up and walked around Silas, heading out into the hallway. "Elena!"

"I think I pissed her off." Silas said to Damon.

"We don't get a lot of nice moments to ourselves when we're home."

"I really am sorry." Silas said. "As an advocate for true love and someone who has been denied the same thing you two have, I completely understand. I could go ahead and kill myself and not bother you."

Damon rolled his eyes. "Nope. One: You're not getting out of this. And two: I thought you were rooting for Buffy and Angel."

Silas shrugged. "I'm evil, remember? I like to drive wedges. Obviously it didn't work. You two are pretty solid." He looked around him at the room. "This is a lovely room."

Damon shook his head in confusion. "Thanks."

Buffy walked back in with Elena. "Ok, so how does this work?" Elena asked.

"We all know that Tessa was a real vengeful bitch. Your doppelgänger, Amara died at her hands, but today, after 2,000 years, Amara and I will finally reunite." Silas said.

"Skip the mushy parts." Damon said. "My wife here is just trying to have a good day, and there are promises that she's expecting you to keep."

"Oh, you don't think that I keep my promises?"

Buffy glared at him and Elena said, "You said that now that you're a witch again, you would bring Bonnie back from the other side."

"I did and I can."

"And you promised Damon you would do that if he helped you." Buffy said.

"Yeah."

"But you're kind of evil. No offense." Elena said.

"None taken."

"So we're just trying to figure out how we can trust that one of your last acts in the world will be to bring my kid's best friend back." Buffy said.

"Did you want me to pinky swear?"

"It's weird that you even know what a pinky swear is."

"Just tell her how it's gonna go down." Damon said.

"I just want to destroy the other side so I don't get stuck in that pit of a purgatory when I finally do kill myself." Silas said. "Before I do that, I'll bring Bonnie back. And being the amazing and incredible and all-powerful witch I am, I can totally do both things. I just have to find the anchor first and destroy it."

Buffy raised an eyebrow. "The anchor?"

"It's the object Tessa used to bind the spell when she created the other side. If I destroy it, the spell is broken. No more supernatural limbo."

"And I'm going to go out on a limb and say that you know where this anchor is."

"I do. It's in New Jersey."

Damon shook his head. "New Jersey? The supernatural other-world is bound by an object in Snooki's backyard?"

"It's in a stockyard and it's being shipped out. So, we really need to…." Behind Silas Jeremy had walked into the room carrying a crossbow. Silas trailed off and sighed. "Hello, hunter. Banner day for you, huh? Didn't you and the Bennett witch used to…." Silas clicked his tongue suggestively and whistled.

"Hey, knock it off." Elena snapped. "Ok? It's ok Jer. We all want the same thing today. Silas dead, Bonnie alive."

"Yeah."

"AKA, put the damn crossbow down, Pocahontas." Damon said.

"We're just supposed to believe that he's going to bring Bonnie back to life out of the goodness of his heart?" Jeremy asked.

"Well, I hope not. I mean, I am kind of a monster." Silas said.

Buffy walked over and took the crossbow from Jeremy. "I told you to stay out of my weapons stash." She turned and casually pointed the crossbow in Silas' direction. "However, I'm actually with Jeremy right now. I really want to pull this trigger and my aim is better than his. So, let's hit the road before I 'accidentally' send you to the Other Side ahead of schedule."

"You know, guys, I'm feeling really ganged up on right now. K? I would hate to lose my temper and do something…." Silas raised his hand up, fire shooting from his fingers. "Crazy." While Elena and Damon took a step back, Buffy walked over and blew out Silas's fingers. He laughed quietly at her annoyed face. "Ah. Man, I really love being a witch again. I feel like I'm constantly reinventing myself. I'm like a supernatural Madonna, don't you think?"

"I think _Madonna_ is a supernatural Madonna. You're just a bored witch past his expiration date. Get packed. We're leaving for Jersey." Buffy disengaged the crossbow and took it back to her weapons' room. Her phone rang and she answered it. "Hey, Will."

"Tessa is locked in that cabin until the sun goes down." Willow said.

"Thanks. That gets her out of our hair for today. Apparently we're headed for Jersey."

"She's pissed about that necklace being missing."

"Oh well. Point for our team for getting it first."

"I've decommissioned it so even if she finds a way to get it back, she won't be able to use it."

"I wonder what she wanted it for."

"Guess we'll never know. I've got to head to class. Talk to you later."

"Bye, Will."

Thirty minutes later, they were all gathered downstairs. "All right. We gotta get going." Silas turned to Jeremy. "You grab a crowbar, or 4 from the garage."

"What for?" Jeremy asked.

"Does it matter?" Silas looked at Elena. "You are not going. Men only." He glanced at Buffy. "And Slayer."

"Are you serious?" Elena looked at Buffy. "He's not serious."

"Actually, I'm 100% serious." Silas said before Buffy could answer. "She's a freaky carbon-copy of my one true love, Amara. You can understand why I don't want to stare at her imposter face all day."

"That makes no sense." Damon said.

"It would make complete sense if you were ever in love with somebody who looked exactly like her."

"This is ridiculous." Elena snapped. "We're bringing my best friend back from the dead. I'm going."

Silas raised his arm up and summoned an arrow from Jeremy's set, sending it flying into Elena's leg. "Hey!" Buffy yelled, running over to her to help Elena pull the arrow from her leg.

"The next one goes in the heart."

"Yes, it does." Buffy suddenly had Silas pinned to the wall with the arrow just above his heart. "Yours. I'm not entirely for this plan, so I don't really have too many qualms about killing you and leaving your ass stuck on the Other Side." She smiled slightly when she felt him trying to use magic on her mind. "You can't mess with me. My best friend is a witch and you're not getting through her many, many layers of protection spells." Buffy released Silas and threw the arrow into the wall beside his head. "Let's get going. We have until sundown before Tessa tries to stop you."

"What do you mean?" Silas asked.

Buffy just smiled as she headed for the door. "We'll be back Elena."

"But…." Elena started.

"We don't have time to argue. Go find Stefan and make sure he's ok."

Elena groaned. "Fine. I'll go find Stefan."

* * *

><p>"Thank God." Damon said as they pulled up to a warehouse near the docks in Jersey. Buffy had been on the phone with Stefan for the last ten minutes. He was at Tessa's house. Elena had already contacted him and he was telling her that she was mad at Buffy and Damon for snapping Stefan's neck to help Silas. Stefan had tried explaining that he wasn't mad at Buffy, so Elena shouldn't be either, but Elena was mad that no one had involved her.<p>

Buffy got out of the car and hung up the phone. "I just tried Elena. She's mad enough that she didn't answer me."

"She'll get over it." Jeremy said. "Especially once we bring Bonnie back."

Buffy lowered her voice so Silas couldn't hear. "Yeah, but she'll probably be even more mad if she goes over to Tessa's to talk to Stefan and gets stuck in the house with them."

"Why would she get stuck?" Jeremy asked.

"Willow put a spell on Tessa's house to keep her locked in for the day. Hopefully that'll be long enough for us to get this over with."

"Smart."

"I didn't think of it. It was Willow's idea."

"It's still smart."

Damon stood by the door to the warehouse. "Are you two done with the whispering finally?"

"Yes, honey. Let's break into the warehouse now." Buffy smiled and walked up to join her husband. He sighed and broke the door handle. He held the door open for Buffy before following her in. "Ok." Buffy looked at the thousands of crates in front of them. "Where is this anchor thingy?"

"I have no idea." Silas said.

"What do you mean you have no idea?"

"Give me some credit, woman. I did psychically dive into Tessa's mind to see this specific warehouse."  
>"What does it look like?" Jeremy asked.<p>

"Again, I have no idea. Tessa created it after she locked me away in a tomb for 2,000 years and left me to starve. Remember? Remote island, creepy hallucinations?"

"Wait…. You don't know where it is or what it looks like?" Damon asked.

"It binds a spell to a supernatural hell dimension. It's not going to look like a freaking IKEA sink." Silas turned to Buffy. "You're a supernatural bloodhound. Start sniffing."

Buffy narrowed her eyes at Silas and took a step towards him. Damon caught her arms and turned her around. "We can split up and start looking. Buffy, you're with me."

"I thought we were splitting up." Buffy said.

"Either he wants to get nasty with you in a dirty warehouse or he's trying to keep you from killing me." Silas said. "Or both."

"Just…. Go start looking." Damon snapped, pulling Buffy towards another corner of the warehouse.

"Ugh! That guy just bugs me." Buffy groaned as they started picking through boxes.

"I know. We'll be rid of him soon enough."

"I mean, why can't things just be super easy for once? See bad guy, kill bad guy, celebrate with champagne in our big ass tub."

Damon chuckled. "Where's the fun in easy?"

"Oh, I don't know. The celebrating in the big ass tub sounds like fun."

He smiled and dropped the lid of the crate he was looking through. Walking over behind Buffy, he wrapped his arms around her waist and kissed her shoulder. "You're right. That does sound fun."

"Quit dawdling." Silas said, walking by. "We need to find this thing before the Travelers show up."

Buffy and Damon both groaned and released each other. "Why are they so interested in this anchor?" Damon asked.

"They hate me for creating the immortality spell and they know the anchor's the only thing standing between me and my soul mate. Every love story needs to have one thing that keeps getting in the way. Kind of like you, Damon."

"Uh, in case you missed the memo," Damon held up his left hand to show the white gold wedding band there. "I got the girl. Looks like I'm ahead of you in that game." Silas rolled his eyes and walked away. Damon smiled. "Ha!"

Buffy's phone rang and she pulled it out of her pocket. It was Stefan. "Hey, Stef. How's it going?"

"Do I have you to thank for being stuck in this cabin?" Tessa asked.

"Ah, Tessa…. The all annoying witch. Actually, no. You can thank Willow for that."

"Well, since I'm occupied at the moment, I need you to go ahead and kill Silas for me."

"Well, he's kind of a control freak and he really wants to off himself…. Himself. I'd tell him to see a shrink about that whole suicide thing, but frankly…. I'm cheering him on. Kill away, little Silas!"

"You mean, after he destroys the Other Side? Yeah, that's not gonna happen. Plus I want him dead before he has the pleasure of finding the anchor."

"Not following. Splainy?"

"Kill him. Now."

"Buffy…." Elena said in the background. Buffy looked up at the ceiling in exasperation.

"Did I mention I lured your brat here to me? I used the oldest trick in the book: jealousy of Stefan! Thought you should know."

"Gee, thanks." Buffy heard Elena start yelling in pain and Stefan yelling her name. "Stop it! Stop hurting her! I can't kill him yet. He has to do something for me first."

"Is that something more important than Elena? Because your little witchy BFF put a spell on this house and bound it to the sun, which means we're trapped here until sundown, which means you have until then to kill Silas or I kill Elena. With a face like Amara's, it might be cathartic. Bye now." Tessa hung up.

Buffy started to throw the phone, but Damon caught it. "Let's not break another phone. Our provider is going to stop providing you with new phones."

"You need to save Elena." Bonnie said, suddenly appearing behind Damon.

Buffy sighed. "I know!"

Damon looked behind him, confused. "Oh, did Bonnie follow us?"

"Looks like."

"I'll tell Jeremy to meet you outside." Bonnie walked off in one direction and Buffy led Damon towards the door.

A few minutes later, Jeremy walked out and joined them. "We can't kill Silas. Silas is the only one who can bring Bonnie back and he's not going to bring her back until right before he destroys the Other Side."

"Yeah. Well Tessa wants to do it now." Buffy snapped. "Something tells me patience isn't her strong suit."

"You promised. You promised Elena that she would see Bonnie again."

"You don't think I'm aware of that?"

"Look at it this way," Damon said. "If Tessa kills Elena, guess who's not going to make it to Bonnie's welcome home party?"

"The plan's off Jeremy. Bonnie's not coming back. I'm sorry. And I'm sorry to Bonnie. Maybe Willow can figure something else out." Buffy's attention moved to the warehouse and she disappeared, the door slamming shut the only evidence of where she'd gone.

"Sul opraem chele kouzlo." A man said, standing in front Buffy.

She cocked her head in confusion. "I've met a lot of witches in my short time on this world. I can honestly say that I've never quite heard that one before." Another guy appeared behind her followed by a two more. "No, don't tell me…. You must be Travelers." All of them began to chant the same words and Buffy's daylight ring began to malfunction. Her skin began to boil and she jerked her arm away. "That's a bit rude, going for my ring."

Damon appeared behind the Traveler in front of Buffy and the guy collapsed, his heart ripped from his chest. "Nobody messes with my wife."

"You're too sweet." Buffy turned to the other Travelers. "You know, we're about to do your little euro-tribe a favor. We wanna kill Silas too."

"That's the problem." One of them said. "We don't want him dead yet."

"Well, that's not gonna work for us." Damon said. He grabbed a blade from the next Traveler closest to him and threw it into another Traveler's chest.

Buffy sighed and ripped out the heart of the last Traveler. "Ugh! I hate doing that. I never have a towel on hand to clean up."

Damon smirked and grabbed one of the cloth tarps covering a pile of crates. "Here."

"Thank you." Buffy wiped the blood off her hand as her phone started ringing. "That's probably Tessa again."

"Impatient bitch."

"Well, the blood's not off my hand yet, so she'll have to wait a minute."

"Want me to answer it?"

"No. I want her to wait." Buffy smiled brightly as she cleaned her hand off. When she was satisfied, she pulled out her cell phone and answered it. "Hello!"

"Is he dead yet?" Tessa snapped.

"There you are." Damon said as Jeremy walked in. "Man up. We're under attack."

"Nope." Buffy said to Tessa. "He's not dead yet. I was just ambushed by some of your travelling circus inbred cousins. Any idea why Travelers, who hate Silas, would want to stop me from killing him?"

"They probably want his blood."

"For the cure? They're not immortal. Who do they want it for?"

"Think about it, Buffy. The Travelers aren't fans of immortality. I had to bind the Other Side to something, something that would last forever, something that Silas couldn't destroy."

"His snuggley security blanket he's had since birth?"

"Something a little closer to his heart. 2,000 years old, immortal, indestructible. You're a quick girl, Buffy. Figure it out." Tessa hung up and Buffy put her phone back in her pocket.

"What did she say?" Damon asked.

"No way."

"Well, that makes sense since she wants Silas dead and he's not."

"No…. Well, that, yeah…. But, well…. Tessa may be insane, but she's a genius. 2,000 years old, immortal, indestructible."

"I'm not sure if you're babbling or…."

"The anchor isn't a thing. It's a person."

"What?" Jeremy asked.

"She never killed Amara. She made Amara the anchor."

"That is genius!" Damon said.

"Right!?" Buffy shook her head. "So…. I'm thinking now that we probably need to find her. Or Silas."

"Or both. Jeremy, you go that way." Damon said, pointing towards another corner of the warehouse. "Buffy…."

"I'll head back outside and loop around the place. See if I can hear anything from Silas…. Or if there's any more Travelers."

"And I guess I'll head this way." Damon turned and headed in the opposite direction of Jeremy.

Buffy headed back outside and started around the warehouse. She heard a choking noise among some crates in an alleyway and headed for them. The smell of blood drifted to her just before she heard someone muttering and stumbling into things. A girl who looked like Elena with blood around her mouth stumbled around a stack of crates a moment later.

"Stop talking. It's not up to you. Leave me alone. Leave me alone. Please, leave me alone. Leave me alone." Amara saw Buffy standing there and moved closer to her. "Are you real?"

"Uh…. Are you?" Buffy asked, feeling a bit confused.

* * *

><p>Stefan and Elena walked through the front door. They obviously didn't see Buffy, Damon, and Jeremy sitting in the living room. "Well, uh, have a good night." Stefan said.<p>

"Yeah. It's weird. Even with no memory, you're still you."

"Well, Tessa was gonna kill you, and you don't seem like you deserve that, so I was just going on instinct, that's all."

"Exactly. That's what I'm saying. Your instincts were always to protect me, so, thank you for…. for just being you."

"Well, have a good night."

"Stefan Salvatore sleeps in his own bed tonight." Damon said as Stefan headed up the stairs. Buffy shot him a glare. "Does that mean he stopped hating us or did the power of the doppelgänger universe push him into the car with you?"

"Well, he…. Uh…. Saved my life, so I'll take that as not hate." Elena said.

"Victory in a day otherwise marred by failure." Damon lifted his bottle of bourbon and Jeremy raised his glass.

Elena looked at him with a shocked face and turned eyes to Buffy. Buffy shrugged and took a drink from her glass. "We didn't get Bonnie back. He gets a pass." She said.

"Did I say anything?" Elena asked.

"You were shooting me judgy eyes."

"Tell her it's for the best, Jer." Bonnie said behind Buffy, causing her to jump and spill her drink.

"Warn me!" Buffy snapped, getting up and wiping the liquid off her pants and shirt.

"Sorry. Just…. Please tell Elena that it's for the best."

"No." Jeremy said. "No, I won't because it's not."

"What did I miss?" Damon asked.

"Bonnie's here."

"And she needs to ring a bell when she decides to play the Ghost of Christmas Past. At least he had chains to rattle." Buffy said.

"She wants us not to worry." Jeremy said.

"We're gonna keep trying, Bonnie." Elena said, obviously not able to see her. "Ok? It's not over. We've dealt with much worse."

"Well, Silas is M.I.A. and out and about, which is pretty bad." Damon said.

"And Amara's been cured, which is even worse because now she's easy to kill, so the fate of the Other Side, where Bonnie currently resides, rests on a living, breathing human being that we now need to protect." Buffy added.

"We need to protect?" Elena asked.

Buffy wlaked over and wrapped an arm around Elena's shoulders, guiding her towards the door. "Take a walk with me." Damon got up and followed them out to where Buffy's car was parked. He opened the trunk to reveal Amara wearing a piece of fabric covering her mouth. That didn't stop her from screaming when she saw Elena.

"Elena, meet Crazy Pants. Crazy Pants, meet Elena." Damon said.


	91. Chapter 90

_**A/N Knocked another one out. Hope you guys enjoy it!**_

Chapter 90

Buffy turned around when Stefan woke up with a gasp. She finished setting the tray down on the desk and walked over to the bed. "Hey." She said with a sympathetic smile.

"Hey." Stefan said, confused.

"Sorry. I'm not trying to be creepy, overbearing little sister, but you didn't sleep very well last night. I heard you yelling." She sat down on the edge of the bed as he sat up and handed him a mug. "I made you coffee."

"Thanks."

"So, bad nightmares, huh?"

"Yeah."

"I had them too…. A long time ago when I came back from the dead…. And woke up in my own coffin."

Stefan reached out and squeezed her hand. "I still say that they should've dug you up first. There's not really a way to tell if someone came back from the dead when they're six feet under."

Buffy smiled and laughed. "Probably." She reached out and gripped his hand. "Wait!" Buffy blinked. "What did you say?"

"You heard me."

"How do you remember that?"

"Because my memories are back."

"Are you serious? How? Did Willow…."

"No. Tessa came here last night and she undid whatever spell fried my brain and it's all back. I can remember everything."

"Stefan, this is great!" She grabbed Stefan into a tight hug.

"You know…. I walk in on this way too much." Damon said from the doorway. "I thought when we got married it would stop, but lo and behold…."

Buffy turned around with a bright smile. "Stefan has his memories back, Damon!"

"What? How?"

"Tessa showed up last night and gave them back."

"Are you sure?" Stefan lifted an eyebrow at him. "Ok, a test. November 5, 1847."

"That's my birthday."

"October 1852."

"You broke my nose trying to teach me how to throw a right hook."

"But not on purpose." Damon looked at Buffy. "Just to be clear." She smiled and he looked back at Stefan. "How much did you pay for that hunk of junk motorcycle you ride?"

"That's a trick question. You bought me that motorcycle, although I'm guessing it was pretty expensive."

"So Tessa just gave you back your memories, no strings attached?"

"Well it wasn't exactly a gift. It was a lot to take in at once, everything from blowing out the candles on my first birthday cake to drowning in a safe."

Buffy's face went from bright and smiling to concerned and frowning as Stefan seemed to venture off into his own world. And it seemed to be a tortured world. "Stefan?" Stefan was holding his coffee mug a little too tight and it shattered in his hand.

"Whoa! Easy there, buddy." Damon said.

"Hey, Stef…." Buffy gently took his hand and started cleaning the broken mug out of his hand. "Where did you go?"

"All that and I still can't remember my own strength." Stefan said, wincing as Buffy pulled a large shard of mug from his skin. Before Buffy could answer, there was a loud bang from the basement. "What was that noise?"

"Uh, that is…." Buffy started.

"We have a situation." Damon said. "Of the doppelgänger variety."

"Katherine?" Stefan asked.

"No, nope, not Katherine."

Stefan stood up. "Then what doppelgänger are we talking about?"

"Amara." Buffy said. "Tessa made Amara the anchor to the Other Side."

"Silas's Amara?"

"The one and only." Damon said.

"Why is she in the basement?"

"Suicide watch. She's a bit…. Well, she's a nutter." Buffy said.

Stefan put on a shirt and headed downstairs to the basement with Buffy and Damon behind him. Amara was locked in the dungeon room screaming and trying to cut loose from her handcuffs. She was screaming that she didn't know.

"What's wrong with her?" Stefan asked.

"Tessa turned her into a block of rock, left her in a box for 2,000 years, probably went a little stir crazy like those deserted island guys who talk to volleyballs." Damon said.

"Oh yeah! Castaway. Tom Hanks." Buffy said. "Interesting movie."

"So, you're telling me that this girl is the only thing holding together the other side?" Stefan asked.

"Yep. She's the anchor."

"Leave me alone!" Tessa screamed.

"As long as she's alive, the other side exists, and we can keep trying to get Bonnie from over there." Damon said.

"Well, considering she's immortal, I'd say we have plenty of opportunity." Stefan said.

"You'd think, except last night she stuck a hole in Silas' neck and sucked the cure right out of him." Buffy said. "Now not only is she completely bonkers, she's completely mortal…. Which means we have to keep her completely human heart beating until we get Bonnie back."

"How would you plan to do that?"

"Silas made a pinky promise that he'd do a spell to bring her back."

"Unfortunately, he's taking his sweet time coming back to Mystic Falls." Damon added. Inside the cell, Amara started to gnaw at her wrist.

"It's your turn, buddy." Buffy said. "I stopped her last attempt."

Damon groaned and opened the door, grabbing Amara's wrist away from her mouth. "Amara, stop!"

"No! No! Let me die. I want to die!" Amara screamed.

"Let's hope love is blind or at least deaf." Damon said over Amara's head. He looked at Buffy "And it's your turn to call Silas."

Buffy rolled her eyes. "Fine." She pulled out her cell phone and walked upstairs. Stefan decided to go with her and followed her up. They wandered into the dining room and Buffy sat down in the head chair by the window.

"Hello, Buffy." Silas said, finally answering his phone.

"Glad you decided to pick up your phone after thirteen previous calls. Is your secretary out sick?" Buffy asked.

"They prefer administrative assistants now, thank you very much. I learned that on the bus. Very nice people on here, by the way."

"You're taking a bus? A bus? Really? We're in a little bit of a rush over here."

"Yeah, but you know what's great about the bus? Open road, Buffy. There's all this time to think, watch every day human beings in their normal environment. Did you know that gas is over $3.00 a gallon at the moment? It seems to really concern a lot of people."

"Oh my god! Seriously? This is not a time to have an every-man crisis. We need you back here to resurrect Bonnie before your off-her-rocker soul mate actually throws herself off her rocker and destroys the Other Side."

"Yeah. I've been thinking about that. Amara needs to die."

"Um…. What?"

"My poor Amara, all those years trapped in stone clearly left her unhinged, so look, if she doesn't want to spend another moment on this earth, then I'm more than happy to put her out of her misery and spend the rest of eternity in the afterlife with her, but listen, if you want to go ahead and kill her and save me the trouble, then please, by all means."

"How about no? Not till you bring Bonnie back. You pinky promised."

"I've been thinking about that, too, Buffy. Remember when I told you that the universe is working to draw our doppelgängers together and your husband laughed in my face? Well, if you don't bring Bonnie back from the Other Side, then you'll be breaking your promise to Elena, and…. Since I'm evil…. The idea of jeopardizing your relationship with your daughter brings me this perverse amount of joy. So I've decided not to help you and I will see you soon. I'm looking forward to all this being over. Bye." Silas hung up.

Buffy shook her head. "Um…. Did we forget that Elena was against this plan in the first place? Idiot." She put her phone back in her pocket.

"Who's an idiot?" Elena asked as she walked into the room. "Hey Stefan."

"Hey, Elena."

Buffy looked between the two and smiled slightly. "So were there sparks when you were Amnesia Stefan?"  
>"Wait…. Were?" Elena asked. "Stefan, you have your memories back?"<p>

"Yeah. Uh, Tessa showed up last night."

"Oh."

"It wasn't a nice show up." Buffy said. "She pretty much mind raped him." Stefan shot Buffy a glare, but she just smiled at him. "Just making sure there's no feelings of jealousy." Buffy winked at him and turned to Elena. "And I was saying that Silas is an idiot. He wants us to kill Amara. Or let her kill herself."

"But if she dies, then the Other Side is gone." Elena sat down. "Bonnie will be gone."

"Yeah."

"We need to buy some more time, protect Amara. Maybe we should move her somewhere else."

"Silas is a witch." Damon said, joining the conversation. "He's a living, breathing, GPS tracking device. He'll track her wherever we take her."

"We can't let him anywhere near her until he brings Bonnie back."

"Weren't you listening to anything?" Stefan asked. "He's not gonna bring her back."

"So, what, I should just give up? Come on, Stefan. You got your memory back. You know me probably better than anyone else. Do you really think that I'm gonna give up?"

"You know what? You're right. I do know you. You put your hope in all the wrong places and sometimes in the wrong people. Silas needs to die and put us all out of our misery."

"So long as he's alive, I'm holding out hope that he can still help us."

"Well, as someone who just spent the last 3 months at the bottom of a quarry because of the guy, I wouldn't hold your breath, pun intended. Silas needs to die, and I need to be the one to kill him, end of story." Stefan stormed out of the room.

"What's his problem?" Damon asked.

"He had a bad night." Buffy said. Damon and Elena both turned to look at Buffy. "What? You guys didn't hear him yelling last night?" She looked at Damon. "What am I saying? A tornado wouldn't wake you up."

"That's not true."

"Some mornings it takes me just short of an air horn and large bucket of ice water to wake you up."

"How are you that deep of a sleeper?" Elena asked him.

Damon shrugged. "I, uh…. I feel safe." He looked at Elena's shocked face. "What? You spend over a century making enemies, you don't exactly get a good nights' sleep." He looked at Buffy. "Since you walked into my life…. I feel…. Safe."

"Well, I am a Slayer." Buffy said.

"No, it's not just that." He took her hands. "I've never really had anyone who has my back like you do. I feel safe because I know you're going to be there for me. Even when I'm a crazy, evil, jerk."

Buffy smiled and pulled him closer. "It's because you're my fungus man."

"Should I be grossed out by that?" Elena asked.

Damon laughed. "No. She calls me that because she says that I grew on her like a fungus."

"Ok, now it's kinda sweet."

"Thanks." Buffy said.

Jeremy walked upstairs with Bonnie right behind him. "Guys! Bonnie just thought of something amazing!"

"What?" Elena asked.

"Amara could see Bonnie, and Bonnie could touch her. They made physical contact. It's like Amara's got a foot on each side or something."

"Amara exists in both places at once? Here and the Other Side?"

"Then she's not crazy crazy." Damon said.

"She's just talking to dead supernatural beings roaming around in our basement." Buffy said. "That makes me feel warm and fuzzy."

"That's not the point." Bonnie said.

"The point is if Silas isn't gonna help us, what if Bonnie could be the same thing?" Jeremy asked. "What if she existed on both sides at once? What if she became the anchor?"

"You're right." Elena said. "Jeremy, you're right. So, all we would need is Willow to do that spell." Elena looked at Buffy.

"I'll call her and ask." Buffy said. She pulled her phone out of her pocket and headed for the library as she called Willow.

"Hello, Buffy." Willow said cheerily when she picked up.

"Hello, Willow. How's school?"

"Boring today. All my fun classes are in the beginning of the week."

Buffy laughed slightly. "Well, all classes are boring to me."

"You never were good with school."

"Hated it."

"So, what's up?"

"We need you for a spell."

"What kind of spell?"

"Well, let me give you a little backstory. We found the anchor. And the anchor isn't a thing. It's a person. A very specific person. A person named Amara."

"Silas's girlfriend?"

"The one and only."

"How is she the anchor? I thought she was human."

"Was. Well…. Actually, Tessa made her an immortal hunk of rock for 2,000 years and she got woken up. Sucked Silas nearly dry to take the cure and now she's human…. Again. Now she's on suicide watch down in our basement."

"Fun."

"And now Silas wants us to kill her so he can do the whole love eternal in death thing."

"He backed out on his promise? How surprising. So, what's the spell?"

"Well, Amara is the anchor to the Other Side. That makes her a part of both sides. Here and there. So, Jeremy and Bonnie figured that the anchor could be transferred from Amara to Bonnie. That would make Bonnie technically, sort of, well, alive again."

"She'd still be dead, but everyone could see her. Not just Jeremy…. And sometimes you."

"Yes."

"I could give it a try, but Tessa made the anchor. It's her spell. I'd have a better chance of making it work with her help."

"You seriously want us to ask for her help after we locked her in her house all day yesterday? She was so pissed about it, she came here last night and forced Stefan's memories back on him."

"Poor Stefan. All 160 something years at once? That's a lot to take in."

"He had nightmares last night."

"I can imagine. Ok, so…. I think Tessa will help. I mean, Silas wants Amara to die and Amara wants Amara to die. So other than us, Tessa has the biggest stake against letting that happen."

"I guess that could work."

"Send your husband to ask. He's charming."

"I think I'll go with him because his charming comes with an expiration date for most people."

Willow laughed. "I'm on my way. The rest of my classes be damned."

"Thanks." Buffy hung up and called for her husband.

* * *

><p>Tessa opened the door to her cabin and found Damon and Buffy on the porch. Damon gave her a charming smile. "I was hoping we could talk." He said.<p>

"And I was hoping you were my Chinese food. Good bye." Tessa tried to close the door, but Damon stopped it.

"You remember Amara, right? Brunette, brown eyes, little bit crazy from 2,000 years as a rock?"

"What about her?" Tessa walked back into the house and Buffy and Damon followed.

"She took the cure, she wants to die, and we have her." Buffy said.

"But she's alive?"

"For now."

"Silas is literally on his way to kill her." Damon said. "He's completely obsessed with destroying the Other Side so that he and Amara can live happily ever after in the great beyond."

"You were right about these doppelgängers. They do always end up together. How does it feel to say, 'I told you so'?"

"Like I want to shoot fireballs at Silas and drown him in acid." Tessa said.

"See? That's what we thought." Damon said.

"So, how would you feel about us making a deal?" Buffy asked.

Tessa sighed. "I'm listening."

Buffy looked up at Damon. "Would you like to do the honors?"

Damon smiled. "Why sure. So, here's our pitch. In order to keep the Other Side in place, you need something to anchor the spell, right? Something powerful? Like an immortal being powerful? Now, Amara was obviously a great choice until she downed the cure. So, would you consider someone who's dead but stuck on the Other Side a viable candidate?"

"An anchor swap?" Tessa asked.

"We've got a volunteer." Buffy said.

"I'd be making a ghost a human toll booth between our side and the Other Side, giving her the power to interact with our physical world and the supernatural purgatory."

"So what's the problem?" Damon asked.

"I need a massive amount of power to do a transfer spell like that."

"I've got a witch with that much power." Buffy said. "She's on her way to help."

"I can't draw on another witch's power."

"You're not going to need to. Willow's going to do it. You're just going to help since it's your spell."

"We'll still need something to draw on. The moon's not full…. I don't think there's a worthy comet for another couple billion years…."

"Well, you're a big girl. I'm sure you'll come up with something valid for Willow to work with." Buffy turned and started to leave.

"Doppelgängers. They're powerful, mystical, naturally recurring."

"You want doppelgänger blood?" Damon asked. "We've got doppelgängers coming out of our ears. How many do you want?"

"Damon!" Buffy snapped. "I'm sure there's a different way to do it without bleeding our kid and her freaky twins."

* * *

><p>"Doppelgänger blood will work." Willow said. She, Damon, Buffy, and Tessa were standing in the living room of the boarding house.<p>

"Are you serious?" Buffy asked. "There's nothing else?"

"It's Tessa's spell. Not mine. If she drew on something powerful to make it work, then that's what we'll have to do for this spell."

"What would you draw on?"

"The Earth. There would probably be a dead spot in the woods where nothing would grow again for a couple hundred years, but I'm sure Tessa's not that advanced." Willow smiled at her.

"I need my necklace." Tessa said, holding out her hand.

"I decommissioned it. You're just going to have to have some help."

"Why would you decommission it?"

"Because you don't need that kind of power, you psychotic fool." Willow smiled and turned around. "I'll be gathering some supplies from the kitchen if you need me."

"Ok." Buffy said, watching the red head walk away.

"So, where's the ancient boyfriend-stealing bitch?" Tessa said.

"This way." Damon gestured towards the basement door.

It was Elena's turn to watch over Amara. She stood up as they approached. "Does she really have to be here?"

"If Willow says she does…." Buffy said, obviously not happy with it either.  
>"Don't worry, Elena. Fate says that you get to be with Stefan. Not me. I've got Silas." Tessa sneered. "Now open the door."<p>

"A please wouldn't kill you." Elena said as she opened the door to reveal Amara tied to a chair.

"That'll be all." Tessa walked in and closed the door. "Well, if it isn't the face that launched a thousand doppelgängers. A little birdie told me you aren't enjoying your immortal life." She grabbed Amara's face. "2,000 years, you have nothing to say to me? No apology?"

"I'm sorry." Amara said.

"What was that?"

"I'm sorry."

"Oh."

"That is what you want to hear, isn't it? How I have suffered, how every moment of my life has been a living hell? It has! My sin was falling in love, and I've learned my lesson. You win. You won. Now, please, kill me. Please. Please kill me!"

"Don't worry. When I make someone else the anchor, I will, and since you're nothing more than a non-supernatural human, you'll pass on while Silas is trapped on the Other Side, and then you and Silas, you're gonna spend eternity apart and that is gonna be kind of fantastic for me. Selfishly speaking."

"She's a breath of fresh air." Damon said sarcastically, heading back up the stairs.

"We're going to need you in a little bit, Elena." Buffy said. "You and Amara."

"What for?" Elena asked.

"A spell." Damon said, shutting the basement door behind him.

* * *

><p>"Ok, Buffy…. You stand right here." Willow said, positioning her off to the side of the table where Katherine, Amara, and Elena all stood.<p>

"And I need to be here…. Why?" Buffy asked.

"You're…. Our…. Physical connection to Bonnie."

"Jeremy can't do it? Damon and I were going to…. Well, none of your business, but we were going to."

"I'd rather have you here. Now, is Bonnie here?"

Buffy looked around the room and saw Bonnie walk in. Bonnie waved at her and came to stand next to her. "Yeah. She's right next to me."

"Good. It is ok that we're using her grimoire, right?"

Buffy looked at Bonnie. "Yeah. It's ok." Bonnie said.

"She says it's good." Buffy said. "So, if we have her grimoire, why do you need me?"

Willow sighed. "Because I want you here." She turned around and walked over to the table as Tessa walked in and set Bonnie's grimoire on it.

"What is that?" Amara asked.

"It's Bonnie's grimoire." Elena explained.

"A grim what?"

"It's a magic spell book." Katherine said. "Idiot."

"It's a talisman." Willow said. "Since Bonnie can't physically be here, her grimoire will have to do. Tessa…."

"Hands in, palms up." Amara extended her arm shyly but Tessa grabbed her and cut her palm with a blade that had been on the table. The blood fell on the grimoire. "Sorry, love. Did that hurt?"

"I've been through worse." Amara said.

Katherine held out her arm. "Easy, ok? I'm fragile these days." She grabbed the blade while Tessa was holding it by the handle, squeezing it enough that it cut her. She winced in pain and the blood fell on the grimoire as well. Elena smiled and extended her hand to Tessa who just punctured her hand with the tip of the blade. She kept smiling and looked at Katherine while the blood fell on the grimoire, showing no signs of pain.

"Showoff." Katherine said.

Tessa began to cast the spell while Willow stared at her. The blood of all the three doppelgängers formed a triquetra on the grimoire. All the candles flared up before suddenly going out. "No." Tessa said.

"Is it done?" Katherine asked.

"No, it's not done."

The wind started to blow through the room. The lights cracked with electricity and the bulbs exploded. Buffy glanced at Willow and realized it wasn't her. "Silas." Buffy called over to roaring wind.

"Show yourself, bastard!" Tessa screamed.

The room went dark suddenly. "I can't see anything. Can you?" Katherine asked.

"I can see perfectly fine." Buffy said, moving towards the door.

Damon walked in with a flashlight and met Buffy at the door. "Electricity's out in the whole house. What happened?"

"Silas is here."

"Well, Silas owes us a fuse box. Hang on. I only count two doppelgängers. Where's crazy pants?"

"And where's the other crazy?" Elena asked.

Buffy turned around and realized that Tessa and Amara were gone. "Stefan was here. I can smell him. He probably took Amara. Willow?"

"I've got enough to finish the spell." Willow said. "Tessa's powers are pretty much Criss Angel weak."

"What's going on?" Elena asked.

"While Tessa was performing that spell, Willow was draining the spell from her." Buffy explained.

"I was trying to drain _all_ of her magic from her." Willow said. "That way she would be dead dead instead of on the Other Side. Didn't plan on Silas getting back so soon."

"Ok, Elena stay here with Willow. We're going to go find Crazy One and Crazy Two." Damon said.

"But…." Elena started to protest.

"Stay." Buffy ordered, walking out with Damon. They split up and agreed to meet back up by the front door. Buffy found Tessa bleeding to death in the library from a crowbar to her shoulder. She decided to leave her there since she was definitely not going anywhere. After a sweep of the downstairs and the basement, Buffy met back up with Damon. "I found Tessa, but there's no sign of Stefan or Amara."

"They're definitely not inside." Damon said.

"Stefan took her. We have to find him before he gets himself killed."

"No. He's luring Silas away so he can finish this. It's typical Stefan. He'll be fine."

"Damon, he's not thinking clearly. Silas may have been the one that put him in that safe, but we were supposed to get him out of it. We need to find him because we can't lose him again."

Damon took her hands and kissed her forehead to calm her down. "Ok. Let's go find him."

They headed outside and Buffy took a step away, breathing in the night air. She caught the faint scent of Stefan and turned towards it, heading off in that direction. Damon tried to keep up with her, but she was using her super-super powers. Buffy dodged past the low hanging branches and twigs and deftly maneuvered over the downed trees and rocks. She finally made it to the small clearing where Silas was laying dead on the ground, Stefan was siting against a tree, and Amara was kneeling over Silas.

"Our eternity starts now." Amara said, just before she stabbed herself in the gut.

Buffy caught her before she fell over. Her wound was bad, as she'd meant it to be. Buffy wasn't sure if Willow was done with the spell, so there was no way Amara was dying yet. "Come on, Amara." She bit into her wrist and fed Amara her blood as Damon made it into the clearing. "Drink this. Come on." Amara started convulsing and threw up any blood she had taken in. "What…. Ok, stay with me. Just for a little while longer…."

"I've been in hell for 2,000 years." Amara said weakly.

"What's another 5 minutes?"

"Let me die."

"Not yet. Come on, Amara! Five more minutes." Buffy sighed as Amara took her last breath and died in her arms. "Crap!"

"Willow was doing the spell when we left." Damon said. "Maybe it wasn't too late."

"I'm not sure if this was enough time." Buffy laid Amara down and stood up.

"Go." Stefan said. "Go find out. I'll stay here and deal with this."

Damon started to leave, but Buffy turned to Stefan and walked closer to him. "I hope this was what you needed, Stef." She gestured at Silas's body. "I hope now you can start healing."

"I…."

"I've missed you. A lot. And I'm sorry. I'm so, so sorry for not being here to save you." She hugged him tightly to her. "You know that if we had known, we wouldn't have stopped until you were safe."

"I know." Stefan hugged her back. He reached out for Damon and Damon joined the hug. "I'm not blaming you guys."

"It is a part of it, though." Damon said. "And we'll be here for you."

"Don't be afraid to ask for help, ok?" Buffy said.  
>"Ok." Stefan kissed her forehead. "Now go see if…."<p>

"Buffy!" Elena yelled, running up to them. "It worked! Willow's spell worked! Bonnie's back!"

"That's great!" Buffy said, hugging Elena tightly.

Elena noticed Silas's body laying on the ground. "Oh…."

"Stefan killed him." Damon said.

"So, he's dead? It's over?"

"Yeah, it's over." Stefan said.

"We'll meet you guys back at the house." Buffy said, pulling Damon away.

"Are you ok?" Elena asked Stefan.

"I'm fine." Stefan said.

"Look at me and tell me that killing Silas worked. That you'll be ok now."

"Why is this so important to you?"

"Because I know how much he stole from you."

"Yeah, and he's dead."

"And because while you were suffering in that safe, grasping onto hope, fighting every second so you wouldn't lose your humanity…. I was happy. I got the summer of my dreams and I got Bonnie back….. So I need to know that this worked. I need to know that it's gonna take away all your suffering. I need to know that you're gonna be ok."

"I wanted it to be you. When that safe finally opened and somebody found me…. I wanted it to be you. I wanted it to be all of you." Stefan gestured at where Buffy and Damon had left the clearing.

"I'm sorry." Elena reached out and took his hand. "I wish I'd have known. I wish that I'd have listened to my uneasy feeling."

"I know." Stefan pulled her to him, hugging her tightly. "I know."

"I'm going to do everything I can to help you get back to the old Stefan, ok? I promise." Elena looked up at Stefan. "Ok?"

Stefan nodded. "Ok."


	92. Chapter 91

_**A/N New chapter! Yay! It's a long one, but I hope you all enjoy it.**_

Chapter 91

Buffy walked back and forth between Elena's suitcase and her dresser at the dorm. Since Bonnie's dad was dead and her mother was keeping her distance, Buffy had been elected to come help her get settled into college life. Damon was hanging out with Willow while Buffy stayed with the girls. Jeremy was roaming around campus checking the place out.

Bonnie moved around the room recording a video of herself on her cellphone. "Hi, Mom. I know we haven't seen each other, or talked in a while…. so I wanted to make you a video update. I finally finished my whirlwind summer tour, got a new do and I'm in college at Whitmore, where Grams taught. And this is my dorm! It's huge, right? It even has a fireplace! I mean, what dorm has a fireplace? There's Buffy." Buffy waved at the camera as she unpacked for Elena. "She's taking good care of me, so don't worry. She's a good mom." The door opened and Caroline and Elena walked in. They had been out gathering things for the welcome home party they were throwing for Bonnie. "Oh, here they are. Hey, guys! Say hi to my mom!" Caroline and Elena waved excitedly to the camera. "They're planning me a welcome party. Just something, just low-key. I miss you. Please come visit when you get a chance. I'll, um, talk to you soon. Bye!" She planted a kiss on the screen with her hand before ending the video.

"By the way, Mom; I'm not a witch anymore, because I died and then came back from the Other Side." Elena said, mimicking Bonnie's voice.

Caroline laughed and picked up the conversation. "Yeah, I'm this supernatural anchor that connects the two worlds together, so…."

"Technically, I'm a ghost, that people can still see, and touch, so…." Buffy finished.

"Ok, so I left out a detail…. Or two. I'll explain when she visits."

Buffy looked at the supplies the girls had gotten. "Um…. How big is this party going to be?"

"Well, let's see," Elena said. "Silas and Tessa are gone, and Bonnie finally isn't…."

"Which equals a massive cause for celebration!" Caroline said.

"Which equals a massive party. Hopefully. I mean, since each of us have only made one friend in college so far."

"And given that mine went radio silent after he kissed me, and yours was last seen at a tea party for a vampire-hating secret society…."

"Hmm…. Augustine, right?" Bonnie said. "The one who covered up your roommate's death and wants you kicked off from campus." Both girls gave her a look. Buffy wasn't surprised in the least bit. "What? I've kept up! The Other Side is boring. What else am I supposed to do?"

"All right." Elena said. "So, Augustine wants us gone. Who cares? It doesn't matter. It's not gonna happen. We're moving on with our lives, together, as functional vampires, a former witch, anchor-thing. I don't know. And we have a party."

"With Jell-O shots." Caroline said, holding up the cups.

Bonnie looked at her phone. "Oh, shoot. Um, I have to go register for classes." Buffy, Caroline, and Elena shared a look. "What?"

"Nothing." The three of them said. Bonnie turned around smiling.

"Have fun registering." Elena teased. Caroline grabbed Elena and acted like they were making out.

"Oh, my God! Oh, my God!" Bonnie rushed out of the room.

"I second that." Buffy said. "Let's not remind me that Jeremy is back into the sex scene."

"It's not like he can get her pregnant…. Right?" Caroline said.

"Uh…." Elena said.

"I don't want to know!" Buffy said.

"Where's Damon at?" Caroline asked.

"He's roaming around with Willow." Buffy finished putting the last of Elena's clothes in her dresser. "And I am going to go catch up with them."

"I'll come with you." Elena said, grabbing a stack of printed flyers. "I need to hand these out and I wanted to invite Aaron to the party."

"Are you crushing on him?"

"No. He just…. He seems like he needs a friend."

"She's crushing on Stefan." Caroline said.

"Caroline!"

"What? You are!"

"That's awesome." Buffy said, following Elena out the door. "I'm happy for you."

"He turned down my invitation." Elena said as they headed for the stairs.

"Well, he's going through a lot right now. Damon offered to stay with him, but he just wanted some alone time."

"I'm worried that he blames me for being down there for three months."

"He doesn't. Really, Elena, he doesn't. He's just going through…."

"A lot. I know."

"Torture like that isn't something you get over just like that." Buffy snapped her fingers. "He's going to take some time to heal."

"Could you put in a good word for me when you go back home?"

Buffy smiled slightly and pushed open the door to the bright sunlight. "I suppose."

"Thanks." The two of them made their way across the courtyard, heading for the cafeteria where Willow and Damon were supposed to be. Elena spotted Aaron walking ahead of them. "Hey! Aaron, hey!"

Aaron turned around. "Hi."

"Long time, no see. Hey. This is my legal guardian, Buffy."

"Hello." Buffy said, shaking Aaron's hand.

Elena handed him a flyer. "You're coming?"

Aaron glanced at the flyer. "Party in a dorm? No, thanks."

"I know what you're doing. You like to push people away, but the thing is…."

"How do you know that about me?"

"Because you told me at the costume ball…. When I compelled it out of you." Elena glanced at Buffy with a panicked look. "Ok." She grabbed Aaron by the shoulders, forcing him to meet her gaze. "Forget I said that, forget that I know anything. We're starting over. You're coming to my party. There will be free beer, and it will be really good for you."

"See you then." Aaron said with a smile.

"See you tonight!"

"Well, that was just a bit careless." Buffy said after Aaron was out of earshot. "Maybe I should stick around so you don't spill all of our secrets and make out with a moody mystery guy."

"The only moody mystery guy that I want to make out with is Stefan." Elena's eyes widened when she realized that she'd said that out loud.

Buffy laughed. "Your secret's safe with me…. And Caroline."

"Buffy!" Willow yelled from behind them. Buffy and Elena turned around to see Willow and Damon making their way towards them.

Damon picked up his pace and scooped Buffy up into his arms, kissing her. "There's my beautiful wife!"

"We weren't separated for very long." Buffy laughed.

"I know, but we've got a car ride home with just the two of us. I'm really looking forward to it." He slipped his hand in hers and kissed her again.  
>"Ew." Elena said, handing a flyer to Willow.<p>

"A party, huh?" Willow asked. "Are you sure I'm not too old?"

"Nah! You're more than welcome to come."

"She doesn't have a lot of friends here." Buffy explained. "Since she doesn't stick around long enough to make them."

"I get the hint. 'Go to class, Elena.'"

"Hey, we're not paying for you to skip classes."

"I know. I know. I'm going to go hand out flyers." Elena headed off towards the cafeteria where the most students were at this time of day.

"Try not to get kicked out of your dorm." Buffy called.

"I'll keep an eye on her." Willow said. "Make sure she doesn't get herself into any trouble."

"Thanks." Buffy realized she didn't have her purse. "Crap. I left it in the dorm."

"I'll go with you." Damon said.

"I've got a study group to get to." Willow said. "I'll see you guys later." She hugged Buffy quickly before trotting off.

Damon shook his head. "She is way too excited about higher education."

"She always has been." Buffy said, cuddling into Damon's side as they headed back towards the dorm.

"Let's hope our car ride home is nice, cause when we get home we've got a PTSD Stefan to deal with."

"Be nice. He's your brother and he needs our help."

"I know. I'm just saying if it's not one thing, it's another. I thought the first year of marriage was supposed to be the honeymoon phase. Then the realities of real life set in."

"We got a nice honeymoon."

"We did."

"It was longer than most honeymoons."

"True."

"So, I think we ended up with a fair trade off. A nice long honeymoon to get our lovey doveys out so our real life realities could resume as soon as we got back home."

"I guess." Damon held open the door to the dorm for Buffy. They headed upstairs to the girls' dorm and found Caroline sorting the booze in the fridge.

"Do me a favor and make sure you guys don't get arrested." Buffy said, heading over to Elena's dresser where her purse was sitting.

Caroline laughed. "We've got compulsion powers on our side."

The phone sitting on the dresser started ringing and Buffy picked it up. It was Caroline's phone. "Well, well, well…. Look who it is." She held out the phone to Caroline. "It's your hot biology TA."

Caroline smiled and answered it. "Well look who rose from the dead."

"I need your help." Jesse's voice said in a panicked tone.

"What happened, Jesse?"

"Just come to my room, please."

"Ok….. I'm coming, but what's going on?"

"It's a long story. My roomate's going to be home."

Caroline headed for the door with Buffy and Damon hot on her heels. "You're faster." She said to Buffy. "His dorm is number thirteen in the next building over."

"Go figure!" Buffy said, taking off with her super vampire speed. She broke the lock on dorm 13 and rushed in to find Jesse sucking violently on Aaron's neck. "Of course!" She pulled Jesse off of Aaron and shoved him back against the wall. Aaron collapsed to the floor. "Crap."

Damon and Caroline showed up a moment later. "Oh, my God!" Caroline cried. She noticed that Jesse's eyes were vamped out. "Who the hell turned you into a vampire?"

Jesse growled and Buffy pushed on his chest. "Deep breaths, baby vamp." Caroline and Damon moved Aaron up onto the couch. Buffy turned back to Jesse. "Good. Keep breathing through your mouth and tell us how you became a vampire."

"It was Wes Maxfield." Jesse said, taking deep breaths.

"The good professor?" Damon asked. "Really?"

"Hey sweetie, could you break into our stash that we brought Elena?" Buffy asked Damon.

"Sure." Damon kissed her quickly and headed out the door.

"He…. He kidnapped me. It was torture. I was in a cell all day and at night, he would take me out and do experiments on me."

"What kind of experiments?" Caroline asked.

"I don't know. He would starve me and then inject me with some weird blood. What am I supposed to tell my parents? They left me all of these messages. They're wondering where the hell I am."

"You're going to call them and tell them that you lost your phone, but you're ok." Buffy said. "Where's Wes now?"

"I locked him in his lab after I attacked him. Honestly, the whole escape was kind of a blur. I wasn't exactly in my right mind."

"Well, you're new and you're hungry." Caroline said.

"Not for long." Damon announced, walking back in with a cooler. "Got our stash. You and Elena need to put this in the fridge before it starts to curdle." He opened up the small cooler full of blood bags and took one out. He handed it to Jesse.

"Isn't that what the cooler is for?" Caroline asked.

"Not if there isn't any ice in there to keep them cool."

"Our stash?" Jesse asked. "You're vampires too?"

"Say it like it's a bad thing." Damon shook his head.

"Buffy's not just a vampire, either. She's a different, super vampire." Caroline said. Buffy shrugged and gestured at Jesse to drink up. He opened the blood bag and started drinking from it.

Damon glanced over at the unconscious Aaron. "Is he going to make it?"  
>"Elena might be mad if we let her first friend at college die…." Buffy said.<p>

"He's all right." Caroline said. "He's alive."

"Somebody should probably heal him." Damon said.

"I was thinking that Jesse could do it." Caroline turned to Jesse. "You're a vampire now. You may have hurt him, but you can also heal him with your blood." She grabbed Jesse's arm and bit into him. She guided Jesse over to Aaron and fed him his blood.

Jesse watched as Aaron began to wake up as his neck wound closed up. "Holy crap. That is insane."

"Who wants to teach him about compulsion?" Caroline asked enthusiastically.

* * *

><p>Wes Maxfield was tied up in his lab and just starting to come around. Caroline had taken Jesse to the dorm party and Buffy and Damon had gone to interrogate the good professor. Buffy was sitting by a table full of medical instruments while Damon was going through the things in the refrigerator.<p>

"What do you want?" Wes asked as he finally came all the way back to consciousness.

"What we want is to be headed back to our lovely abode back in Mystic Falls and making a few sexy pit stops on the way, but unfortunately, we can't do that until we get a bunch of answers out of you." Damon started playing with a tray of vials.

"Careful with those!"

"These?" He held up the tray of vials from the refrigerator. "These, right here? What? I mean, we're on a college campus, right? Full of students? I mean, I can't imagine an M.D. with a bunch of infectious diseases just lying around."

"M.D. PhD. I'm a researcher."

"That explains it." Buffy said sarcastically, inspecting a weird looking metal thing.

"I know a lot of people like you." Damon said, taking the tray over to a table. "Science over medicine, right? Let me guess. You use these on your little vampire lab rats, don'tcha?" Wes refused to answer Damon's question.

"Not in the mood to talk?" Buffy asked. "I'd rethink that. He really likes to torture people and there's a lot of cool stuff in here for him to use. And since he probably has no idea what half of it is, it's going to be interesting to see what he can come up with. I mean," She held up a weird looking tool. "What the hell is this?"

"It's a wire speculum." Wes said.

"Oh, _that_ question you'll answer?" Buffy rolled her eyes and tossed the crazy metal thing back on the table.

Damon selected a vial at random from the tray. "It's ok. We're going to play a little game, where I inject him with whatever the hell 'necrotizing fasciitis' is."

"It's a flesh-eating bacteria." Wes said.

"Gross." Buffy and Damon said.

"So, I'm going to do that and we're going to ask you a bunch of questions and if you answer us correctly, I'm going to give you some of my delicious vampire blood and heal you on up." Damon said.

"Is it weird that I don't want him to answer correctly cause I'm curious to see what a flesh eating bacteria looks like? I feel like the Discovery Channel isn't showing everything."

"Nah. It's not weird." Damon injected Wes with the necrotizing fasciitis.

Buffy leaned in close to their captive. "Wes, am I right? Does the Discovery Channel cut out the really bad stuff?"

"Probably." Wes said. He was starting to sweat.

"Well, I gotta say: Turning a kid into a vampire so you can experiment on him? That's a bit crazy. And wrong."

"She's a bit of an advocate against hurting kids." Damon said.

Buffy shrugged. "As someone who was forced into a life of death and destruction and no social life whatsoever at a very young age…. Can you blame me?"

Damon shook his head. "Nope."

Buffy nodded and turned back to Wes. "So, why, Wes? Why did you do it to Jesse?"

"Human trials are a vital part of modern medicine." Wes said.

"Don't people usually volunteer, or sign waivers to get some cash for tuition or beer?"

"Sometimes, you do what's necessary for the greater good."

"Do you know how many times I've heard that phrase uttered to me in my thirty two years?" When Wes didn't answer, Buffy waved her hand in front of his face. "That wasn't rhetorical."

"I don't know." Wes said.

"The answer is: a lot." Damon said.

"Correct." Buffy said. "And do you know how many times I haven't listened to it?"

"Every time?" Damon asked.

"Every time!" She turned and smiled at him. "You know me so well." Buffy turned back to Wes and her eyes were cold as ice. "There is absolutely nothing you can tell me that will justify hurting innocent kids."

"Oh, she brought out the Slayer. Not good for you."

"What's a Slayer?" Wes asked.

"Nope. No questions from you." Damon sat down next to Buffy. "So, I'm not the greatest guy in the world, but all of this sounds like some Mengele-level crap that you're spouting out, so I gotta ask, what is your greater good?" He pulled the cap off from a needle and held up a vial.

"What did you get this time?" Buffy asked.

"Rabies. Sounds fun, doesn't it? And appropriate, given the circumstances." Looking quite pleased with himself, Damon injected Wes with a vial of rabies.

"Ew. Foaming at the mouth."

"You're not a vampire?" Wes asked Buffy.

"Did you miss the part where you don't get to ask questions?"

"Rabies takes too long to set in. It takes a while. And apparently so does the flesh eating thing."

"I guess I'll find something a little more immediate." Damon got up and went back to the tray of vials.

"I wanted to turn Jesse into a new kind of vampire." Wes said.

"That's awfully ambitious of you." Buffy said.

"I'm awfully smart."

Damon rolled over on his chair to face Wes. He held up a little glass vial with some liquid inside. "Ebola." Buffy read on the label. She turned to Wes. "That's pretty immediate. So, tell us: Why?"

"Your kind…. Vampires…. Are dangerous to humans. You're dangerous because we're your food source. I want to change that. If vampires don't need to feed on humans, they're no longer a threat."

Buffy and Damon exchanged glances. "Yeah, we're not buying the good doctor bit." Damon said.

"Human blood will only satiate Jesse temporarily until he gets a taste of what he really craves."

"What does he really crave?" Buffy asked.

"Vampires."

Buffy shook her head. "Vampires? He craves his own kind?"

"Yes. And once he gets that taste in his mouth, he won't be able to stop."

"So vampire blood to him is like a can of Pringles? One drop and he can't stop?"

Damon chuckled. "That's good."

"Thanks." Buffy's phone started ringing and she stepped away to answer it. "Hello, Elena."

"Don't kill Wes." Elena said.

"Presumptuous much?"

"You're with Damon."

"That doesn't mean anything. Is that all you called for?"

"No! I also wanted to see if you've found anything out."

"Actually, we have. We just learned that Jesse craves vampire blood."

"Jesse feeds on…. vampires?"

"That's what Doogie said."

"Tell her about the Pringles." Damon said. "That was great."

"And I need to add that apparently once he starts, he can't stop."

"Hey…. Um, the fact that he told you this means that he's still alive, right?" Elena asked.

"For right now."

"Good. Please don't kill him, Buffy."

"I'll think about it."

"Tell me that you won't kill him."

Buffy sighed. "Ye of little faith. Fine. We won't kill him. Talk later." Buffy hung up and put her phone back in her pocket.

"Problem is," Damon said, looking at Wes. "I know people like you a lot better than you realize. If I let you live, you're just gonna do it again. You're gonna turn another vampire, you're gonna do another experiment. The only way to really handle you is just to snuff you out."

"You're lucky I don't feel like burying a body." Buffy said. She bit into her wrist and offered it to Wes, but just before Wes took the blood, Jesse stormed in.

"What the hell did you do to me?" Jesse yelled at Wes.

"Easy there, killer." Damon said.

"Wasn't bad enough that you locked me up and poked me full of needles? Now I want to feed on the girl I like?"

"You feed on monsters, Jesse." Wes said.

Jesse noticed Buffy's wrist with her blood on it. He smelled the blood and his eyes went dark. Buffy grabbed him by the neck and held him away from her. "You need to chill. I'm a lot stronger than you and…."

"Actually that's not 100% accurate." Wes said.

"Actually, it is." Buffy said, not even budging as Jesse tried to lunge at her. He clawed at her arm, trying to draw blood, but she moved faster than anyone's eyes could track and had Jesse pinned to the floor by his neck.

"What are you?" Wes asked.

"Your worst nightmare if you don't fix this."

"I can't reverse it."

"There has to be an antidote. You just need to work at it. Isn't that what you scientist types do? Create horrible viruses and their antidotes?" Buffy shot a look at Damon and he came over to hold Jesse down. She walked over to Wes and got very close to him, grabbing his face harshly and shoving a scalpel against his skin. "You are going to find a way to fix him or I am going to see what being a plastic surgeon is all about on your face." Buffy turned around at Damon's yell to see Jesse surge up and tackle him through the glass door and out into the hallway. She turned to Wes. "You are going to fix this, so start thinking up antidotes." She bit into her wrist and forced her blood into his mouth.

He jerked back. "That's not normal vampire blood."

"No, it's not. Now, stay here."

"Damon!" Elena yelled out in the hallway.

Buffy rushed out to find Jesse latched onto Damon's neck. "Jesse, let go." She ordered.  
>"He's gonna tear my head off, Buff!" Damon said, his voice getting weaker.<p>

Buffy grabbed Jesse's shirt and yanked, but the shirt just tore. Elena called her name and Buffy turned to catch a wooden piece from the broken door. She kept the momentum going and spun the stake into Jesse's back, not seeing Caroline walk in behind her.

"No! No!" Caroline yelled. Jesse fell on the floor and she rushed to help him. "No, Jesse! Jesse, come here. Hold on. Hold on. Just stay with me, please. Jesse, just stay with me, please." Buffy checked on Damon's neck and Caroline looked up at Buffy. "What did you do?"

"He was gonna kill Damon." Buffy said. "It was that or rip his head off."

"We promised that we would help him."

"I didn't have a choice. Once he had the taste of vampire blood, there was nothing stopping him."

"Go ask Dr. Frankenstein." Damon snapped.

"We need to deal with him." Buffy said.

"Right." Damon moved past her and headed into the lab.

Buffy looked at Caroline. "I'm sorry about Jesse." She followed Damon into the lab.

"You're looking less death-like." Damon said to Wes.

Wes ignored him and set his sights on Buffy. "What are you?"

"I'm none of your business." Buffy said. "Because of you, an innocent kid is dead."

"_You_ staked him."

"Because of what _you_ did to him!"

"I'm thinking your number may have just jumped to the front of the line." Damon said.

"Well, if you're gonna do it, I'd much rather prefer a bullet through the brain." Wes said.

"Actually we're gonna wait until we can compel all this out of your head." Buffy said. "That way you'll never do this to anyone ever again."

"What the hell's that?" Damon had grabbed the tray of vials and taken it back to the refrigerator. He was holding up a blood bag. "Why does this say 12144?"

"What do you care?" Wes snapped.

"Because I was 21051."

"What?" Buffy asked.

"21051." Wes said. "Hang on. You were an Augustine vampire?"

"What's an Augustine vampire?" Buffy asked.

"Augustine. I haven't heard that name in decades." Damon said, his eyes becoming distant and disturbed. Buffy walked over to him and placed a hand on his cheek. "Vampire lab rats, coded subject names…." He said quietly. "I thought you guys shut down 60 years ago."

"You thought wrong." Wes said.

Damon threw the blood bag back in the fridge and slammed the door shut. "You know how she said we weren't going to kill you? She lied." Damon started filling up a syringe from a vial. Wes suddenly jumped out of his restrains and tried to run away. Buffy was suddenly standing in front of him, but he'd made it to a red button on the wall and pressed. A gas released from the sprinklers above them and filled the lab with it. Damon fell to the ground coughing. Buffy released Wes and coughed, stumbling into the wall as she tried not to inhale the gas.

"Atomized vervain." Wes said. "When working with vampires, you can never be too careful. I'm sure Augustine will be thrilled to have you back, Damon." He turned to Buffy leaning heavily against the wall, desperately trying not to give in to the effects of the vervain. "And as for you…. I can't wait to find out what you are." Buffy coughed a few more times and the world went black.


	93. Chapter 92

_**A/N So sorry about the loooong dely. My router decided to die and I didn't have the money for a new one. Thanks to some awesome friends, I now have a new router. Chapter 93 is coming, I'm just not happy with it (still). I've been poking at the ending for a few weeks. Any helpful hints?**_

Chapter 92

Damon opened his eyes to see Wes Maxfield injecting him with vervain. "What the hell are you doing to me?" He demanded.

"Vervain. To keep you calm." Wes said.

"Wes? Why am I here?"

"I lost a test subject last night, and you're gonna replace him." Wes walked out and closed the gate to the cell.

"Where's Buffy?"

"Don't worry about it." Wes walked away and headed down the hall to where Buffy was strapped to a table.

"Where's Damon?" She demanded. "What have you done with him?"

"Oh no. I'll be the one asking questions. Let's start with: What are you?"

"I'm the one that's going to rip your throat out if you've done anything to Damon."

Wes picked up a recording device. "Subject 83182 doesn't respond to vervain like a normal vampire. It took a much longer time for the atomized vervain to affect the subject and the effects wore off much quicker." Buffy yanked at one of the restraints and it broke off. Wes panicked and grabbed a dart gun. Just as Buffy broke the other arm restraint, Wes shot her twice with vervain darts. Buffy groaned and started to undo her leg restraints. Wes shot her twice more and she slumped back. "Subject 83182 is also much stronger than an average vampire. Subject 21051 referred to her as a Slayer. What is a Slayer?"

He turned off the recording device and picked up an IV needle that was hooked up to a glass bottle with vervain water in it. He stuck the needle in Buffy's arm and made sure the drip worked. He went over and grabbed an empty blood bag and hooked up another IV to her other arm to begin draining her of blood while she was out. Grabbing his notebook, he headed back to Damon's cell and sat down in a chair outside of it.

Damon was sitting against a wall looking a little worse for the wear. While he'd been out, Wes had drained him of blood to keep him weak. "Where's my wife?" Damon demanded.

"I told you not to worry about it. You'll see her eventually." Wes said.

"Just so you know: didn't end well for the last Augustines. You're inviting bad karma in by holding me here."

"Is that what you told Dr. Whitmore?"

"Dr. Whitmore wasn't much for conversation. So you Augustine freaks are still at it, eye exams and that sort of thing?" Damon sat up a little straighter. "Is that where Buffy is? Are you hurting her?"

"Not at the moment. But your wife could be the key to the next level of my research. Jesse was proof that my research goes far beyond that. I trained him to crave vampire blood instead of human blood. I need to know what a Slayer is."

"You're barking up the wrong tree."

"Fine," Wes stood up. "I'll just go open her up and see what I find."

"Don't!" Damon sighed. "She's not just a vampire. She's a…. Sort of…. Hybrid…."  
>"A hybrid?"<p>

"A vampire/Vampire Slayer. I turned her, but she somehow ended up staying part Vampire Slayer."

"Vampire Slayer?"

"One girl in all the world? Built to kill vampires? All this time torturing vampires and you've never heard of them?"

"No."

"Well, now you know what she is. Let her go. She can't help you because she's not a normal vampire."

"I need to do some research." Wes got up and headed back into the lab where Buffy was nearly drained of her blood.

"You should start running." She threatened, even though her voice was weak. "When I get out of here, you're going to wish you'd never messed with me."

Wes ignored her and injected her with vervain mixed with an incredibly strong tranquilizer. She was out soon and he undid her leg restraints and carried her to the cell next to Damon's. Damon struggled to his feet when he saw the unconscious Buffy and grabbed the bars. "What did you do to her!?" He growled.

"Sedated her. She won't be out long." Wes dumped Buffy on the floor of the cell and locked her in. He ignored Damon growling and yelling obscenities and threats at him as he left.

Damon dropped to the floor and grabbed the bars in the little window between the cells. "Buff?" He reached through, trying to touch her, but his arm wasn't long enough. "Buffy? Come on, wake up, baby." He spent the next fifteen minutes trying to rouse her. She finally groaned and moved around, opening her eyes. They came to rest on Damon and she lit up, clearly happy she'd found him. "Hey." He said, relief evident in his voice.

"You're ok!" Buffy moved towards him and he could tell she was a lot weaker.

"I'm fine. What did he do to you?"

"He took most of my blood and pumped me full of vervain…. And I think elephant tranquilizers…."

"Maybe when it all wears off, we'll be able to…." Damon grabbed the bars and tried to shake them "Break through these."

"Where are we?"

"We're in an old residence of mine. It seems that Wes is carrying out the grand Augustine tradition: Getting his kicks off with vampire torture."

"I gathered that much." She crawled over to the window and laid down beside it, taking Damon's hand. "Well, I guess we have some time to kill while I get my strength back. Tell me about what happened."

Damon kissed her palm and squeezed it. "Someone in my family sold me out to the Augustines in 1953. Every day, this nut job Dr. Whitmore tortured us, cut into us, took pieces of our eyes out, pushed us to every limit he could imagine, and he had quite the imagination."

"Sounds like I have a lot to look forward to."

"Don't."

"Sorry. Gallows humor. How long were you here?"

"5 years, give or take."

"Sweetheart, why didn't you tell me about this?"

"It didn't matter. It was in the past."

"How did you not go crazy?"

"Believe it or not, I made a friend. He was in the cell you're in. Between breaks we used to dream up different revenge plans. His name was Enzo. He was a soldier in Europe during World War II."

"How did he end up here?"

"Dr. Whitmore was working in a battlefield hospital when he discovered Enzo was a vampire, so he drugged him, locked him in a coffin to ship him overseas. He'd been here for 10 years by the time I joined the party." Damon turned over on his back, still holding her hand, and looked over at her. "I am so, so sorry I got you caught up in this. I promise you I will get you out of here, ok?"

"I know that tone. I'm not going anywhere unless you're with me."

"I don't want you to go through what I went through. I couldn't bear it."

"And you think I could bear anyone torturing you while I just sit here? I'll get my strength back and we'll get out of here. Together."

Damon smiled slightly. "I love you."

"I love you." She squeezed his hand and moved closer to the window so she could slip her arm through and be a little closer to him. "How did you survive all those years?"

"Enzo's friendship kept me alive. He gave me a reason to hang on to my humanity."

"I'd like to thank him for that."

Damon shook his head. "There's more to this story, Buff."

"Then tell me."

"I'm scared I'm going to have enough time to go into every detail of those five years."

"I'll get my strength back."

"That's just it, Buff. Once your strength gets taken away, they make sure it doesn't come back."

"Fine. Then Stefan is going to figure out something's wrong when we don't come home and no one hears from us. He'll get Willow on the case, she'll do a spell and poof! We'll be out of here and the good professor will be a little warty toad we can smoosh under our boot heels."

"Points for optimism. But unfortunately, Stefan doesn't even know this place exists."

"You were here for 5 years."

"Yeah, and in the first year, I'd thought he'd rescue me. He didn't. Once I escaped, there was no point in giving him more to feel guilty about, so I never told him what happened here. I never told anyone."

"Well, you did escape…." She smiled at him. "Unless you've been a ghost for the last few years and you were leading me here to find you. Like that Reese Witherspoon movie where she was in a coma and the Hulk guy from _The Avengers _was living in her apartment." Damon let out a snort of laughter. "So, how did you do it? How did you escape?"

"They let us out of the basement once a year. Every New Year's Eve, the Augustine people had a little cocktail party with a vampire buffet on the side. We were weak from vervain injections, half-starved from living on a glass of blood a day, chained up like animals. This little annual shindig is where Dr. Whitmore got to show all of his Augustine friends what he'd found in his research. He let his guests drink from us to demonstrate the healing power of vampire blood. But on the plus side, that's how Enzo came up with his plan."

"What was the plan?"

"One of us would drink the other's ration. We would gain strength over the year and at the next party, we would get out of there."

"It worked, obviously."

"More or less."

"Ok…. The mood just got serious…. If that's even possible considering a measly human managed to best me, pump me full of drugs, and steal all of not only my blood, but my husband's too. What happened?"

"It doesn't matter. I got strong. I got out. It wasn't pretty. That's all you need to know." Damon stood up and moved towards the back of his cell.

"Ok, Mr. I'm-Hiding-Something."

"I'm not."

Buffy sat up and leaned against the wall beside the window. "Damon, you're my husband. I know when you're keeping something from me." Damon snorted. "Would you tell me what happened?" He was silent. "Doctor Annoys-A-Lot is gonna come back down here and you and I will be the latest Augustine experiments. So, start talking, babe. Tell me how you got out of here."

"You don't want to know."

"Is this a thing where you think I'm going to judge you? Cause I seriously stopped doing that a long time ago. I think it's all part of this weird thing where I love you." She heard Damon try to hide a chuckle. "Baby, these people tortured you for 5 years. Whatever you had to do, I don't care."

"All right. All right. The Augustines' next party was in 1958. I'd been drinking Enzo's rations for an entire year. I mean, he kept a few drops here and there so he wouldn't desiccate and as he starved himself, I got stronger from all the extra blood just like he said I would. Dr. Whitmore locked us in the cage as usual and I waited." Damon moved around the cell. "When he came to take blood from one of us, I made sure I was the one he grabbed. I let him think I was still weak and while I followed him, I broke my hand to get out of the chains holding me. When the good doctor turned around, I blinded him first and then I tore his throat out."

"He deserved it."

"Buff…."

"Sorry. Continue."

"While people were running away and while I was killing everyone I came across, a fire got started. Enzo was still trapped in the cage. I went over and tried to save him, but the bars were laced with vervain. Enzo trusted me with his life. The fire was getting out of control and I would have burned up…. or they would have captured me again. There's no way I would have ever gotten another chance of escaping. So I chose to save myself. And I knew if I was going to save myself…. That I had to stop caring about Enzo. So I turned off my emotions." Buffy closed her eyes and felt tears roll down her cheeks. "I left my friend to die. After that, everything was fine. Everything was fine."

"Damon, I am so sorry."

Damon snorted. "For what?"

"Don't. Don't do that. Don't play it off like this was nothing. This changed you dramatically."

"I'm fine."

"You're not. Damon…."

Suddenly the door leading to the line of cells flew open and Elena's little friend Aaron walked in. He looked shocked. "What the hell is this place?"

"Aaron?" Buffy asked.

"Great. Mini-Wes." Damon groaned.

"I didn't know what Wes was doing. I didn't even know there was a basement down here." Aaron said.

"Earth to Aaron." Buffy waved her hands at him. "Hi! You need to help us."

"I wanna know the truth." Aaron was trying to load a gun with wooden bullets, but he dropped some of the bullets.

"Slick hands, cowboy." Damon said.

"Yeah? Well, I've never used a gun before! And I never killed anyone either…. Unlike you."

"What are you talking about?" Buffy asked when she realized Aaron was talking to her.

"Wes said a vampire killed Megan." He aimed the gun at Buffy.

"And you thought it was Buffy?" Damon asked. "You don't even know her."

"Not to mention, I wasn't even here that weekend." Buffy said.

"Wes also said a vampire killed my parents." Aaron said. "Maybe that was you, too."

"I'm so confused right now. And it's not the lack of blood. Could you explain to me why you think I'm the crazy vampire that kills people around you?"  
>"Because you've had Elena asking questions about me."<p>

"Um…. No. Elena's been curious about you all on her own."

"Elena has been asking around about you all day with her boyfriend. She said she believed you were missing. She said that you had been with Wes when she'd seen you last. I came to ask him if he'd seen you and he…. He told me…."

"A bunch of lies?"

"They're not lies!"

"How do you know?"

"She's not the one that killed your parents." Damon said. "That was all me."

A stunned Aaron lowered the gun. "What did you just say?" He moved over to stand in front of Damon's cell, pointing the gun at him. "Start talking."

"Damon, what are you doing?" Buffy asked.

"In 1958, after the fire…. Enzo was dead, so I had to take on my revenge plan solo." Damon said. He took a deep breath. "After I had taken out the entire Augustine society, I was going to kill every member of the Whitmore family…. Except one person. I was going to let that person grow up…. Start a family…. And then I would start killing Whitmores again. And then I would take out the generation after that…. Leaving only one person to carry on the name…. And then I would take out the generation after that…. And so on, and so on, and so on. And that's exactly what I did."

"How many Whitmores have you killed?" Aaron asked.

"Since 1958? I lost count."

"When was the last one?" Buffy asked quietly. Damon didn't respond. "Damon, when was the last one?"

"A few months ago. Her name was Sara. Had to go all the way to Charleston to find her."

Buffy shook her head. "That weekend we took off after Elena got her emotions back? That's what that was for?"

"Just before we got married. Just before we started the summer of our lives."

"I…. I had no idea…."

"Told you it wasn't pretty."

Aaron shot Damon in his fury. Buffy screamed and dropped down to the window between the cells. He'd shot Damon in the forehead. She didn't even care that Aaron was leaving them locked in the cells. She just sat down in shock and stared at her unconscious husband. The trip to Charleston was supposed to be a quickie romantic getaway. They'd actually picked out their wedding bands on that trip. The two of them had been strolling down a cute little street and had passed the window of a little jewelry shop. The wedding bands had been on display and both of them had fallen in love with the rings.

"We don't need to have a date set to buy the wedding bands." Damon had said. "At this rate, we're never going to have an actual wedding anyway. We should just put the rings on and lie about running off to Vegas." Buffy had laughed and had been in such high spirits, she'd agreed that they should buy the rings.

She was so lost in her thoughts, she didn't even hear Wes come back down and shoot her with the vervain elephant tranquilizers. When she finally woke up, she realized she was strapped to a lab table again. Buffy shook her head and looked around at her surroundings. The room seemed slightly familiar, but she couldn't place it. She heard cheerful humming from somewhere in the room.

"What the hell?" Buffy pulled on the restraints, but she was still weak from blood loss, vervain, and tranquilizers.

"Ahh. Welcome." Buffy turned her head to find a handsome vampire strapped to a table next to her. "I'm 12144. My name's Enzo."


	94. Chapter 93

_**A/N Here it is! I think the ending came out good. I love Buffy's fight back attitude with Damon and how she knows which buttons to push. They're starting to resemble a happy old married couple... who just happen to be vampires.**_

Chapter 93

Damon punched the rock wall of his cell in frustration. He kept punching it over and over, not really sure of a coherent plan. All he knew was that when he'd woken up, Buffy was missing. Considering where they were, he knew that nothing good was happening to her. The only thought in his head was "save Buffy."

A big piece of rock fell from the wall and he reached down to pick it up. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw a glint on the floor outside the cell. Aaron had dropped a bullet when he had been there before. Damon laid on the floor and stretched his arm through the gate, reaching for the bullet. He managed to move it with the tip of his fingers and finally, after painstakingly slow seconds, he finally grabbed it. He pulled back into the cage and put the bullet inside the keyhole of the gate. He grabbed the rock again and hit the lock, causing the bullet to explode.

"Thank you, Mythbusters!" Damon muttered as he tried to open the gate. It didn't budge. "Stupid Mythbusters." He started to pound at the gate. "Come on!" Damon shook the gate furiously before starting to kick it in frustration. After one good kick, it popped open. "Yes! Buffy!" Damon took off running in the direction of the lab where he'd been tortured. He burst through the door. "Buffy!" But the place was empty. "Buffy?" Damon grabbed a table and flipped it across the room angrily before running out to find his wife.

He rushed around campus, desperately looking for anyone who resembled Buffy or Wes. "Damon!?" Willow cried from across the quad. "Oh my…. Are you ok?"

"Where's Buffy?" Damon asked, rushing over to her.

"She's not with you? Elena said she was supposed to be with you."

"Well, she's not!"

"Damon, calm down. What happened? You look…."

"Willow! If he's got her, he's probably torturing her."

"Who? What's going on?"

"We were taken…. Wes Maxfield is behind it."

"Behind what?"

"There's this group…. Augustines…. They capture and torture vampires for science."

"Oh god!"

"He took Buffy. We've got to find her."

"Come on." Willow pulled on his hand. "I'll go do a locater spell. We'll find her."

* * *

><p>Damon rushed into the boarding house and looked through the rooms, calling his wife's name. There was no sign of Buffy. Willow's spell said Buffy was in Mystic Falls, but it hadn't been specific because they didn't have anything of Buffy's. "Stef, you awake?" He yelled as he rushed up the stairs to his brother's room.<p>

Stefan was putting some clothes away and smiling to himself when he was startled by Damon. "Where the hell have you been?"

"Oh, you know, being held against my will, shot in the head, now I can't find my wife."

"What do you mean you can't find Buffy?"

"I mean, she's missing. She's not picking up her phone, she's nowhere in this house…. Which leads me to believe that Dr. Creepy Ken-doll has her somewhere."

"Are you talking about the Whitmore bio teacher?"

"Yeah, the one that operated on vampires during business hours. Yeah, that one. Put your hero hair on, Stefan. Let's go get Buffy."

"You just said you don't know where she is."

"I don't. Well, I do…. Sort of. She's somewhere in Mystic Falls, according to Willow's spell. She's on her way here with some supplies to get a more accurate location. But in the meantime, we're gonna have to find us some leverage because he's not going to give Buffy back for nothing. So come on."

* * *

><p>Buffy laid on the test bed and looked around at her surroundings. The place really seemed familiar, but she couldn't place it in her fog. Wes was keeping her drained and pumped full of vervain. She needed to find a way to tap into her Slayer strength and ignore the vampire part of her that was hindered by the vervain. It wouldn't be as hard if she wasn't drained of blood.<p>

"Subject 83182 appears conscious."

Buffy looked over to see Wes and his stupid little recording device. "Where am I?"

"Why? Does it look familiar?" Wes asked.

Buffy shook her head and she looked around the room again. There was a big dialysis machine near the bed. "What are you doing to me?"

"83182 resume prep for blood dialysis." He put a mask over her face. "Count from 10. 9, 8, 7, 6, 5…." Despite wanting to fight off the drugs, Buffy was still weakened. She lasted longer than Wes expected and he ended up upping the dosage and counting down from 20 the second time. She was out by the time he reached 2 on the third try.

* * *

><p>Aaron was sitting on a couch in the student lounge at Whitmore, headphones on and writing on a notebook. Damon sat down next to him and pulled his left earphone off his ear. Aaron looked over at him. "Pop quiz." Damon said. "So your wife's taken by a mad scientist. Now, do you: A, get a new wife; B, call the police; or C, kill someone close to the mad scientist?" Aaron stood up to run. Damon stayed seated on the couch, smirking, and Stefan and Elena met Aaron right next to the couch.<p>

"Don't hurt me." Aaron said.

"Trust me, my brother and I will be on you making you beg for death if you don't help us get Buffy back." Stefan said.

"Sit." Elena ordered. Aaron sat down and Stefan took a seat on his other side while Elena sat on the coffee table in front of him so he was surrounded by vampires. "You lied to me. You said that you had seen Buffy and Damon and they were fine."

"I…. I did see them." Aaron said.

"You left us locked in cells where your legal guardian was waiting to torture us." Damon growled.

"You need to tell us where he took her." Elena said. "Now."

"I have no idea where Wes took her." Aaron said.

"Well, they're not at his lab, so where else could he hide a vampire?" Stefan asked.

"I'm sorry. Am I supposed to know who you are?"

"That's my brother Stefan," Damon said.

Aaron nodded slightly and looked back at Damon. "How are you not dead? I shot you."

"Go for the heart next time." Damon snapped. "Now, where's Buffy?"

"I have no idea. All that Wes told me was to go about my life as usual."

"Aaron, please." Elena said. "I don't want to see you hurt and they will hurt you if you don't help them get Buffy back."

"We're gonna call Wes, and you're gonna tell him that if he doesn't give us Buffy, the next experiment that he conducts it's gonna be sewing your arms back on." Damon said.

* * *

><p>Buffy woke up again to find Wes poking around at a big bag of blood strapped to an IV. Of course it was coming out of her. "4.1 pints drained." He said, moving back over to look at Buffy and point his little flashlight on her half closed eyes. "83182 still shows signs of consciousness. Note that 15 years ago subject 12144 faded into unconsciousness after losing 2.9 pints. Does this have something to do with the hybrid aspect of this particular subject? Mystery for another day."<p>

"What are you doing?" Buffy asked, pulling on her restraints. "What are these tubes?"

Wes opened a curtain as he approached a little table and wrote some notes down. "Relax. I plan to once I'm through with you."

"My family is gonna find me and you're going to be in some serious trouble."

"Your heroic vampire friends?" Wes taunted.

"I've got a couple of witches in that bag, too."

"Did you know Aaron Whitmore spent his entire life thinking his family was haunted by some death curse? Turns out that curse was your husband systematically killing every member on his family tree. I'm curious…. How does one justify that in their mind?"

"Yes, because holding people against their will and torturing them is a healthy pastime. Tell me Doctor Mengele, how do you justify that?"

"Science."

"Of course. Didn't Dr. Frankenstien say the same thing right before his creation went postal on the village? Where did you get your degree? Mad Scientist Tech? Did you know someone named Maggie Walsh?"

Wes opened a journal and read from it. "'June 25, 1999. Incredible findings today. After enduring 3,000 volts of electricity, the subject continues to have a heartbeat. June 26. More sucess. Subject was exposed to 4,000 volts today. Seizing continues after electrocution. Flesh remains hot to the touch.'"

"That's really inspiring. Have you thought about a career as a self-help writer?"

"This isn't my journal. These are the hand-written medical findings of Dr. Grayson Gilbert."

Buffy looked over at him in confusion. "Elena's dad?"

"Everything I'm doing to you I learned from him."

She looked around the room again and sighed, finally placing her surroundings. "This is her dad's clinic. We're in the basement."

"Correction, this _was_ her dad's clinic. Then your town council burned a whole bunch of vampires down here. Now it's just a condemned building in Mystic Falls where no one will find us."

"Man, I hate this place. I was in here when it was burnt down."

"You can survive fire?" Wes began to write in his personal journal, but was interrupted by his cell phone ringing.

"Aren't you supposed to have that thing turned off around medical equipment?"

He shot her an annoyed glare and walked out of the basement. With a sigh, Buffy closed her eyes and tried to focus on mediational healing like Willow had taught her. Shouldn't be too hard pulling from the earth since she was surrounded by it. Of course, it was hard to get into a meditative state when you were surrounded by a place where you were nearly murdered and were now strapped up to be tortured.

* * *

><p>Damon and Stefan walked with Aaron and Elena behind them across the quad towards Wes's classroom. Aaron had called his guardian and Wes had told them to meet him in his classroom. "You want to give me a little back story as to how you know one another?" Stefan asked.<p>

"Aaron is Aaron Whitmore and he comes from a very long line of vampire-probing, blood-testing, organ-removing freaks called Augustine." Damon said.

"Why do you know this?"

"Because I was their test subject in the '50s."

"What do you mean test subject?"

"Meaning I donated my body to science except I was alive and it was against my will."

"Wait. Hold on a minute." Stefan pulled Damon to a stop. "How do I not know about this?"

"Don't get all guilt-ridden Stefan, on me. We were on the outs back then, and by the time it was over, you know, it was over."

"Does Buffy know about this?"

"She does now." Damon started to walk away.

"Why don't you finish the rest of the story, Damon?" Aaron said.

Stefan turned around and glared at him. "I don't recall saying that you could talk." He looked at his brother. "Did I say that he could talk?"

"I don't remember anything."

"I didn't think so."

"Come on, guys." Elena said. "We need to get Buffy back in one piece. Bickering isn't going to do that."

* * *

><p>Buffy opened her eyes and looked around her. Apparently she'd drifted off instead of meditating. Crap. What had happened while she was out? Wes was back and examining her blood. Or she assumed it was her blood. Enzo was in the other room. It could be his blood.<p>

"So, Kevorkian, when did you meet Elena's dad?" Buffy asked.

"He was working with the Augustines to turn vampire blood into a magical cure-all to fight disease, cure cancer, save the world." Wes said.

"Obviously it didn't work. You should probably leave the world saving to the professionals."

"And I suppose you're a professional?"

Buffy shot him a knowing smirk and changed the subject. "So, I saw Enzo when I woke up earlier. Good to know a friend of my husband's is still alive since they're a bit rare. Though, I'm pretty sure there's some animosity there, so I don't think I have to worry about him being upset he didn't get an invite to the wedding. Where is he now?"

"He's on a little day trip. You're right…. He did have some unresolved business with your husband."

Buffy sighed. "What did you do?" Wes didn't answer. He just stopped the dialysis machine and turned to Buffy to remove the IV attached to the machine. "Enzo is the Augustine vampire. He's the vampire that killed Elena's roommate Megan."

"Conserve your energy. I've drained enough blood to start phase two."

"No, don't tell me. Let me guess what phase two is! You're going to freeze my head and put it with Walt Disney's under the Pirates ride?"

"If phase two works, you'll be the first one to know." Wes walked over to another table and opened a small box.

"Elena told me that Megan had a picture of her dad on her cell phone. I bet you know why."

"Maybe because her parents helped fund Dr. Gilbert's projects."

"They knew about Augustine, too."

Wes brought over a box from another table that was smoking as if it had dry ice in it. "Well, no. All they knew was that he had an unregulated compound that could cure most injuries."

"Vampire blood."

He put some drops of the contents of the box on the dialysis machine. "But, as Megan grew up, she got suspicious, enrolled at Whitmore, roomed with Dr. Gilbert's daughter, and she went to a party at Whitmore House and put her nose where it didn't belong."

"She found Enzo in his cell."

"And being clueless to what a starving vampire will do around fresh human blood, I'm guessing she got too close." Wes's phone rang and he answered it in front of her. "Aaron."

"Where's Buffy?" She heard Stefan say on the other line.

"Who's this?"

"We have Aaron, and we're trying to decide how to kill him."

"Funny. I have Buffy, and I'm wondering how she'll function without her cerebral cortex. Touch him, and you'll never see her again."

"That threat works both ways."

"Stefan! I'm in the basement of…." Wes ended the call before Buffy could finish her sentence. "That was rude."

* * *

><p>Aaron, Stefan, and Damon walked into the building where Wes' classroom was. "Which one is it?" Damon asked.<p>

"It's right here." Aaron opened the door and walked in followed by Elena, Stefan, and Damon. The classroom was empty except for someone sitting on the back, with their feet up against the backrest of the chair on front.

"21051." Enzo said.

"Enzo?" Damon said in disbelief.

Enzo stood up, his eyes still locked on Damon. "It's been a while, mate."

"Who the hell are you?" Stefan asked.

"Lorenzo, but my friends call me Enzo. Ah. Kidding. I don't have any friends." Enzo made his way forward and offered his hand to Stefan but Stefan didn't shake it.

"Enzo's another Augustine vampire. Our cells were next to each other." Damon explained. "So we're here to meet somebody. Wes Maxfield. You know him?"

"That's your first question for me? Not 'how are you?' 'How'd you survive in that fire I left you to die in?'"

"Uh, can somebody tell me what's going on?" Elena asked.

"I'd love to. Have a seat. Been waiting 70 years to tell my story."

"Not interested." Stefan said. He turned to Aaron. "Give me your phone."

"What for?" Aaron asked.

"Don't ask questions." Damon snapped.

Aaron sighed and handed Stefan his phone. Stefan took it and walked out into the hallway. "Aaron." Wes said when he picked up.

"Where's Buffy?" Stefan asked.

"Who's this?"

"We have Aaron, and we're trying to decide how to kill him."

"Funny. I have Buffy, and I'm wondering how she'll function without her cerebral cortex. Touch him, and you'll never see her again."

"That threat works both ways."

"Stefan!" Buffy yelled in the background. "I'm in the basement of…." The line went dead.

"Buffy!?" Stefan asked. He looked at the phone. "Damn it! The basement of where?" He headed back into the classroom and interrupted Enzo. "He's not sending her."

"Tragic." Enzo said. "Can I continue my story now, please?"

"Doesn't he know we have Aaron?" Damon asked, ignoring Enzo.

"He doesn't care. He's willing to risk it." Stefan said. "But…."

"What? Let me to talk to him!" Aaron cried. "He'll listen to me."

"What part of 'he doesn't care' are you not registering?" Damon asked.

"If anybody cares, Buffy's still alive." Stefan said.

"What?" Damon asked.

"Is she ok?" Elena asked.

"I don't know." Stefan said.

"How do you know he hasn't killed her?" Damon asked.

"Hello!" Enzo said. Nobody paid him any mind.

"She tried to tell me where she was, but Wes hung up." Stefan said. "She's in a basement somewhere."

"A basement somewhere in Mystic Falls." Damon said. "That narrows it down."

"Willow's probably located her by now." Elena said.

Enzo was apparently pissed at being ignored and ripped off a classroom chair from the floor and threw it out the window. "Where were we?" He said calmly. "Uh, ah, right. I was telling my story, and you were all politely listening. Huh? So I'd given Damon all of my blood ration so he'd have the strength to escape and save me in the process. Our plan began perfectly, didn't it? I was waiting in the cage for him to release me, waiting for my friend, my cellmate, the only soul with whom I'd connected with in all those years of captivity. Then a fire starts, burns out of control, but Damon just can't get the damn cage open. He looks me in the eye as if he doesn't even recognize me, turns around, saves himself, leaving me to die."  
>"Well, you didn't die, obviously." Stefan said.<p>

"No. Unfortunately I lived. I was spared by one of the scientists so I could spend another 50 years on a table being opened and closed. Now that we've all been acquainted, I'm gonna find something to wet my whistle." Enzo strolled out of the classroom.

"You didn't tell me about him." Stefan said.

"It was the 1950s." Damon said. "I'm supposed to remember every moment of my life? Do you want to kill Aaron, or should I?"

"This guy was your cellmate for 5 years, you left him to die, he comes back, and you're completely unfazed?"

"Fine. I will." Damon turned and walked towards Aaron.

"Damon, stop." Elena said. "Think."

"No."

"This isn't what Buffy would want."

"This is exactly what she would want. This little twerp had the chance to help. All he had to do was open the cell doors, but he shot me and left us down there. Now my wife is off somewhere being tortured. Someone gets to pay."

"Whoa, whoa, whoa. Hold on, hold on, hold on!" Aaron cried. "Wes gave me a bunch of files on my family history. They're in my dorm, ok? Maybe there's something in there you need, a name, I mean, another lab."

"That's a timely revelation." Damon said.

"Yeah. Well, you know, he's not gonna help me, why should I help him?"

"I don't like you. I don't like your family. I don't like that you left us down there to be tortured by your guardian. If you're lying, I'm gonna take my thumbs and I'm gonna gouge your sad little eyes out of your sad little head!"

Enzo walked in with two bottles of booze. "Ah. It's frightening what you can find on campus these days."

"Knock yourself out." Stefan said. "We're going with plan 'b.'"

"Damon's not. Damon's staying right here. He knows all my secrets, so he knows how ornery I can get when I don't get my way."

"Yeah, I don't think so. That's my wife…." Damon started.

"Oh, you got married, did you? I never got that option. I wonder why."

"I'm leaving now." Damon started to walk out, but Enzo suddenly had Elena by the throat and a broken chair leg at her chest. Damon sighed. "She will mind that. Fine. I'll stay. Let her go." Enzo tossed Elena towards Stefan. "Call me if you find anything." He gestured at Aaron. "Kill him if you don't."

"Let's go." Stefan grabbed Aaron and hauled him towards the door. Elena followed close behind. Stefan pulled out his phone and dialed Willow. "What have you found?"

"It says she's downtown by the square. I'm headed that way to look for her."

"Wait for me. Wes is dangerous. I don't want you getting caught up, too."

"Ok. Hurry, Stefan."

Stefan hung up and turned to Elena. "I'm going to help Willow look for Buffy."

"I'll stick with Aaron then and get those files." Elena said. "What about Damon?"

"He can handle Enzo." Stefan leaned down and kissed Elena. "Be careful."

"You too."

Stefan looked at Aaron. "If anything happens to her, you won't have to worry about just Damon coming after you." He turned and headed off to head back to Mystic Falls.

* * *

><p>Buffy pulled on her restraints again, but they wouldn't budge. She was still too weak from blood loss and vervain. Wes had gone off upstairs for something after he'd hung up on Stefan and left her alone. She started to pull again, but Wes came back down the stairs.<p>

"Good news. The sample cells mutated. My compound worked." He announced.

"Sorry, I don't speak nerd." Buffy retorted.

"You've heard of Pavlov? Conditioned his dog to salivate at the sound of a bell. This compound is like that bell except instead of a ding, your body will salivate at the smell of vampire blood."

"Yeah, I have no intentions of becoming like Jesse."

"Jesse was a fantastic case study, but he took too long to condition, and considering the size of the vampire population, a single-dose injection is much more efficient."

"He was insatiable. He couldn't stop feeding."

"Exactly. Vampires are now one shot away from craving their own kind." He filled up a syringe. "And you're about to be patient zero."

"Yeah, I don't think so. I've seen enough zombie movies to know that that's not on my bucket list. I'd like to enjoy life with my husband. Not try to suck him dry every five seconds."

"Your blood isn't like anything I've ever seen. It was the key to phase two. If you hadn't have walked into my life…."

"If you're going to propose, you're barking up the wrong tree. I'm already married."

"Subject 83182 prepped for compound injection." Wes said into his little recorder.

"I'm sure you'll make someone a nice, insane husband, but Damon already put a ring on it."

"You'll be doing the work you were born to do. You'll be able to kill vampires."

"Been there. Done that. Moved on. Retired even." Buffy yanked again on her restraints. It was seriously time to get the heck out of there. She yanked as hard as she could and was rewarded with a rip she hoped was the restraint as Wes came towards her with the syringe.

"Buffy!" Stefan called from the stairs.

"Stefan!" Buffy cried as Wes stabbed the needle into her chest. She yanked away and the needle broke off in her chest. She hissed in pain, but Stefan grabbed Wes's head and slammed it against the wall.

"Are you ok?" Stefan asked as he rushed over to her and helped release her from the restraints. He gently took the IVs out of her arms and the needle of out her chest.

"Where's Damon?"

"Dealing with Enzo." He helped her off the table and she nearly collapsed. Stefan held her against him so she wouldn't fall. "Whoa! Are you ok?"

"I'm really hungry and there is way too much vervain in my system."

"We'll get you fixed up." He swept her up in his arms and headed for the stairs. Buffy reached out quickly and grabbed Elena's dad's journal from the table. "You're making a habit of having me save you from this basement."

"I promise. This is the last time."

"Buffy!" Willow cried as Stefan emerged at the top of the stairs with Buffy in his arms. "Are you ok?"

"Peachy."

"You don't look it."

"Thanks."

"Come on. Let's get you home." Stefan said.

* * *

><p>Enzo woke up in Wes's lab and sat up. He looked around and spotted Damon by a table. "Oh. Never mind." Damon said.<p>

"What did you do now?" Enzo asked.

"Well, I injected you with a bunch of these that say, 'antidote' and apparently, one of them worked."

"If this is some attempt to make amends, it's a bit pathetic, mate."

"I don't care about amends, mate. My wife's safe, so technically, I'm not suffering, and it'd really suck if you desiccated in vain…." Enzo rushed at Damon, but Damon shoved his fist through Enzo's chest and grabbed him by the heart. "And I'm gonna tell you my side of the story. You asked me if I thought about you after I escaped, and the answer is no, and I sure as hell don't feel guilty about leaving you because in order for me to save myself and leave you, I had to shut off my humanity, damn it, so I flipped the switch, and then I felt nothing, no remorse, no regret, no pain."

"And now what do you feel, remorse, regret, pain? Even if I forgave you, Damon, would that make you less of a horrible person?" Damon squeezed harder onto his heart. "Damn it!"

"We're even, Enzo." Damon let go of Enzo and pushed him away.

"You were the most important person in my life, and you ruined me, but that's just who you are, that's who you'll always be: A monster." Enzo said, walking out of the lab.

Damon stood there and stared off into the distance, not hearing Buffy come in behind him. She wrapped her arms around his waist and kissed his shoulder blade. "You're not." She said quietly.

"He's right." Damon said.

"Maybe he is. But look at me." She let go of Damon's waist and he turned to look at her. "If you're a monster then so am I. We're in the same boat."

"I made you that way. What was it that Angel said? You were inherently good before you met me?"

Buffy shook her head and started to laugh. "Damon, you did not make me evil. I was not 'inherently good' before I met you. That's just how Angel has always chosen to see me. I have had a dark side in me for a very long time. A dark side he was always very good at ignoring." Damon shook his head, obviously not believing her. "Ok, I turned my head and let my psycho, soulless ex-boyfriend kill a good percentage of my classmates and the population of Sunnydale before I finally got the guts up to face him. I let him kill people here in Mystic Falls because I didn't have the guts to just kill him."

"Because you believed in his soul. You believed he could be saved. I can't be saved. I don't want to be saved." Damon walked past her and out the door.

Buffy stood there for a minute, shaking her head. She turned and walked out of the door after him. He was gone and Buffy let out a growl. She headed into the woods and used her speed to make it to the boarding house in minutes. Stefan and Elena were walking past the front door when she walked in. "Where is he?"

"Damon? He's not here." Stefan said. "Are you ok?"

"Not really." Buffy didn't elaborate. She headed to the library, grabbed a drink to calm down, and sat down in front of the fire to wait for her husband to walk in.

Stefan came in and sat down next to her. "What's going on?"

"Enzo made him feel guilty and now he's doing that thing where he thinks he's not good enough for me."

"Don't let him."

"Oh, I'm not." She took a long drink from her glass.

Stefan reached out and took her hand. "Are _you_ ok? You spent the better part of the day being tortured in a basement where you were almost killed a couple of years ago."

"That? That was nothing."

"Buffy, you can tell me."

"It wasn't pleasant, but I'm fine. Really, Stefan."

"Well, I wanted to apologize to you."

"For what?"

"For not getting there sooner and stopping him."

"It's ok, Stefan. I never doubted that you guys were out there looking for me. Not once." She noticed his disbelieving and worried face and gave him a smile. "Really…. I'm fine. I only stayed to get answers. I could've broken out of there at any time." Stefan obviously didn't believe her. "He had no idea what I really am." She took a sip of her drink and said in a lower voice, "I don't even know what I really am."

"Buff…."

She waved him away and smiled. "But for now I'm ok. I'm just…. Waiting to kick my husband's ass."

"Well, I'll leave you to it." Stefan started to get up, but Buffy grabbed his hand.

"Actually…. Would you…. Would you stay? I'm, uh…. I'm really worried that he might actually go through with it. That he might actually…."

Stefan squeezed her hand. "I won't let him."

"Thanks."

Stefan stayed sitting next to Buffy, holding her hand. Elena came to check on them a couple of times and even talked with them for a little while to distract Buffy. Damon walked in thirty minutes after Buffy had gotten home and headed straight for the drink cart in the library. He obviously didn't notice Stefan or Buffy sitting there.

"Why do you always assume I want you to be saved?" Buffy asked, standing up and startling him. "Why do you always believe I'm out to change you?"

"Buffy…." Damon started.

"Let her talk." Stefan said, suddenly standing in the library's doorway to block the exit.

Before Damon could speak, Buffy cut in. "When I said yes to dating you, I knew who you were. You murdered my best friend right in front of me, for god's sake! And I still went on a date with you. When I said yes to marrying you, I knew who you were and I still loved you. And when I said 'I do' and bound myself to you for the rest of eternity…. Literally, eternity…. I still knew who you were and I loved you. Damon, I love you. All of you. Every little piece of you. Just because somebody from your past decides that he thinks he knows you, doesn't mean he actually does. _I_ know you. I know you better than anyone…. Including yourself…. And I still love you. Do you remember what you said to me once? That you believe that everything happens for a reason. _You_ said that to me. Everything that happened then led you to now. To a better relationship with your brother. To me…. The love of your life."

"You had no idea that I killed someone, Buffy." Damon said. "Behind your back. That I used a romantic getaway as the excuse! You had no idea that I'd made it my mission to kill off a family for generations, even after I married you."

"Do you honestly think that that bothers me?"

"Yes."

"Then apparently you don't know me very well. The only thing that upsets me is that you weren't honest about our trip. I wouldn't have been mad if you had explained everything to me." She took his face in her hand and made sure that he looked at her. "They tortured you for five years. They did deplorable things to you that had consequences that lasted for a lot longer than those five years. I destroyed an entire secret government outfit in Sunnydale because they were doing the same thing." She let her hand drift down his neck to his chest and then suddenly grabbed the front of his shirt with one hand and hauled him closer to her unexpectedly angry face. His feet were actually dangling a bit. "And let me be perfectly clear…. If you think for one second that I'm going to let you back out on our wedding vows, then so help me, I will make it my mission to make those five years seem like child's play, Damon Salvatore. I will not have yet another man I love with a dark past decide that I can't handle it and that it's for my own good to walk away from our relationship."

Damon glanced at Stefan for help, but Stefan crossed his arms. He looked back at his angry wife. "Maybe it's for the best."

"Seriously? You're an idiot sometimes." Buffy set him down.

Damon turned and tried to walk away, but Stefan blocked him again. "You're not going anywhere, brother. I won't watch you throw away the best thing that's ever walked into your life because you suddenly know what guilt feels like."

"Can't I just sulk?"

"No." Buffy and Stefan said.

"I…."

"No." Buffy and Stefan said again.

"Shut up!"

"No!" Buffy yelled back.

"Fine."

"Fine what?"

"Fine. You win. I won't go anywhere." He took her drink from her. "I believe you about that whole child's play thing." Damon took a sip and glanced at his brother. "And I think that Stefan would help you."

"Damn right." Stefan said.

"So, I'll…. respect your choice and I'll stay. You win."

"I think that's the smartest thing you've ever done."

"I don't need comments from the peanut gallery, thanks." Damon called after his brother as Stefan walked out of the library.

"I think that's the smartest thing you've ever done." Buffy said with a slight smile.

Damon sneered at her. "Can I sulk now?"

"No. But you're welcome to stay here with me and I'll hold you until you're done being Angel."

Damon straightened up and glowered at her. "I'm not being Angel."

"Guilt ridden, brooding, trying to end it with me because you think I can't handle it…. That's so completely Angel in a nutshell. You've even got the same scowl happening." She took his hands. "Be Damon. I like him better."

"Be Damon…. Hmm…. And what would he do right now?"

"Toss back that drink and then toss me on that couch."

"Sounds like a plan." Damon finished the drink and scooped Buffy up in his arms.


	95. Chapter 94

Chapter 94

Buffy rolled over in her half asleep morning haze to curl up to Damon, but he wasn't in bed. She lifted her head and looked around. He wasn't even in the room. Getting up and pulling on some yoga pants and a tank top, she headed downstairs. It turned out that she was the only one in the house. With a sigh, she made herself a cup of coffee, grabbed her cell phone, and headed out to her gazebo.

"Hey Buffy." Jeremy said, answering Damon's phone.

"Jeremy? Why do you have Damon's phone?" Buffy asked.

"Matt and I found him. He's completely trashed at the Grill."

Buffy sighed and rolled her eyes. Guilt was not an emotion her husband was equipped to deal with. "Would you mind…."

"Nope. I'll get him home."

"Thank you."

"See you soon."

There was a message on her phone from Stefan saying that Katherine had suffered a heart attack last night and was at the hospital. He was bringing her home later that morning because the doctors said she wasn't going to make it through the day. She couldn't bring herself to care, but it gave her an excuse to call Klaus. Just to let him know that his 500 years of trying to kill her was about to end.

"It must be destiny." Klaus said by way of answering. "I was just looking at a picture of you."

"I didn't know you had any." Buffy said.

"I stole a couple from Damon."

Buffy had to laugh at that. "We didn't even notice."

"Are you calling to tell me you need directions to my humble abode as you're on your way here?"

"Not today."

"Ah, but that gives me hope that you'll actually visit."

"I like New Orleans." She smiled and shook her head at his laugh. "Actually, I was calling to tell you that Katerina Petrova is on her deathbed."

"Did you finally get tired of letting her wander around breathing and taking up space?"

"No. I'm still finding pleasure in her suffering."

"That's my girl."

"She's actually dying of old age. All those centuries of desperately trying to survive are finally catching up to her now that she's a human."

"It's almost poetic."

"I thought you'd like to come gloat with me. I've got a cellar full of bourbon that I'm ready to use to send the bitch off to hell in style."

"I like the way you think." Klaus chuckled. "I'll see you shortly."

"See you soon." Buffy hung up and let out a sigh.

Damon wasn't going to be happy about Klaus showing up, but of all the people she knew, Klaus's desire to see Katherine suffer and die matched hers. Stefan was too forgiving. He would always believe that Katherine could be saved. Damon, though he would deny it with gusto, couldn't bring himself to actually kill her. He'd loved her for a very long time and that wasn't something he could ignore. Elena hated Katherine. She had every reason to hate her since Katherine had ruined her life more than once, but Elena wasn't a killer. Jeremy hated Katherine, she had killed him after all, but he wouldn't kill her because she was human now.

With a sigh, she finished her coffee and headed upstairs to get dressed. While she was doing her makeup, Stefan sent a text saying that he was on his way with Katherine. Buffy rolled her eyes and finished her makeup. She headed into her old room and made sure the bed was ready. Just as she was slipping on her boots, the front door opened and Stefan called her name. She made her way downstairs to see Stefan carrying a gray haired Katherine down the hall.

"I set up my old room for her." Buffy said.

"Thanks." Stefan said. "Where's Damon?"

"He's on his way. Apparently he spent the night getting trashed at the Grill. Jeremy's bringing him home."

"Guilt is not something he handles very well."

"I know."

"Thank you for letting me stay here." Katherine said weakly to Buffy. "It was nice of you."

"Trust me, I would've left you at the hospital. My brother in law has a weak spot for Elena lookalikes. You can thank him."

"It's your house. You're Mrs. Salvatore, now. You could've said no. Thank you."

"Uh…. Yup. I need booze." Buffy hurried down to the cellar. No way was she letting a remorseful Katherine get under her skin. Not on a good day like today.

Upstairs, Damon, Jeremy, and Matt walked through the front door. Buffy came up the stairs and stared down her husband. "I needed a drink." Damon said. She held up the bottle of bourbon in her hand. "I didn't want to waste our supply…. And you looked too peaceful to wake up."

Jeremy and Matt headed into the living room, leaving Damon to deal with Buffy. "If you're feeling upset or guilty, you can wake me up. You don't need to sneak off in the middle of the night."

"I don't know how to talk about these feelings."

"You have to learn sometime, Damon. We're a team. We're husband and wife."

"And right now, we're celebrating the death of Katherine Pierce!" Damon took the bottle from her and headed into the living room. Buffy sighed and followed him, sitting down on the couch arm next to him. She was frustrated with him, but that would have to wait. Today was a day of celebration.

"So, what are we doing?" Jeremy asked.

Damon opened the bottle of bourbon and began pouring it into numerous shot glasses. "Rule number one: Name the worst thing Katherine Pierce has ever done. Rule number 2: Toast to the glory of her impending death. Rule number three: If you come across something that's worse, which you will, repeat rules one and two. She pretended to be buried in a tomb for 145 years, while I waited for her lying ass." Damon picked up a shot and tossed it back. "Wait…." He looked at Jeremy. "Does that beat pretending to be Elena and trying to convince me that I wasn't good enough for Buffy on the front porch of your old house?"

"I don't think so." Jeremy said.

"I don't think so either. Damn." Damon took another shot. "Mrs. Salvatore?"

"She walked into my life." Buffy said.

Damon handed her a shot and grabbed one for himself. "That goes double for me." He and Buffy toasted and tossed back their shots.

"I'll never have kids of my own and I came to terms with that, but then Jeremy and Elena walked into my life and I became their guardian. I love them like they're mine. And that bitch killed the only son I'll ever know and sent the only daughter I'll ever know into an emotionless spiral of crazy."

"Doozy. Another shot." Damon filled her shot glass back up and she tossed it back. "Quarterback, go."

"Uh…." Matt said.

"Think on that." He then passed the shot to Jeremy. "Little Gilbert."

"She fed me to Silas and I died." Jeremy said.

"Doozy."

Jeremy took a shot. "Then, she made me crash my car into a pole and left me for dead…. again."

"Double doozy. Drink." Damon handed Jeremy another shot and Jeremy tossed it back.

"My sister's dead because of her." Matt said.

"Yes she is…. Because I wouldn't have even been in town to turn Vicki into a murderous vampire if I wasn't trying to get Katherine out of a tomb she wasn't in." Damon handed a shot to both Jeremy and Matt. He handed one to Buffy and declared, "Group shot!"

Before they could toss it back, Elena, Caroline, Willow, and Bonnie walked in. "Seriously?" Elena said.

"Elena…. We're were just…. uh…." Matt said.

"I know what you're doing." Elena took Jeremy's shot glass. "You're cut off."

"Hey." Buffy said, handing Jeremy another shot. "Today's a good day. I'll allow it."

"Thank you." Jeremy said.

"Fine." Elena said. "But if anyone is drinking to Katherine's last days, it's going to be me." Elena took a shot. "She impersonated me…. repeatedly." She took another shot. "Made Aunt Jenna stab herself in the stomach and she cut off Uncle John's fingers."

"He might have deserved that." Jeremy said.

"My Grams died trying to close a tomb she wasn't in." Bonnie said.

"Tyler's werewolf curse got triggered because of her." Caroline said.

"Klaus followed her to Mystic Falls and because of that, we lost Jenna." Elena said.

"And Alaric." Damon and Buffy added.

"I burned down my home because she killed my brother." Elena said. She clinked glasses with Buffy and they both took shots.

"Shots." Damon said, filling Elena's and Buffy's glasses up and signaling for everyone to drink. "Rumor has it, she burnt down the entire city of Atlanta once."

"That might win." Willow said.

"All right," Stefan said as he walked into the room. "Knock it off or take it somewhere else. You guys are being insensitive."

"Come on, Stefan." Damon said. "Don't let the sight of a frail, human Elena-look-alike cloud your memories of the manipulative psycho that she is."

"In 1864, Katherine moved into my home, she compelled me to love her, seduced my brother, fed us full of vampire blood and then started a war with the town that got us killed."

"Exactly. Bottoms up."

"But, centuries before that, she was just an innocent girl that was shunned by her family. So for 500 years, she lied and manipulated and did whatever she had to do to survive. And she did. She's a survivor, right? So that's the girl I will drink to today. Cheers."

Buffy shook her head. "And this is why I went to get the booze earlier. I will not feel bad for her. Not after everything she's done."

"Buffy…."

Buffy held up her hand. "Nope. Just because she helped you get over your PTSD does not make up for all the other, horrible things she's done." She stood up. "The bottle's empty. Willow, come with? I'm going to…. Oh, great." Nadia was suddenly standing in the doorway. "It's the devil's spawn."

"What?" Elena asked.

"You didn't tell her about that Caroline?" Damon asked.

Caroline smacked her forehead. "We were all a little…. busy."

"I think my mind just exploded." Elena said.

"Katherine's upstairs." Buffy said as she headed for the cellar.

"Actually, I'm here to see all of you." Nadia said. "I found a way to save my mother and I need some help."

"No way." Damon said. "Even my biased brother knows I will kick his ass from here to Kentucky if he helps Katherine Pierce live one more day on this Earth. No volunteers."

"I figured as much, which is why I found that old safe your brother spent the summer drowning in and buried it on this property with your friend Matt inside of it. Oh, without this." Nadia placed Matt's Gilbert ring on the table.

Buffy sighed. "If I threaten to tear you to pieces, will you change your mind?"

"No."

"How about if I skip the threatening and go right to the tearing?" Nadia just glared at Buffy. "Ok, I'll just go up and kill off your mother before she goes in her sleep. Maybe I'll rip _her_ to pieces."

That got a worried reaction from Nadia, but she put on her cool face again. "Then you won't find Matt and he'll die."

"I'll help." Stefan said.

"I will too." Elena said.

"I knew it would be you two." Buffy groaned. She turned to Nadia. "If anything happens to them, your mother will be in pieces and you can kiss saving her goodbye."

"They'll come back safe. Let's go." Nadia turned and headed back out the front door.

"Ok everybody, let's split up and find Matt." Caroline, Willow, Bonnie, and Jeremy headed for the front door. Buffy turned to her husband. "We'll take the back of the house, then."

"I'll stay here." Damon said.

"Why?"

"Someone needs to make sure that bitch suffers before she dies." He stood up and headed for the stairs.

"What are you going to do?"

"Help her take a walk down painful memory lane." And with that, Damon disappeared up the stairs.

Buffy shook her head and walked out into the gardens. She was marching angrily past her gazebo, muttering about her damn husband. "Troubles, love?" Klaus's voice floated to her from inside the gazebo.

She wheeled around and changed direction, walking into the gazebo where Klaus was sitting on the daybed with a glass of bourbon. She took the glass from him and sat down next to him. "My husband doesn't deal with the emotion of guilt very well."

"How so?"

"He tried to break up with me because an old cell mate of his made him feel like he didn't deserve the life he has."

Klaus's ears perked up at that. "He tried to break up with you?"

Buffy rolled her eyes at him. "_Tried_. Key word. But I threatened him with torture."

"Oh, come now. You shouldn't have to threaten someone with torture to make them stay with you." She leveled a glare at him. "It's true. I would let you come and go as you pleased."

"You and I both know that's a lie." She sighed. "Damon doesn't know how to deal with guilt, so I'm trying to help him with it. He keeps pushing away, though."

Klaus shrugged. "I could compel him for you."

"No. No compulsion. Especially not from you."

"Why not from me?"

"Because you would secretly make him want to leave me and you think that I would come crying to you with a broken heart that you would magically mend with your fancy house and pretty art."

"You think my art is pretty?"

"That's not the point. Oh! I'm supposed to be looking for Matt."

"Yes, I thought I heard Matt's distant and desperate screams on my way here."

"What? Where?"

"Don't worry love, I've got it covered. Trust me, he'll be quite happy with his rescuer."

Buffy narrowed her eyes. "Who?"

"Rebekah."

"Oh god, your sister is here?"

Klaus shrugged. "She wanted to see Matt."

"What about Elijah?"

"He's still in New Orleans guarding my interests, but he sends his love and well wishes."

She smiled. "Awe, tell him I said hi back. How is the heir to your empire doing?"

"Growing." He poured her more bourbon. "Can we please not talk about that? I'm here to celebrate Katerina Petrova's impending death."

Buffy held up her glass in a toast. "To the closing of a chapter."

He raised his glass to hers and toasted. After taking a drink, he leaned back. "You know, it's almost sad. All these years trying to kill her myself and old age gets to her."

Buffy slouched. "Damn…. You're right." She leaned back next to Klaus. "Maybe we should go up and kill her ourselves."

"There's no sport in it now. She can't run from us."

"You're right again." She sighed and lifted up her glass, clinking it against his. "Oh well, to a better, Katherine-less future." After taking a drink, she laid back into the fluffy pillows.

Klaus followed suit, laying back into the pillows next to her. Their legs dangled off the side. "So what have you been up to?"

"The usual. Mayhem, torture…."

"I hope you were doing the torturing."

"Not this time."

He turned worried eyes to her. "Are you ok?"

"Well, some freaky scientist who was friends with Elena's dad wanted to turn me into a vampire killing machine. He had me drained of all my blood and pumped full of vervain while he did experiments on me."

"He's dead, yes?"

"No. Stefan knocked him out and saved me."

"What was his name?"

"It's ok. We'll deal with him in due time. We've just…. Had a lot on our plates in the last couple of days."

"Tell me something, love." He said after a long time in silence.

"What?"

He slid his hand into hers. "Do you miss me even a little?"

"Klaus…." She started to pull her hand away, but Klaus held firm.

"Seriously, Buffy. I'll admit it. I miss you. I miss your company and…. I miss your uncanny ability to make me think twice about my decisions."

"What do you mean?"

"I mean," He rolled onto his side and looked down at her. "I find myself asking 'would Buffy approve of this?' It's incredibly annoying. Especially because you tend to surprise me and I don't always know the answer to that question."

"Do you always do what you think I would approve of?"

"Of course not. But you wouldn't expect me to, would you?"

"No." She closed her eyes and took a breath. "Ok, fine…. If you want the truth, then…. Yeah. I miss having you around sometimes."

"Then come away with me."

"You already know the answer to that."

"Sometimes you surprise me."

"Is that why you never give up? Because you think that one day I'll just stop loving Damon?"

"Because one day you _will_ stop loving Damon. You're immortal, Buffy. You will live forever. You can't love one person forever."

"I can damn well try. And I want to try with Damon." Buffy pulled her hand away. "Besides, you're contradicting yourself. You're begging me to leave Damon and be with you, but your argument for me leaving him is saying that immortals can't love one person forever."

"Essentially it's true. Look at Rebekah. How many loves of her life has she had?"

"Because you keep killing them all, you big oaf!" Buffy stood up and waved her hands. "Even if I did lose all of my marbles and walk away from the best relationship I've ever had in my life, what's to stop you from doing the same thing to me that you do to Rebekah?"

"Because we're different, you and I. Two of a kind. I would be enough for you. You wouldn't stray."

"Oh, _I_ would be enough for _you_? _I_ wouldn't stray? What about _you_ being enough for _me_? What about _you_ straying? It's a two way street, Klaus. A real relationship is a 50/50 thing and Damon and I are enough for each other." She gasped and slapped her forehead. "Oh my god! It just hit me! You've never been in a relationship before, have you?"

"I've been in many."

"A real relationship where you're both equals? A real relationship where you're in it because you both want to be? Because you respect each other and care what the other one has to say?"

"Of course."

"A relationship where you would rather die than have any harm come to her?" Klaus hesitated. "Of course not, because you've only cared about yourself."

"I care about _you_!"

"I'm married!"

"You called me here."

"Because of all the people in my life, you're the only one who wants to see Katherine Pierce suffer and die as much as I me. Yes, I care about you, Klaus. You're my friend. And last time I checked, friends share their excitement in their enemy's impending deaths together." She shook her head and leaned against the side of the doorframe. "I thought we laid this to rest after Elena's graduation."

"I can't stop thinking about you. I just took back the city from Marcel and more than anything, I want you by my side."

Buffy shook her head. "Klaus, you are sexy and charming and the very epitome of a bad boy. Women must fall at your feet on a regular basis."

"Not the woman that I want."

"I'm sorry you fell for a taken woman. I am. But I seriously think it's because people never say no to you. Am I the first person to say no to you?"

"That I didn't kill? Yes."

Buffy shook her head. "Well, that explains everything right there."

"Fine." Klaus stood up. "As soon as we're done here, I'm going to walk away and I'm never coming back. You'll never again have to look me in the eye and pretend that you don't feel something more than friendship for me. You'll never again have to loathe the parts of yourself that truly care for me. I will be gone and you will be free to love your husband."

"There's always a catch with you. So what's the catch?"

"You send me off with a proper kiss."

"Klaus…." Buffy put her face in her hand.

"I promise. I won't bother you again until you're ready."

She looked up at him. "And how will you know if I'm ready?"

"Because you'll come to me." He picked up the decanter and refreshed her drink before filling his glass back up. He lifted his glass in a toast. "To a better future." Buffy sighed and tapped her glass against his. Klaus tossed back his bourbon and set the glass down. "Now, about that kiss…."

"You're leaving already?"

"As much as I would like to be around for Katerina's final end, I feel that I've overstayed my welcome." He stepped closer to her and placed his hand on her neck, pulling her closer to him. Their lips met and Buffy had to admit, the guy knew what he was doing. She took a step back to move away, but he followed and pressed her against the wall beside the door. Despite wanting to end the kiss, Buffy found her hands gripping his shirt at his sides to keep him close. His hand slid down her side and pulled her thigh up to his hip, pushing against her.

After another long and breathless moment, Buffy finally came to her senses and pushed Klaus back. He moved towards her, but she locked her arms and kept him at bay. "No."

"You want more." Klaus purred.

"Yes, but I'm not going to hurt Damon like that. This was bad enough." He made a move towards her again, but she kept her arms locked. "You promised, Klaus."

He took a deep breath and straightened up. "Very well." Taking her hand, he bowed and kissed her knuckles. With a devilish smirk, he dashed out of the gazebo.

Buffy took a long moment to compose herself before heading back into the house. There was no one around, so she headed up to her old room to see if Katherine was dead yet. Instead she found Damon laying on the floor. "Damon!" She knelt down and lifted his head up into her lap.

"Ouch." He groaned.

"What happened?"

"In a shocking twist, Katherine's daughter is a psycopath."

"Color me stunned." Buffy helped Damon to his feet as Stefan walked into the room.

"She's all yours." Damon said to his brother. "I've had fun messing with her mind all day."

"Damon…." Stefan started.

"I know, Stefan. I know. It's been a rough couple of days. I needed an outlet, ok?"

Buffy watched her husband walk out of the room and Stefan came up to wrap her in his arms. "Are you ok?" He asked.

Buffy shook her head. "Way too much heavy crap going on the last couple of days."

"I know."

She looked up at him. "I need to talk to you."

"Ok." Stefan kissed her forehead and released her. "I'll come find you."

"Thanks." Buffy walked out to go find Damon. She found Willow first. Her best friend was walking through the front door with Elena, Caroline, Bonnie, and Jeremy.

Willow looked at Buffy and knew something was up. She caught up with the blonde and steered her away from the others. "What's wrong?"

Buffy looked at her with a surprised face. "Is it that obvious?"

Willow shrugged. "To me, yeah. Best friend since 1997, remember?" Buffy took Willow's hand and pulled her down to the cellar. She led her to the deepest part where no one would hear. "Ok, getting a little scared now."

"I kissed Klaus."

Willow rolled her eyes. "Yeah. I know you did. When you were fighting Alaric's crazy vampire killing self. He kissed you."

Buffy sighed with exasperation. "No. Today. In the gazebo. I called to tell him Katherine was dying and he came up to gloat with me. We talked…. We drank…. We talked…. He held my hand and told me that he missed me…. We talked…. And then he told me that he would leave for good and never bother me again until I came to him…. If I would kiss him." Willow stood there and stared at Buffy, only managing to blink a couple of times. "Say something."

"Um…. I'm torn between 'ew, gross' and 'what kind of kiss?'"

"It was a _kiss_. There was…. Tongue."

"Now it's just plain 'ew, gross'."

"He wanted to take it further, but I stopped him."

"Well…. That's…. Good…. I guess…."

"Stop hesitating." Buffy fell back against the wall and groaned. "I'm a horrible person! I kissed another man behind my husband's back! I should be flogged."

"Probably." Buffy's eyes widened in shock. "Ok, no flogging, but you've got some serious making up to Damon to do."

"I haven't told him."

"You need to. Buffy, you have feelings for Klaus and Damon needs to know that. And he needs to know that you love him and aren't planning on leaving him."

"Damon's fragile. If he finds out about my actual feelings for Klaus, it will hurt him more than he can handle."

Willow took Buffy's hands. "Buff, I kept secrets from Tara. Secrets that hurt her and she left me. I don't want that to happen to you and Damon, ok? You need to talk to him." She gripped Buffy's shoulders and gently guided her towards the door. "Go. Go find him and talk to him."

Buffy sighed and walked out. She searched the house for Damon and heard him and Stefan out on the roof talking. "You know, I was in a dark place, Damon." Stefan was saying.

"And Katherine pulled you out of it…. irony abounds." Damon said.

"You know, whatever's going on with you and Buffy…. you need to fix it. She's the best thing that ever happened to you."

"You think I don't know that? I can't live without her, but when you think about it, I'm no better than Katherine. Buffy would be happier without me."

Buffy had been about to climb out and join them, but Damon's words stopped her. Was he thinking about actually leaving her?

"What? I'm being selfless." Damon said. "Don't give me that look."

"I'm not giving you a look." Stefan said.

"Katherine-freaking-Pierce has a selfless moment, but I'm not allowed to have one? Fine…. Fine! When I fix this mess with Buffy, just remember you…. you're the one who pep-talked me out of doing the right thing for her and…. all of mankind."

"I will keep that in mind."

"You do that." Stefan appeared in the window and Buffy sank further back into the shadows. Damon crawled through next and walked right by Buffy. She slid down the wall and put her forehead on her knees.

"You're really going to tell him?" Alaric asked, suddenly appearing squatting in front of Buffy.

"Yes. No. I don't know."

"He's going to freak out."

"I know. I know! Willow's right, though. Secrets hurt relationships."

Alaric sighed and moved to sit down beside her. "I know they do."

"How bad do you think he's going to freak out?"

"On a scale of 1 to 10? Probably 13."

"You're not helping."

"When have I ever made your life easier?" Buffy snorted. "Cheer up, though. It may send him off the deep end, but you're not going anywhere. You love him and he knows that. He'll remember that and come back to you."

"I don't want to send him off the deep end. You know what he's like in the deep end. He drowns."

"Buffy?" Stefan called from down the hall. He appeared in the doorway and found her sitting on the floor. Of course, he couldn't see Alaric. "Hey, you ready to talk now?" Buffy held out her hands to him and he helped her up. She didn't say anything just wrapped her arms around him. He held her tightly. "Is it that serious?" Buffy nodded. "What happened?"

"I'm about to send Damon off the deep end." She said quietly.

"What do you mean?"

Buffy glanced at Alaric. "I'll see if I can distract him through Bonnie." Alaric said before he disappeared.

Buffy looked up at Stefan. "I kissed Klaus today."

"He was here?" Stefan asked.

Buffy nodded. "He came to gloat over Katherine's death. We were talking in the gazebo and before he left he said that he would leave me alone until _I_ came to see _him_ if I would just kiss him. So…. I…. kissed him."

"He's going to be mad, but…."

"Stefan, you know how I feel about Klaus. I don't hate him."

"I know."

"And I can't lie to Damon anymore."

"I don't want to encourage you to continue lying, but…. I'm not sure now is the right time to tell him. He's really down and he's scared you're mad at him. He was talking about leaving you to make you happier."

"I heard. Eavesdropping isn't much of a sport when you can hear pretty much everything within a mile radius. And I was standing by the window."

"You're incredibly sneaky when you want to be. I had no idea."

"I know."

"Look…. Don't tell Damon yet, ok? Let him recover from this horrible ordeal and then we'll sit down together and talk to him."

"It's my problem, Stefan. You shouldn't have to feel obligated to sit in as a referee."

"I don't feel obligated. We're a family, Buffy. We're all Salvatores. We need to start dealing with problems together."

Buffy wrapped herself in her brother-in-law's arms again. "You're too good to me, Stefan."

"No, Buffy. You're too good to me and my brother. I don't know what we did right to deserve you in our lives, but I am so glad we did."

She sighed and pulled back from Stefan. "Guilt is an emotion I don't seem to be very well equipped to deal with anymore. I'm becoming more and more like Damon every day."

"Well, they say couples start to resemble each other after a while." Stefan gently gripped her shoulder. "Don't worry. Everything will work out ok."

"Famous last words." She muttered.


	96. Author's Note 2

_**A/N I will say this one more time just to be 100% clear: yes Buffy is a very different person from the series. The series ended 11 years ago and she's evolved and changed with her surroundings and the people that have come into her life. Just like a real person does. I am definitely not the same person I was 11 years ago. If you're looking for that Buffy from the show, please go back and watch the show because you won't find her in this story. This is not a nostalgic story. This is not about Buffy's adventures in Sunnydale. This is about the adventures of a much more grown up and mature Buffy living in Mystic Falls 11 years later with her new family. Sorry to be harsh, but I really like this Buffy and who she's become. I'm proud of her. I'm proud of this story. To the readers who have stuck by this story, thank you so much. I am truly grateful for your presence and your support of this Buffy.**_

_**Love,**_

_**BuffyL**_


	97. Chapter 95

_**A/N I'm gonna go a little Joss Wheadon on you for a little bit. Don't kill me. It's not permanent.**_

Chapter 95

Stefan and Buffy were sitting in the living room talking. Damon had apparently woken up in a good mood that morning. Buffy had woken up to a rose on her pillow. He hadn't been in the house, though, when she'd gone looking for him. Elena had apparently gone back to the dorms with Willow, Caroline, and Bonnie, so it was just Buffy and Stefan in the house. Jeremy had sent Buffy a text saying he was going with Bonnie.

"So, you and Elena are officially back together?" Buffy asked.

Stefan shrugged. "Yes and no."

"It can't be both."

"We're taking it slow. Day by day. It was my idea. I really hurt her and she really hurt me, so…."

"Slow seems good. I'm happy for you guys."

The front door banged open and Nadia marched in. "Where is she?"

"Your mother? She's dead finally." Buffy said. "So, that means you get to go bye bye now. Bye bye."

"Not without her body."

"Why do you want her body?"

"So I can give her a proper burial."

Damon walked through the front door whistling and carrying a shovel. Buffy and Stefan exchanged glances and walked over to him. Stefan said, "Where you been?"

"Just out." Damon said, stomping mud off his boots.

"Define 'out.'"

"One who hovers and sticks his nose in other people's business. Oh! Sorry. I'm defining 'annoying.'" He smiled at Buffy and kissed her cheek. "Did you get my present?"

"I did." Buffy said. "Thank you. It was beautiful."

"Sorry I wasn't there when you woke up, but Katherine's rotting corpse was stinking up the house."

"Is that where you were?"

"Yup. I got rid of it."

"Could be a bit of a problem…." Stefan said.

"Why is that?"

"Because I'm here for Katherine's body." Nadia said.

"You're out of luck. You ain't getting it."

"My mother asked to be buried with her family in Bulgaria."

"And nothing gives me greater joy than denying her dying wish."

"Damon…. who cares?" Stefan said. "Katherine's dead. Just give her the damn body."

"That bitch ruined our lives. Nadia has known her what, 5 minutes?"

Nadia rushed toward Damon to grab him by the neck, but Buffy was much faster and Nadia found herself pinned face first against a wall. "You know what? I'm with my husband on this. The nicest thing that Katherine Pierce will ever do is feeding the maggots that are now feasting on her flesh. Now get the hell out of my house. You're not getting her back." Buffy yanked on Nadia's arms and hauled her to the door that Damon held open. He shut it behind her.

"You two are being a little over the top about this." Stefan said.

"Come on." Damon said. "Katherine is exactly where she always belonged. We're not giving the body back."

Stefan sighed. "Well, I'm glad to see you guys in harmony again."

"Just a little hiccup, right babe?" When Damon went to kiss her neck, Buffy gave Stefan a worried glance. He gave a subtle shake of his head back. "So, what's on the agenda today?"

"Agenda?" Buffy asked.

"Yeah. You. Me. Fun to be had?"

"Oh, uh…. I hadn't thought about it."

"That's ok. We'll figure something out." He took her hand and kissed her palm. "Are you hungry? I could make us some brunch." Damon headed for the kitchen. "We haven't broken out the waffle maker in a long time. I think we've got some blackberries and strawberries I can put on top."

"That sounds good." Buffy said to his retreating form. She hung her head. "He's so happy."

"Yes he is." Stefan said. "Because he knows that you love him. And as long as he remembers that, you won't lose him."

"I feel so guilty."

"Yeah. But you two love each other more than anything and you'll make it through this."

Buffy walked over and sat down on the couch. "There's a part of me that wants to pretend it never happened. The big part of me, actually. But that tiny moral voice that's starting to sound a lot like Willow is telling me that secrets hurt relationships. And she would be right. She almost lost Tara because she hid things from her. I kept secrets from Riley and I destroyed that relationship."

"Well, in all fairness, the secret he kept from you was what destroyed that relationship."

"It didn't help it."

Damon walked back into the room carrying two champagne glasses filled with orange juice and champagne. "Mimosas. I hear that's a big brunch thing." He handed Buffy one of the glasses and looked at Stefan. "I didn't know you'd be joining us."

"Don't be rude." Buffy said offhandedly.

Stefan shook his head. "It's ok. I've got some stuff to do anyway." He leaned down and kissed Buffy's forehead. "I'll see you later. Call me if you need me."

Damon watched his brother leave and then looked at Buffy. "What are you two conspiring about?"

"We're not conspiring about anything. Just talking."

"Should I be worried?"

Buffy looked up at Damon. "Why?"

"Well, Stefan said about somebody keeping secrets and destroying a relationship."

"He was talking about Riley."

"Soldier Boy? You never talk about him."

"I know. We were talking about him and Elena before that. He's turning over a new leaf with Elena. No more secrets. No more lies. On both their parts."

Damon took a sip of his mimosa. "Not all secrets need to be told."  
>"What do you mean?"<p>

"I mean, secrets can be a good thing. They can destroy relationships, like Riley demonstrated, and they should just stay buried. That's why I never told you about that whole Augustine thing and what I did to the Whitmore family. I really thought you would hate me for it."

Buffy stood up and moved over to Damon, wrapping her arms around his waist and pressing herself against him tightly. "I love you, Damon. Deeply. You've weaseled your way into my bones and if anything ever happened to you…. I would wither away to nothing."

He kissed the top of her head as he held her close. "I would flip the switch and never flip it back if anything happened to you. There isn't one centimeter of me that you're not a part of. You are literally the best person I've ever known and for me to think I could change you gives me way too much credit. And you not nearly enough. You are the best influence on me. I need you. You are the good…. And I need a little good in my life. Because without it, there's an awful lot of darkness."

Buffy smiled against his chest and wished she could get closer to him and never let him go. Unfortunately, the smell of burning waffles wafted in from the kitchen. Damon cursed and let her go, rushing back into the kitchen. She shook her head and headed out to the gazebo. Sitting down on the day bed, she looked around at the scene of her crime.

Telling Damon that she had feelings for Klaus and had kissed him just the day before would destroy him. She couldn't do that to him. She couldn't do that to them. So, Klaus was over and done with. He wasn't coming back. And she wasn't going to tell Damon about what had happened. She made up her mind that Damon was right. Some secrets needed to stay buried. So she dug deep within her psyche, made a hole, and buried her feelings about Klaus and the memory of that kiss in that hole before covering it up for good.

Damon found her lounging on the daybed a little while later. He was carrying a tray piled with waffles, fresh fruits, bacon, sausage links, scrambled eggs, a bottle of champagne, and a pitcher of orange juice. Buffy smiled brightly at him. "You spoil me." She said.

"That's the plan." Damon set the tray down on the glass table and climbed on top of Buffy, kissing her deeply.

* * *

><p>Buffy woke up wrapped in Damon's arms and looked around the gazebo. At some point, one of them had hit the button to turn the gazebo into the private oasis. And at some point, it had gotten dark. She laughed slightly and kissed Damon's bare chest.<p>

Damon let out a happy little groan and wiggled against her. His hand ran up her bare back and up into her hair, letting out a laugh. "I think a cat died on your head."

Buffy felt her hair. "You killed the cat."

"Damn right." Damon reached down and pulled her mouth to his.

"We didn't eat our brunch." She said after a long, breathless moment.

He looked over at the untouched tray and frowned a bit. "I worked really hard on that."

Buffy laughed. "Come on. We can go make dinner together."

They got dressed and headed into the house hand in hand. When they walked into the living room, they found Enzo propped up on the couch. "Enzo…." Damon said.

"Hello, Damon." Enzo said, standing up. "We've got a bit of business to attend to." There was a bit of blood pooling at the side of his mouth.

"You missed a spot."

Enzo turned to look at Buffy. "We haven't been properly introduced. I'm Enzo."

"I got that." Buffy said.

"You are exquisite, darling. I see why Damon fell head over heels."

She noticed a body bag laying on the ground. "Yeah, thanks…. Um, why is there a body bag on my living room floor?"

Enzo turned to the fireplace where he'd built a nice roaring fire. "God. I love a good fire." He rubbed his hands together. "Oh. That's so wrong, isn't it? Since you left me to burn alive in one, Damon."

"Didn't we already do this?" Damon said, his grip tightening on Buffy's waist. He was nervous. "You tried to make me feel guilty, I saved your life. We're even." Enzo just laughed.

"Enzo," Buffy said. "I know you've been out of the civilized world for a very long time, but when someone asks you why there's a body bag on the floor of her living room…. It's polite to answer."

"I apologize. It has been a very long time since I've been in the world." Enzo said, turning back to them. "Since you and I last spoke, Damon, I've done a bit of soul searching…."

"And took a much needed trip to the salon." Buffy added.

"That I did. And I did a little research…. Which revealed to me that your boyfriend…."

"Husband." Damon and Buffy said.

Enzo waved them off. "Killed almost every member of the Whitmore family in the years since he escaped…. Leaving just one alive each time to carry on the family name…. Producing a whole new generation of victims for you to slaughter." He gestured at Damon. "Exactly as you said you'd do back when you and I were cellmates."

"Well you know me," Damon said. "I like to keep my promises."

"And it's occurred to me that perhaps I wrote you off too quickly. That, in fact, the Damon Salvatore I remember is alive and well. I have a present for him." Enzo went to open the body bag, revealing that he'd brought Aaron Whitmore with him.

"You brought me Aaron Whitmore." Damon paused for a moment to listen for a heartbeat.

"He's alive." Buffy said.

"He's the last of the Whitmore clan." Enzo said. He held up Aaron's wrist. "Do you remember this vervain wristwatch? Dr. Whitmore never took it off even when he was rooting around in our chest cavities. How fitting that Aaron should die while wearing it too. So…. Do you want to kill him, or shall I? Because as much as I've enjoyed your quality bourbon, I feel confident our next drink will taste better with young Aaron's dying screams ringing in our ears. And your final act of revenge will bring us both closure and a new beginning."

Buffy took a step forward, casually putting herself in front of Damon. "This sort of goes back to that whole civilization thing I was talking about just a few moments ago…. But do you ask all of your friends to prove their loyalty by killing someone over drinks?"

"His grandfather split our eyes open with a scalpel. Your husband has taken it out on everyone else in the Whitmore family. I thought he'd want this."

"Would you believe he's a friend of a friend?" Damon asked.

"No because that would force me to believe that you've gone soft, when you and I both know that your first impulse when I presented him to you was to rip out his throat. Show me my old friend is still in there someplace. End this…. for both of us."

"Look, I'm all about holding some grudges." Buffy said. "But the Damon you knew is gone. This is my Damon, now, and as much as we'd both like to see this little twerp get what's coming to him, we don't go around killing the friends of my kids…. Anymore." Her phone began ringing and she yanked it out of her pocket. "Bad timing, Caroline. I'm dealing with a blast from my husband's past."

"Where have you been all day? I've been trying to call you."

"I've been occupied."

"Yeah? So has Elena and Stefan. Look, can you deal with your whatever quickly and get your ass over to Tyler's, please? There's a party here and I need some womanly advice."

Aaron made a noise and Buffy glanced down at him. "It looks like he's coming around." Enzo announced. "It's time to come to a decision, Damon. Do you want to kill him, or shall I?"

"I'll call you back, Caroline." Buffy hung up and was suddenly standing over a broken-necked Enzo. "Sorry, babe, but he was very rude."

Damon shrugged. "It's ok."

"I didn't see that one coming." Aaron said.

"We can't kill you."

"Because Elena would hate you guys for it?"

"Pretty much." Buffy said. She grabbed Aaron's wrist and ripped the vervain watch from his wrist. Grabbing his head, she forced him to look her in the eyes. "Go back to college and pack up your entire life. There's one road that heads out of town. I want you to take it north until you hit ice and don't _ever_ come back."

Aaron nodded and ran out. Damon waited until the door was closed before turning to Buffy and saying, "So there's a party at the Lockwood house?"

* * *

><p>Buffy and Damon arrived at the party hand in hand. They'd left Enzo laying dead on their living room floor. Hopefully when he woke up, he would get the message that he wasn't wanted and disappear. The two of them walked up onto the porch and were prevented from entering the house by an invisible barrier.<p>

"I forgot we haven't been here since Matt signed the deed." Buffy said.

"Donovan, are you in here?" Damon called into the party. After a few more minutes, he shrugged. "I'll go around back and see if I can find him."

"Ok." Buffy said. He kissed her quickly and walked towards the back of the house.

Of course, that's when Matt walked by. "Hey, Buffy. I didn't know you were coming."

"Caroline called me." Buffy said. "Do you mind?"

"Oh, sorry…. Come in."

Buffy stepped over the threshold. "Thanks."

"Caroline is around here somewhere."

"Would you mind heading to the backyard and inviting Damon in? He's back there looking for you."

"No problem." Matt turned and headed to the back door.

Buffy spotted Caroline walking down the stairs. She waved and the taller blonde walked over to her. "There you are! I've been calling and texting."

"I told you…. I was occupied." Buffy said. "What's up?"

"It's Tyler."

"He's back, I know."

"I think he wants to get back with me."

"Honestly, Caroline, I had no idea you guys were actually broken up."

"Really?" Buffy shrugged. "Well, yeah. He got all obsessed with taking out Klaus and chose that over me. It was at the Whitmore Historical Ball."

"I've been a little…."

"Occupied. I know."

"So, what's the problem exactly?"

"What do I do? Do I take him back?"

"That seems to be the thing to do these days." Buffy said, spotting Elena and Stefan walking up. "Hey, you two."

"Hey back." Stefan said. "Where's Damon?"

"Wandering around the backyard looking for Matt. I sent the quarterback out to find him. It's probably a really funny sight by now."

"What are you guys talking about?" Elena asked.  
>"Man trouble." Caroline said.<p>

"Oh, you mean Buffy told you about kissing Klaus yesterday?"

Buffy's eyes widened and she looked at Stefan. "You told her?"

Stefan shrugged apologetically. "I'm sorry. I didn't think you would mind. It's only Elena."

"Wait, what!?" Caroline asked. "You kissed Klaus?"

"There's a bigger story to that…." Buffy said.

"Ew! It's Klaus!"

"How was it?" Elena said.

"What?" Buffy asked.

"Elena…." Stefan started, but Elena didn't hear him as she said, "You know, the hot make-out with Klaus yesterday? How was it?"

"What?" Damon asked, standing behind Buffy. Buffy turned and looked up at Damon. "What is she talking about?"

"Elena, what is the matter with you?" Stefan asked.

"What? I thought you said she was going to tell him." Elena's eyes widened. "Oh, I'm so sorry. I didn't know you hadn't told him."

"Buffy, what the hell are they talking about?" Damon demanded.

"I…." Buffy started.

"Don't even think about lying to me."

"I wasn't…."

"Maybe we should take this somewhere more private." Stefan said, gesturing towards the office nearby. He steered them in that direction and closed the doors behind them, leaving Elena and Caroline to stand outside.

"Why was Klaus even here?" Damon asked.

"I called him." Buffy said. "I thought he would like to gloat about Katherine…."

"Are you seeing him behind my back?"

"No! God no!"

"You kissed him!?"

"Yes…. But…."

"There is nothing you can say to me to make that ok!"

"He said he would leave and never come back if I would kiss him."

"You didn't have to kiss him! You could've told him no. You could've kicked his ass and told him to leave."

"I…."

"You lied to me."

"No!"

"You told me you didn't feel anything for Klaus."

"That's not true! I told you he was my friend. I…."

"Friends don't go around kissing each other!"

"It was only twice!"

"Yeah, that makes it so much better." Damon rounded on Stefan. "And you knew about it all and didn't say a damn word!"

"Damon, calm down." Stefan said.

"I won't calm down! My wife has been seeing someone else behind my back!"

"No I haven't!" Buffy cried. "He kissed me once a long time ago and I kissed him once yesterday and that was the end of it. He will never bother us again now."

"There's always a catch with that guy."

"That _was_ the catch! If I kissed him, then he would leave for good. Leave us alone."

"This is exactly what he wanted to happen." Stefan said. "He wanted you two to fight about it because he expects Buffy to come running to him. But you two love each other."

"He's right." Buffy said. "I love you. I turned down Klaus time and time again because I love _you_. I'm so, so sorry."

"Just…. Stop. Stop talking." Damon said. "I can't even look at you without seeing _him_ kissing my wife."

"Damon…."

"Just calm down and think about this, Damon." Stefan said.

Damon looked at Stefan coldly. "Why are you even here? This is between me and Buffy."

"I'm here to help you see reason." Stefan took a step towards his brother and gestured at Buffy. "She's here, Damon. She's not in New Orleans with Klaus. She's in Mystic Falls…. With you."

"How sad for her." Damon looked at Buffy. "Because I'm about to not be in Mystic Falls." He turned and stormed out the side door.

"Damon!" Buffy cried, but he dashed off into the night. "Damon!" Buffy felt the entire world shift and she started to collapse.

Stefan caught her and sat her down, holding her tightly. "He'll be back. He just needs time to process and cool off."

"What have I done?" Buffy said, her voice barely audible.

"You told the truth and now he knows, but Buffy…." Stefan smoothed her hair out of her face. "You love Damon and he knows that. He'll calm down and he'll remember that. He'll remember how much he loves you."

Caroline knocked on the door before walking in. "Hey…." She noticed the open door and Buffy's stricken face. "Oh no! He left?"

"Where's Elena?" Stefan asked.

"She got a phone call and left. Said she'd be back." Caroline walked over and hugged Buffy tightly. "I'm sorry, Buffy. He'll come back. He always comes back to you."

"Maybe we should get you home." Stefan said.

"That's a good idea. Come on, I'll make some tea and we'll wait till Damon comes to his senses and comes home."

Buffy shook her head. "I just…. I need to get some air. I'll see you later." She got up and walked out the side door.

Caroline looked at Stefan. "We need to fix this. Damon is a much better person with her in his life. We can't let anything happen to them."

"I agree, but I know my brother. He needs time to sort this out. We can't force him to…."

"Yes we can! I may be conflicted about my lack of relationship with Tyler, but I'm not conflicted about those two. Buffy and Damon belong together and I won't just sit by and let them destroy their marriage over some stupid kiss to get rid of Klaus!"

"I thought you hated Damon."

"You know what? That's not even the point. The point is…. They give me hope. I figure if _they_ can make it work…. Two people who are almost complete opposites…. Then I have some hope of finding something good in my life."

Stefan smiled slightly. "Ok. What's your plan?"

"Well…. All I've got at this moment is: kidnap Damon, lock in him your cellar, and kick his ass until he comes to his senses. But I think I can do better, so we should make that plan B. Give me a night to think about it?"

"All right. I'll see what I can come up with, too."

"Yes! Two heads are better than one. Good thinking. Ok, we need to find them and we can regroup in the morning." Caroline turned and headed out.


	98. Chapter 96

Chapter 96

Buffy woke up and looked around her surroundings. She was leaning against Alaric's headstone with six empty bottles of bourbon sitting on the ground beside her. Her cell phone was sitting on top of the headstone. She groaned and sat up, blocking the sun with her hand. At first it was a haze as to why she was waking up next to Alaric's headstone, but then the events of the night before came back to her.

She'd been walking and had broken into the liquor store after her fight with Damon. After she'd downed the first bottle, she'd come to Alaric's grave and ranted at him about what had happened. He hadn't shown up, so she'd grabbed her cell phone and had apparently called Xander, Angel, Spike, Dawn, Willow, Elijah, Rebekah, Giles' old cell phone number (which had been given away and the poor woman who had inherited it from the phone company had gotten an ear full), and much to her now sober dismay, Klaus. Luckily all of them, minus Elijah, hadn't answered. For Klaus, she'd left him a message…. Something along the lines of calling him names and blaming him for being a Damon-wannabe to get into her pants.

She and Elijah had talked for a while. He'd assured her that Damon would come to his senses and he'd apologized for his brother more than once. He said that being honest with Damon would only strengthen their bond in the long run. "It's absurd to think that secrets that large could be kept in a relationship if you expect it to last. While your feelings for my brother have made him a little more bearable and I thank you for that, it does not lessen your feelings for Damon in any way. If anything, it made you realize how important Damon is to you. You're a fighter, Buffy. Fight for your relationship."

She stood up and stretched out before grabbing her phone. She'd missed a lot of calls from Caroline and Stefan. None from Elena, oddly enough. Bonnie had called once to check on her and Jeremy had left a bunch of text messages. Matt had actually left her a message, too. Her battery was almost dead, though.

Buffy glanced down at the headstone and gave it a small kick. "I could've used you last night." She shoved her phone in her pocket and started walking with no idea where she was going to go.

* * *

><p>Stefan approached Damon's car in front of the boarding house's door. The car had been crashed into a plant pot. He noticed that there was blood on the car's trunk door. With a sigh, he opened the trunk and found Aaron's body in it. Great. Buffy was MIA and Damon had gone on a killing spree. Stefan closed the trunk and walked inside.<p>

Damon was drunk on the couch with broken glass everywhere. "Hey." He slurred. "Sorry about the mess. I had some company and things got a little out of hand."

"You want to tell me what the hell's going on out in the driveway?" Stefan asked.

"Ah. I let Enzo drive last night. He's a little out of practice." Damon struggled to his feet. "Almost ended up in the damn foyer."

"Huh."

"Oh. You mean Aaron."

"Yeah."

"Yeah. Well, last night, we hunted him down, and I ripped his throat out. Yeah. I just figured it's time to shove the last branch of the Whitmore family tree into the…. wood chipper." Damon found a bottle with bourbon still in it and took a long swig.

"So you have a fight with your wife and your first instinct is to go on a killing spree? Could you be any more predictable?"

Enzo walked into the living room. "It was my idea if it makes you feel any better." He offered his hand to Stefan. "Enzo. Remember? We met when…."

"When you were trying to tear Damon's head off." Stefan interrupted him. "Yeah. I remember." He turned to face Damon. "So, what, you guys are old pals again, murder buddies, is that it?"

"Oh, you know how it goes." Damon said. "I mean, I left him for dead, he tried to kill me, we worked things out. You spend 5 years with someone in a dungeon, you have a pretty unbreakable bond." He gave Enzo the bottle over Stefan's shoulder.

"Say, you haven't heard from Dr. Wes Maxfield by any chance?" Enzo asked. "Bloke's next on the Augustine hit list, and he's a slippery little devil."

"Is that the plan?" Stefan asked. "Kill off Augustine and then go back to your sadistic, psychotic old self?"

"I happen to like my old sadistic self, Stefan." Damon said. "In fact, I miss that guy. That guy was dumb enough to try and change himself to get a girl. So, get another hobby, brother, because I'm not in the mood to be saved."

"Hmm…. Last I checked, you did get the girl. And that girl is missing. You broke her heart and now we can't find her." Stefan didn't miss the look of worry that crossed Damon's face, but it hardened again.

"_She_ broke _my_ heart. _She_ kissed that jackass Klaus and _she _has had feelings for him all this time…. So good riddance."

"You don't mean that."

Damon hesitated before saying, "Of course I do."

Enzo wrapped an arm around Damon's shoulders. "What do you say? Shall we get you a new hobby? Golf? Scrapbooking?"

"Scrapbooking."

"Come on, Damon. You're better than this." Stefan said.

"On the contrary, brother. I'm better _like_ this."

Stefan sighed and walked back out, deciding to search for Buffy again. It was a miracle that he found her an hour later sitting at the Grill. She was hiding in a back corner away from everyone and in as dark a corner as she could find. And apparently she'd gotten Matt to give her a whole bottle of bourbon that she was currently a third of the way through already.

Stefan slipped into the booth across from her. "You look like hell."

"I feel like hell." Buffy said, not looking up.

"Where were you last night? Caroline and I looked everywhere for you."

"Not everywhere. I was at the graveyard."

Stefan lifted up the bottle of bourbon. "How many bottles of this stuff have you gone through?"

Buffy yanked it away from him. "Apparently I'm on number nine."

"Well, you're about neck and neck with Damon then."

"You've seen him?"

"He and Enzo trashed the living room in their booze fueled whatever."

"How many people has he killed?"

"Just one that I know of."

"Aaron Whitmore."

"How'd you know?"

"Because it's who Enzo wanted him to kill. If they're buddy buddy again, then Aaron's dead."

"Listen, why don't you come home and get cleaned up? We can figure out what to do next." Before she could protest, Stefan stopped her. "You kind of smell."

"Thanks." Buffy grabbed her bottle of bourbon and followed Stefan out of the Grill. They headed back through the woods and when they got closer to the house, they found Enzo digging a grave.

"I see Damon's got you on shallow grave duty." Stefan said to him.

"Be a mate. Grab a shovel." Enzo said. He noticed Buffy taking a drink from her bottle. "Ah, the lovely Mrs. Salvatore. Your husband had a lot to say about you last night."

"Back off." Stefan growled.

Enzo laughed. "Sensitive subject for the whole Salvatore family."

"I think you need to find yourself a new best friend. Damon's in a bad place right now and you're not really making things better. I know you just got out of captivity and you're looking to blow off a boatload of steam, which is fine. Just…. do me a favor. Leave my brother out of it."

"He mentioned you were a bit of a do-gooder."

"Yeah. You know what makes somebody walk a straight line? When they have no choice but to be the balance for somebody who's about to fall off the edge."

"Ah, but it's so much more fun when you can just commit to the leap. You're welcome to join in on the fun." Enzo offered Stefan a shovel. "Looks like you both could use it."

"Screw this. I need a shower." Buffy said, tossing the now empty bottle behind her and walking off.

"Good man." Enzo said when Stefan grabbed the shovel from him.

Instead of digging, Stefan used his vampire speed and hit Enzo across his legs, knocking him down. He tried to get up, but Stefan kicked him on the chest and pushed him down on the floor again. "Why don't you be a mate, huh?" Stefan said, putting the end of the wooden handle on Enzo's chest. "Get in my car, start driving, and don't look back."

Enzo smiled and grabbed the handle, piercing his own chest with it without even flinching. "You think that hurts? I'm curious, Stefan. What do you think you can possibly do to me that hasn't been done a hundred times before? Go on. Give it your best shot."

Stefan pulled out the shovel and turned it around, placing the metal part on Enzo's neck. "What I do to you, Enzo, will be final. You got it? Be sure I never see you again." He took the shovel and threw it as he walked away.

* * *

><p>Buffy sat on Stefan's bed wrapped up in a towel with her knees up to her chin as she stared off into space. She hadn't wanted to go into her own bathroom and she hadn't wanted to spend any time in her old room where Katherine had died. It still stank of her death. So, she'd commandeered Stefan's bathroom. He had set out some clothes for her on his bed and given her some privacy.<p>

When she had walked into the house, Damon had been coming up from the cellar. They'd locked eyes for a long moment, but Damon had walked away without saying anything. She had spent an hour in the shower crying before she'd even tried to wash her hair.

Stefan knocked on the door and stuck his head in. "Hey…. Oh, you're not dressed."

"Sorry." Buffy said, wiping at her eyes.

"I'll come back."

"It's ok. I haven't worked up the strength to start getting dressed yet. Not sure when I will."

"Well, I hope it's soon. I promised Caroline that we would come to this dance thing."

"Oh, Stefan, no! I don't feel like going to any dance."

"She thinks it will lift your spirits. It's something about a Lonely Hearts theme."

Buffy shot Stefan an agitated look. "Yes, that will definitely make me feel better."

Stefan chuckled. "I know, but let's humor her, ok?"

"I'm going to just take over your room and sleep for a couple centuries. Maybe Damon will be over being mad at me by then."

"He'll be over being mad at you soon enough. You don't need to sleep for centuries." Stefan came over and sat down next to her. "When I told him you were missing, he got really worried. But of course, Damon being Damon…. He covered it up with his devil may care attitude."

"He ran away from me when I saw him. He didn't say a word. Just stared at me and ran away."

"Well, you hurt him and he doesn't know how to deal with that. I think the fact that he's only killed one person says a lot about the influence you have over him."

Buffy let out a snort. "You know, I never thought in a million years that I would ever marry someone. I never thought that I would find someone that stacked up to Angel…. Let alone surpass him. When he left me…. I was a wreck. But I never wanted to just stop going. I never wanted to give up. When Riley left, it hurt…. A lot. But I never lost sight of who I was and what I wanted from life. Right now…. Loosing Damon…. I want to stop. I want to hide under a rock and not come out until he forgives me. I don't know what to do without him, Stefan. He walked into my life and I was his…. Completely."

Stefan wrapped his arms around her and hugged her tightly. "Buffy, you didn't lose him. He's not gone. He's just dealing with this the only way he knows how. He will be back. He will."

"You don't sound certain."

"I don't? Because I am." He looked at the clothes he'd laid out. "You know what? These won't work. You need to get hot. I'm talking so hot that the only person crazy enough to lay a hand on you would be Damon Salvatore." Buffy let out a little laugh. "I'll lure him to the dance…. Somehow…. And he will be reminded of the first thing that drew him to you. Now go. Get hot. I'll wait."

Buffy rolled her eyes at his encouraging smile, but she got up headed down to her and Damon's room. He wasn't there and it was clear he hadn't been there in a while. She took a moment to bury herself in his clothes hanging in the closet, relishing the scent of them, before she went to her side and picked out a dress.

* * *

><p>Stefan escorted Buffy into the dance and they headed down the stairs. He had to admit that he was impressed. Buffy had chosen a deep red, satin sheath dress that clung to her body from her chest to just below her knees. The dress pushed her…. Assets…. Up and highlighted them. She had on sexy black, strappy stilettos that made her almost five inches taller. Her long, blonde hair was in loose ringlets down her back and her makeup was straight off Marilyn Monroe's face.<p>

Buffy noticed him starting. "What?"

"Nothing. I'm just…." Stefan shook his head and blew out a breath.

"This was your idea."

"And you came through."

"Quit checking me out. You're my brother in law. Is Damon coming?"

"I couldn't get a hold of him, but I left him a message."

"Wait…. I'm here with no guarantee that he's going to show? Stefan…." She started to turn away, but Stefan tightened his grip on her arm.

"Stay, Buffy. Dance." He glanced at the shredding station they were passing. "Shred a picture. Just…. Try to have a little fun."

"I should be at home doing penance or something."

"If you go home, you'll get into bed and not get out."

"Buffy!" Caroline squealed behind them. Stefan and Buffy turned around. "You look amazing!" She hugged Buffy tightly and looked at Stefan. "Is Damon here?"

"Not yet. He's ignoring my phone calls."

Elena sauntered up just then and wrapped an arm around Stefan, pulling him away from Buffy. "I'm glad you made it." She purred. "Dance with me?" Stefan looked at Buffy, but Elena said, "Buffy will be fine. She's a big girl."

"I'll take care of her." Caroline said, taking Buffy's arm.

"Great!" Elena smiled brightly and pulled Stefan onto the dance floor.

Buffy looked at Caroline. "Is it just me, or is she acting differently?"

Caroline shrugged. "She's happy that she's back with Stefan. Come on." She pulled Buffy towards the shredding station. "Did you bring anything to shred?"

"No. I didn't even plan to come to this thing, let alone bring a printed picture. Do people actually print those out anymore?"

"Well, I brought pictures." Caroline grabbed two pictures of herself with Tyler and shoved them in the shredder.

"I thought you were going to work things out with Tyler?"

"Right now, that's not an option. He chose his vendetta over me and I'm choosing my college career over everything else…. Right now. Now, I brought something for you because I figured you wouldn't bring anything to shred."

"What are you talking about? I don't want to shred anything."

"Are you sure?" Caroline produced some pictures that Klaus had drawn for Buffy.

"Where did you get those?"

"I rummaged. Sorry. But I think you need to shred these."

Buffy looked at the drawings and ran her fingers down them. "They were a gift."

"From a guy who has been trying to ruin your marriage and has pretty much succeeded." Buffy looked up at Caroline sharply. "We're not going to let that happen, though. So…. Start shredding." Buffy sighed and put the drawings in the shredder. She watched them be torn into thin strips and drop into the trash bin. "Do you feel cleansed?"

"I still feel like my husband is gone."

"Well, he's not. We're going to get him back. I mean, look at you! You're hot! He'd be crazy to give you up."

"I really thought that you hated Damon."  
>Caroline sighed. "I do, but…. When he's with you, he is a much better person. And I don't like to see one of my best friends unhappy."<p>

Buffy walked over to a chair and sat down. "I'm an idiot, Caroline. I'm the biggest idiot that ever lived."

"No, you're not." Caroline sat down next to her. "There are people out there who have done much worse than kiss another guy. And you did it to get rid of Klaus."

"That was part of it. The other part was that I was curious. You guys don't see him like I do. He doesn't show you that side of him. It's like Damon and I in the beginning."

"But you don't love Klaus."

"No. I don't. I love Damon. More than I realized."

Stefan and Elena walked over to them hand in hand. "What are you guys talking about?" Elena asked.

"Purging our systems of bad Klaus juju." Caroline announced. "Buffy shredded some drawings he gave her as a gift."

"Do you feel better?" Stefan asked.

"No." Buffy said. "Because I should be dancing with my husband instead of being a damn wallflower." She looked around. "It's high school all over again. Except my best friend is missing. Where is Willow?"

"She's not here." Caroline said. "She said something about meeting a coven in Williamsburg."

"Oh. That was this weekend?"

"Well, as an apology from all of those idiots in high school that made you a wallflower," Stefan held out his hand. "May I have this dance?"

"That's so sweet." Elena said. "You're so sweet, Stefan!"

"Come on." Stefan waved his hand at her. "Let's dance."

Buffy groaned, but took his hand. "Ok. Fine."

Stefan led her out onto the dance floor and turned her into a dance hold. "You know, you and I have never danced together."

"We have, actually. When Lexi first brought me here."

"That's right! At the Grill. That seems like ages ago."

"Lifetimes. Because I'm fairly certain it was."

"When you first met Damon, what were your first thoughts?"

Buffy looked up at him incredulously. "Really?"

"Yeah."

"I couldn't look away from his eyes for the longest time. It took me a minute to even notice the rest of him. There were no thoughts in my head. I was speechless."

"You know he was hooked from the moment he laid eyes on you?"

"No. He was so hung up on Katherine…."

"Until Lexi swept you into his life. That was the end of Katherine for him. I overheard him trying to talk himself out of liking you. He tried to talk himself down from a ledge he didn't know he was ready to jump off of."

"Really?"

"He has no idea I heard him. I've never told him either."

"And you're telling me now to torture me just a little bit more, right?"

"No. I'm telling you now to remind you what you're fighting for. To let you know that you belonged to him completely from the get go just like he belonged to you completely from the get go. And he just walked in."

"What? Really?" Stefan's face and sudden tight grip stopped her from turning around. "What's wrong?"

"He's got Bonnie." Buffy turned around and followed Stefan' eye line. Damon was sauntering up to them with Bonnie in his grip. He was working really hard to not look below Buffy's face. "What are you doing here?" Stefan asked.

"Bonnie, what's going on?" Buffy asked.

"Oh, don't worry. I'm not her date." Damon said. "We're not going to break any Bitter Ball rules. I need to know where your BFF is."

"Well, it's nice that you're talking to me again."

"I'm not. But I need Willow."

"She's in Williamsburg. Why do you need her?"

"I need a witch to do a locator spell on the elusive Dr. Wes Maxfield. I was hoping Willow would be here, but my backup plan is right here." He hauled Bonnie closer. "She's going to find me a witch and that witch is going to find him and I'm going to kill him."

"I don't get an invite to that? I hate him, too."

"Sorry, but it's guys only. Besides, you only endured a day. Enzo and I endured years." Damon sneered at her before looking at Bonnie. "Bon-Bon, should I tell them?"

"Enzo has Jeremy." Bonnie said. "If I don't get a witch to find Wes by midnight, he'll kill him."

Damon sarcastically cut his throat with a hand signal. Bonnie passed her phone over to Stefan and Buffy, showing them a texted image of Jeremy tied up somewhere. Buffy's eyes changed from deep blue to their light, supernatural blue. She was _pissed_ now. "I get that you're pissed off at me. You have every right to be, but you don't get to take this out on Jeremy or Bonnie or anyone else."

Damon gave her cold eyes. "I do what I want."

"Fine. Then do what you want _to me_. Take your anger out on _me_. I won't fight back. Tie me up, torture me, yell at me, break out the hot pokers, shove a stake through my heart…. I don't care…. But let Jeremy go."

"Don't tempt me with the stake idea."

"I'll give you Mr. Pointy to use."

"Buffy, don't." Bonnie said. "Let me just go get the witch from school."

"You don't have to give in to him, Bonnie. He's pissed at me and he needs to learn to place his anger in the proper place."

"Go." Damon shoved Bonnie away and gave Buffy a glare. "You, stay right here."

"Are you going to talk to me?"

"I have nothing to talk to you about."

"Then I'm going to go after Bonnie." Buffy started to leave, but Damon grabbed her arm.

"This is happening."

Buffy yanked her arm out of his grip. "You can't run away from your problems. You need to deal with them."

"I'm not running. I'm taking care of Maxfield. He's a problem of mine and I'm going to deal with him."

"That's not what I'm talking about."

"Then maybe you should just stop talking."

"Don't be a dick." Stefan snapped. "She feels bad enough."

"I don't know why." Damon leveled a stare at Buffy. "She chose the vampire for her."

"Yeah, you. So stop being an idiot and deal with this."

"You guys are making a scene." Elena said, walking up to them.

Buffy grabbed Damon's arm and hauled him towards the door. "Let go of me." He growled. She tightened her grip and kept going. He yanked harder as they made it outside, but she was stronger and it only annoyed her. She turned, her face vamping out in her anger, and shoved him against the wall, holding him there with a hand on his chest.

"People keep telling me that I need to let you get through this on your own, but 'your own' is getting out of hand. Be mad at me, Damon. Scream at me. Throw things at me. Hit me if you want! But take it out on _me_." She ran her hand up his chest and cupped his face with both hands, pressing her forehead against his. "Send Enzo away and come home. We can fight it out and deal with this messed up situation I put us in."

Damon ran his hands up her arms and gently curled his fingers around her wrists. "Tell you what," His grip tightened and he pushed her away. "You deal with it. It's your situation, Buffy. Not mine." He glanced down at her body. "Nice dress." He walked past his brother standing in the doorway with Elena and back into the school.

Stefan walked over to Buffy. "Are you ok?"

"This is slowly becoming the worst day of my life." Buffy said, leaning against the wall.

"I always thought you were too good for him, anyway." Elena said.

"No you didn't." Stefan said.

"I said I thought. I never said it out loud to anyone."

Buffy shook her head at Elena. "As much as I love you, you're the reason I'm in this mess."

"No, you got yourself into the mess. I just…. Accidentally let the cat out of the bag before you. And I'm sorry."

Damon came back out with Bonnie, Caroline, and a young girl that Buffy assumed was a witch. "Got my witch. Now to get my doctor. Have a nice night." He called as he walked past.

Bonnie shot Buffy a look and then looked at her cell phone purposefully before disappearing around the corner. Buffy reached inside Stefan's coat and pulled her phone out of his inside pocket. Bonnie had texted Buffy the picture of Jeremy with a text attachment asking if she recognized where he was being held.

"Is that Jeremy?" Elena asked.

"You didn't tell her?" Buffy asked Stefan.

"What is going on? Why is my little brother tied up and bleeding?"

"Enzo has him." Stefan said. "He's holding him hostage until Bonnie's witch friend finds Wes Maxfield for him and Damon."

"You were going to hide it from me?"

"No. But I was hoping Buffy could talk some sense into Damon before anything bad happened."

"I don't think anyone can talk sense into Damon now. He's lost it."

"He's still mad." Stefan said.

"He's going to get Jeremy killed. We have to stop him."

"We don't know where Enzo took him."

Elena looked at the picture again on Buffy's phone. "That's Whitmore House."

"What?" Buffy asked.

"I recognize the curtains. That's Whitmore House."

"That makes sense. That's where Enzo was held for so long." Buffy glanced in the direction where Damon had disappeared. She needed to get to Jeremy because Enzo would kill him. He was crazy enough and she wasn't sure Damon would care if he did. With a sigh, Buffy turned and headed towards Whitmore House with Stefan and Elena.

When they arrived, Buffy heard Jeremy struggling from a room near the back. She rushed away from Elena and Stefan and grabbed Enzo away from Jeremy, slamming him against the wall. Stefan and Elena came in a second later and rushed over to Jeremy. Enzo struggled in Buffy's grip, but she was too strong for him.

"He said you were strong." Enzo choked out.

"You're lucky I don't break your neck again." Buffy growled. "That's my kid you're trying to kill."

"Damon did mention that you would probably be angry about that."

While Elena gave Jeremy CPR, Stefan came over to Buffy. "You should've left when I told you to."

"Did I give you the impression that I was taking orders from you? My bad." Enzo tried again to get out of Buffy's grip, hitting her arm over and over.

"Seriously? Did Damon fail to mention that I'm not your average vampire?" Buffy asked, letting her face change. "I squeeze hard enough and your head pops off like a champagne cork. And I'm pretty unstable myself right now, so I have no idea if I'm going to kill you or not."

"Do you think I care? I've spent the last few decades near death and welcoming it. I'm not afraid of it."

"So would it be strange if I let you live?"

"I couldn't care either way, actually. But I think Damon might have a problem with you killing me. You've already screwed him over once. Why would you kill his best friend and add to the list?"

Buffy shrugged. "He killed my best friend when we came to town way back when. I could kill his and we'd be even."

"But you still kissed another man with that pretty wedding ring on your finger."

"And my husband had his friend hold my kid hostage and almost kill him. I'm starting to think that we're evening out, here." Buffy glanced at Elena. "Is Jeremy ok?"

"He's going to be fine." Elena said, holding Jeremy in a tight hug.

"What did I miss?" Buffy, Stefan, and Enzo looked over at the door where Damon had just walked in.

"You missed all the fun." Enzo said.

"The spell worked. Wes is in Richmond."

"Brilliant. If you could get your wife to let me go, I'll drive."

"Wife is such a strong word."

"How about ex friend with benefits?"

Damon shrugged, but didn't look at her. "That could work."

"Damon!" Buffy cried, letting Enzo go in her shock.

Enzo patted Buffy on the shoulder as he walked over to join Damon. "Tough luck, love."

"Hey, Damon." Stefan said, walking over and wrapping a protective arm around Buffy's shoulders. "Don't bother coming back."

Damon looked visibly upset by Stefan's words before he turned away from them. "I wasn't planning on it." He walked out with Enzo.

Stefan turned Buffy into him and hugged her tightly. She suddenly couldn't feel anything. Her entire body and mind went numb. He turned to Elena and Jeremy. "I'm going to get her home."  
>"That's a great idea." Elena said. "This has been tough night. Jer and I will meet you guys there later."<p>

* * *

><p>Buffy sat curled up in a little ball in her and Damon's bed a couple of nights later. She was still numb and cold. Her eyes didn't focus on anything. Not even Stefan when he walked in with a mug of hot tea. He sat down beside her and set the mug down on the nightstand.<p>

After a moment, he moved her hair out of her eyes and said, "Ever since the first time I noticed you falling for my brother, I have been waiting for him to screw something up so badly that you hate him. I've been waiting and watching him do all these horrible things and then every single time I think he's gone too far, he's there for you. So the truth is, after a while I just stopped waiting for him to fail because I liked the person he had become and I don't want to lose that person. I know I told him to leave and never come back, but…. I can't do that to you and I don't want to do that to him. We need to save him from himself."

"I don't know what to do, Stefan." Buffy said in a tiny, far off voice. "I lost him."

"You didn't lose him. He's just saying these hurtful things to you because he's hurt. He's never been good with being hurt. We're going to have to go with Caroline's plan B, though." Buffy looked up at Stefan expectantly. "Kidnap him, lock him in the cellar, and don't let him out until he sees reason. I don't want to lose him or you. So get some rest. We're going to track down your husband tomorrow."


	99. Chapter 97

Chapter 97

Caroline sat with Buffy outside the Salvatore house. She was surprised at Buffy's look. Instead of being rumpled and tired, Buffy was looking fierce. She had on black leather pants and a deep emerald green, flowy, lace, long sleeved top. Her hair was down and she'd let it dry naturally into its soft, messy waves. She was a woman ready to get her man back.

Inside the house, Elena and Stefan were lounging around while Stefan quizzed Elena on history. Buffy had asked Sheriff Forbes to see if she could track down Damon and Enzo. Caroline had brought the information over. "You were right." She was saying. "He's off the rails. This is from my mom."

"Missing persons and animal attacks?" Buffy asked, flipping through the folder.

"Check and check, but there's something else. All of the victims were found inside their homes without their head…. and their skin was dessicated."

Buffy gasped and dropped the photographs of the dead vampires. "No. No, no, no, no, no…. Damon's feeding on vampires." She put her face in her hands. "I shouldn't have let him go."

"No. Uh uh. No. You are not turning Damon's roosting chickens into a Stefan Salvatore worthy guilt trip. No one could've stopped him from going after Wes the other night."

"Wes must have injected him with that crap he was trying to hit me with. It makes vampires feed on vampires."

"Ah. Good news, bad news. Bad news is that when this happened to Jesse, we had to kill him, but the good news is…. I'm sorry, usually there's some good news."

"I have to find him. Now." Buffy stood up and walked into the house. "Stefan!"

Elena and Stefan jumped up off the couch. They'd obviously been making out. "What's wrong?" Stefan asked.

"Wes got Damon with that drug he was trying to inject me with. He's been feeding on vampires."

"How do you know?" Elena asked.

"Elena, hey! I didn't know that you were here." Caroline said.

"Well, Stefan has been helping me study."

"Oh. Stefan who doesn't go to college."

"Stefan, who's an expert in history."

"Uh-huh."

"Come on, Stefan. We need to find Damon _now_." Buffy said.

"Ok." Stefan said, following her upstairs and into her room where she started packing a bag. "Why are you packing?"

"Because I don't know how long we'll be gone."

"Good reason. Ok, I'll go pack a bag of my own and meet you at your car."

* * *

><p>Stefan pulled up at an old gas station on the side of the road and parked by a pump. Buffy sat in the passenger seat, studying the file that Caroline had given her. Elena had decided to come along and she was sitting in the backseat. She got out of the car with Stefan.<p>

"You know, uh, I appreciate you being here, but you didn't have to come." Stefan said.

"I told you, I'm doing this for Buffy. She's still holding on to hope that maybe this is the time that Damon can be saved." Elena said.

"And you don't think he can?" Stefan glanced at Buffy, but she was still buried in the file. "Look, I know that he crossed the line with Jeremy, but, you know, he has crossed many lines before."

"You mean when he actually killed Jeremy. Yes, I recall."

"I'm just saying, you've always been for Damon and Buffy and now it seems like you're going back on that."

"I guess I feel bad for her. If I were her, I'd want off the emotional rollercoaster that is Damon's redemption. It's just…. Just…. Dizzying."

"Well, I still believe in my husband and I will never give up on him." Buffy said, suddenly standing next to Elena.

"God! I didn't even hear you open the door." Elena gasped.

"I'm hungry." Buffy walked towards the store.

"I'll come with." Stefan said. "Elena, do you want anything?"

"Whatever you're having…. With a lot more salt and hot chocolate." Elena said in a flirty tone.

"Coming right up." Stefan turned and followed Buffy inside the store. She went over to the chips and pretended to look at them. "Elena's just worried about you."

"Mmm hmm." Buffy said.

"Don't be mad at her. She didn't mean to tell Damon about you and Klaus."

"I'm not mad at her."

"You're acting like it."

"I'm mad at myself, Stefan. I'm mad at myself." Buffy grabbed a bag of pepperoni pizza Combos and turned to Stefan. "This whole situation is my fault." She moved towards the back of the store where the drinks were. "Damon would never have gone off and gotten himself injected with that crap if I had just kept my lips in my marriage. Now he's been dosed with something that, as of yet, doesn't have a cure." She pulled out a large bottle of Fiji water and headed over to the candy bars. "When we find Damon and get him home, I'm going to go after Maxfield and that son of a bitch is going to know what it's like to be on the other end of experiments until he works out a cure."

Stefan looked at his text messages. "Caroline says that Willow is coming back today and she's going to have her locate Damon through witchcraft."

"Maxfield is going to be harder to find. I don't have anything of his."

"We'll find him. Damon did it with a witch that's not experienced at all. Willow is a seasoned pro." Stefan moved closer to Buffy and lowered his voice. "If he's feeding on vampires, we're in danger. _You're_ in danger. He's angry at you."

Buffy smiled slightly and gently patted Stefan's cheek. "I'll be ok." She kissed his cheek and headed up to the counter to pay.

Stefan sighed and grabbed an armful of random snack foods and joined Buffy at the counter. He paid for everything and they headed outside where Elena was waiting against the car. She smiled brightly at Stefan as he handed her the bag of goodies. The three of them climbed into the car and Stefan turned the key. The engine made a grinding sound and didn't start. Buffy and Stefan exchanged glances and he tried again.

"I know what you're going to say, but I got the car serviced two weeks ago." Buffy said.

"I'll take a look." Stefan got out of the car and popped the hood. Elena jumped out after him and followed him to the hood. Buffy decided to stay in the car and eat her combos. Stefan inspected the inside of the engine and picked up a piece that had been broken off. He handed the piece to Elena. "Hey, can you hold this for a second?"

"Yeah." Elena said.

"Careful, there's grease on it."

"Oh. Ok."

"I have no idea how this hose ripped out, but we're not going to be able to go anywhere until I get a new one."

"It's a Mercedes." Buffy said out the window. "See if that mechanic has a spare."

Stefan looked up at Buffy and noticed that Elena's shirt was covered in black grease. "You weren't careful at all."

"What? What?" Elena looked down at herself and groaned. "Ohh! I love this shirt!"

"You loved that shirt."

"Great. Awesome…." Elena looked up at pushed her hair out of her face, smearing grease on her face. "That's just awesome."

"Now there's grease all over your face."

"UGH! Well, you've got all that engine stuff on you, and I clearly have to change. I saw a hotel, like, a couple streets down that way. Do you think we should get a room, so that we can shower while we're waiting for the car?"

"No. I should probably stay here in case they finish early, but you can go."

"Give them your phone number. I assume that your phone does receive incoming calls, right?"

"That's funny."

"Will you grab my bag?"

"Sure. Be right there."

Buffy stuck her head out the window. "Seriously? We need to find Damon. Now."

Stefan glanced after Elena. "She's already on her way there. Look, we'll get cleaned up and by the time we're done, Willow will be back and she'll have done the spell."

"Fine." Buffy got out of the car. "I'm going to find somewhere to charge my phone. It's getting low."

"Do it at the hotel." Stefan said, opening the trunk and shaking his head. "Why did she bring her entire closet?"

"I think she sees this as some sort of impromptu getaway with her boyfriend instead of a rescue Damon mission."

"I'm sorry. She asked if she could join us and I didn't think…."

"It's ok." Buffy grabbed her one duffel bag and shut the trunk. "I'm glad you guys are happy again."

"Thanks. You and Damon will be too soon enough."

"I hope so."

* * *

><p>Buffy walked around outside talking on her cell phone with Willow. She was working on a locater spell to find Damon and Enzo. Stefan and Elena were in the hotel room getting cleaned up. The mechanic was putting the new piece in the car and it would be fixed in about an hour.<p>

"Don't rush me, Buffy." Willow complained.

"I'm sorry, but Damon is feeding on vampires now and…."

"I know, Buff. I'm going to head to Elena's dad's office and see if there's anything left down there. If I can find a sample of that serum that Maxfield used, then I can start working on finding a cure. Mystical or otherwise. I'm also going to see if I can use anything down there to track Maxfield."

"Thanks."

"Ok, I need both of my hands now. I'll text you what the spell says."

"Ok. Good luck." Buffy hung up and glanced back at the hotel. She debated on whether or not to go get Stefan and Elena. The sun had gone down and the moon was on its way up. Her phone rang suddenly. "That was fast." She looked at it and answered it quickly. "Damon!?"

"Hello Buffy."  
>"Enzo. What the hell do you want?"<p>

"I'm in a spot of trouble, actually."

"Where's Damon?"

"Oh, he's here, salivating, about to chomp into my neck and feed until my head pops off in a grotesque but slightly comical fashion."

"Wes infected him."

"You know about the virus. Good. We could use a hand. Wes enlisted some of those singing witches and trapped us in the house."

"Do not come here!" Damon yelled from somewhere in the background.

"He doesn't want to risk feeding on you. That's sweet really, but you'll be fine. You're a strong vampire. Besides, if he does feed on you, I have orders to kill him."

"Ok." Buffy said. "Text me the address to my phone, and I'll be there as soon as I can."

"Fine. And, uh, tick-tock. I managed to restrain him, but you know how persistent Damon can be when he wants something."

"I'll be there soon." Buffy hung up and sent a text to Stefan and Willow letting her know that Enzo had called her. She forwarded the address to them both before taking off. It took her a long time to find the address. She moved too fast for the GPS on her phone. When she finally found the place, there was no one outside. The front door of the house was open and a light was on. She walked up to the door and found Damon sitting on the floor leaning against a wooden post.

He turned his head when he heard her approach. "Buffy…. Don't. Do not…." She ignored him continued up the porch and towards the door. "I said don't! If you come in here, you ain't coming out."

"Ok." Buffy stayed at the door. "What happened here?"

"I wanted revenge. I got stuck with a vampire virus…. Almost killed my last friend…. Typical Damon."

"Enzo texted me the address here. He asked me to come help."

"You can't help me! I feed on vampires now. You're a vampire. Do yourself a favor and leave."

"You and I both know that's not going to happen."

Damon charged at her, but was stopped by a boundary spell. "Stay back!"

"You know damn well I'm not afraid of you, Damon."

Damon sighed and turned his back to her. She decided she didn't care about the boundary spell and stepped over the threshold. Damon wheeled around, panic in his eyes. "No. No! No!" He tried to force her back out of the house, but the spell was stopping them from leaving. "You gotta get out!" He pushed harder, but Buffy reached up and gently squeezed his wrists. Damon hung his head, his forehead meeting hers. "What the hell is wrong with you?"

"A lot of things." She let go of his wrists and placed her hands on his cheeks. "I'm an idiot."

"In more ways than one." He turned and walked away from her.

Buffy followed. "Please talk to me. I don't know how many more ways to apologize for what I did."

"You kissed Klaus!"

"I did. I'm and idiot and there's no good excuse for it, but it never for one second made me change how I felt about you. I love you with everything I am."

"You broke my heart. I love you and you broke my heart."

"I didn't want to. My intentions were…. Not all good." She leaned against the wall and looked down at her boots. "There's no saying about the road to hell being paved with _more_ than good intentions, but mine was. Good, stupid, selfish, temporarily insane intentions and it's a road I never want to take again because I can't stand the fact that I hurt you."

"Well you did."

"And I will spend an eternity making it up to you in any way I possibly can. I meant it, Damon. If you want to tie me up, beat me, stab me, yell at me…. I don't care. I deserve it. If you want to do to me what you did to those other vampires, go ahead. I won't stop you."

Damon let out a dark laugh. "I don't want to do any of those things to you."

"Then what can I do to make this up to you? What do I do to make you come home?"

"Don't you understand? Even if I hadn't already forgiven you, I can't come near you without wanting to rip your throat out."

Buffy shook her head and stood up straight. "Wait, what?"

"I feed on vampires…. I rip their heads off every time and I can't stop myself."

"Yeah, no…. I got that. The first part."

He smiled slightly. "I've had some time to think in all of this screwed up mess. And all I could think about was protecting you from me because I love you and if anything ever happened to you…. I wouldn't care about living one more second. Yes, it sucks that you kissed Klaus and that you had feelings for him…. And I am still royally pissed at you about it…. But being without you has been the worst thing in my life. I mean, look at me! I've been injected with crap that turns me into a Vampire Ripper."

"We'll fix it."

"I don't see how."

"Did you forget that my best friend is a witch? She's out there right now trying to find Wes Maxfield and put a stop to this. She'll find a cure."

"And what if she can't? What if there is no cure?"

"Then you and I will leave Mystic Falls together and you can be like Lestat…. Only feeding on the bad guys. There are lots of bad vampires out there. I bet you could be sustained off the bumpies, too."

"But you would be in danger from me every day."

Buffy shrugged. "Damon, the last two decades of my life have been non-stop danger. My relationship with Angel could've caused the world to end and we still made it work."

"He broke up with you."

"Because he wasn't willing to fight. But you are. And I am. And we will make this work somehow. I can't go another day without you."

"I can't either." She started towards him, but he held his hands up. "Don't. I need you to stay over there. You have no idea how amazing you smell right now and I don't want to hurt you."

"I'm not a porcelain doll. I'll just break your neck if you come after me with those teeth. Besides, it looks and smells like you fed recently."

"On Enzo before he ran off with Wes. The only reason he's not dead is because Wes had his Travelers poison Enzo's blood."

"Yeah, that douchebag Maxfield has a serious date with death when I get a hold of him. See how he likes being poked and prodded with needles and experimented on. Maybe I'll turn him and see how he likes being prey to his Patient Zero."

"How did you know that's what he called me?"

"It's what he called me before Stefan stopped him from injecting me. I told him I'd seen enough zombie movies to know that Patient Zero isn't on the list of names I'm willing to be called."

"Great. Damon, husband, sexy vampire, and now zombie Patient Zero."

Buffy shrugged. "The sexiest zombie Patient Zero I've ever seen."

He smirked. "You know it." With a sigh, he closed the distance between them and hugged her tightly. "I've missed you."

She held him tightly to her, burying her face in his neck. "I've missed _you_." Damon released her and stepped back. "I'm sorry, Damon."

"I know. You have no idea how much I want to kiss you right now, but I don't want to hurt you."

"If you need some blood…."

"I don't need yours, Buff. It's the last thing I need is to get hooked on your blood and then you end up my _only_ prey. Not sure our relationship would survive that."

Buffy snorted. "Well, Klaus has this theory…." She noticed the angry and annoyed look on his face. "Sorry. He said it a long time ago, but he thinks that I can't be killed…."

"Like him."

"Like an Original."

"I'm not willing to put it to the test."

"Ok." She glanced at the doorway. "Will this spell wear off or do I need to call Willow?"

"Dr. Psycho Pants said it will wear off with the moon."

"Ok." She nodded. "So, let's clean this mess up and settle in until morning."

"Buff…. I'll be hungry before then."

She gently placed her hand on his cheek. "We'll deal with that when it happens."

He kissed her palm. "Maybe we should call Willow."

"And maybe you should take a deep breath and have some faith in yourself." Buffy reached up and kissed him, leaving her lips against his for a few seconds before pulling away. "See? You're not ripping my head off." She started around the room, cleaning up the mess Damon and Enzo had made.

He joined her and after a while, he said, "What happens when I get hungry?"

"I told you. We'll cross that bridge when we come to it." Buffy picked up the couch and moved it to a different side of the room.

"Are you rearranging the furniture?"

She shrugged. "I didn't like the way the room was set up."

"Damon? Buffy!?" Stefan called from outside before appearing on the front porch.

Buffy moved quickly to block him from entering. "Stop." Elena joined Stefan on the porch. "Stay outside."

"What's going on?" Elena asked.

"We're kinda trapped in here."

"Wes had his troope of Travelers put a spell on the house so anyone who enters can't exit." Damon said.

Stefan looked at Damon and then at Buffy. "Are you ok?"

"I'm fine." Buffy took Damon's hand. "We're fine."

He smiled slightly. "Glad to hear it." He looked at his brother again. "Are _you_ ok?"

"I'm not ok with my wife being stuck in here, smelling so amazing, and me craving vampire blood." Damon said. "I fed on Enzo a little while ago, but it wasn't much. I'm already starting to get hungry again."

Buffy reached down and picked up the chains she'd stashed by the door. "We've always got these."

"I broke through them already."

"You didn't have me to hold you down."

"And you didn't have me to pull down this shoddy spell." Willow said, appearing on the porch.

"Willow!" Buffy said. "I didn't know you were coming."

"You sent me the address."

"How did I not hear you walk up?" Elena asked.

"I'm not actually here. I astraled over." Willow ran her hand down the invisible barrier on the door, making it glow a light pink wherever her hand ran across it. "Geez, I could push right through this. I thought these Travelers were supposed to be pretty powerful."

"You can get the barrier down?" Damon asked.

"Please." Willow slapped her hand on the barrier and glowing red ripples emanated from the slap. It looked like fire consuming the air around the house. She smiled and crossed her arms as the last of the barrier disintegrated.

Buffy put her foot over the threshold. "Cool." She looked over at Willow. "Good job. Have you found Wes yet?"

"By the time you guys get home, I'll know where he is. Meet you there." Willow disappeared.

Buffy turned to Damon. "Where's your car?"

"Around back." Damon said.

She turned to Elena and Stefan. "You guys take his car back to the house. Damon can ride with me in my car."

Stefan held out her keys. "Are you sure you'll be safe?"

"I'll be fine."

"Maybe you could donate some blood?" Damon suggested to his brother.

"Damon, no." Elena said. "You've got a wife. Drink from her. Isn't that what married couples are supposed to do? Share or something?"

"Look, there's no way I'm going to drink Buffy's blood. The last thing I need is to get addicted to that kind of drug."

"I'll get a glass." Buffy said, heading for the kitchen. She had a suspicion about Elena and now that she wasn't all-consumed with finding Damon and making amends with him, she could focus some of her energies on that. Heading back out into the living room with a glass, she reached into the hidden pocket of her jeans and pulled out a knife. "Here, Stefan. Just a little. Just enough to last him for a few hours."

"What will we do when we get home?" Stefan asked.

"Chain me up." Damon said. Before Buffy could protest, he cut her off. "There's too many vampires around the house and I'm not interested in ripping any of their heads off…. Today at least." Stefan nodded and cut into his wrist. Damon's eyes changed and he turned away from Stefan, taking shallow breaths. "Buffy…."

Buffy grabbed his arms and held him against her in a vice grip. "It's ok." She said soothingly, but Stefan's blood was too much for Damon, he tried to lunge at his brother, but Buffy's arms around him held him still. "Damon, stop."

"If he gets a hold of Stefan, he'll kill him!" Elena cried. "He'll kill me too!"

"Then leave!" Buffy growled at her. "Stefan will follow."

"Come on, Stefan!" Elena tugged on Stefan's arm.

"It's ok." Buffy said to Stefan. "Set the glass down and run. I've got him."

"Will you be ok?" Stefan asked Buffy.

"I'll be fine. Go." Buffy watched Stefan set the glass down and rush out the door with Elena. Damon continued to thrash in her grip and Buffy squeezed enough for his arms to crack loudly. It had the effect she wanted. The pain cut through the hunger and he yelped in pain, his eyes changing back. She let go and scooped up the glass. "Drink." Holding it to his lips, she helped him to drink the half full glass. He calmed down and she heard his arms heal. "I'm sorry."

"No. Thank you." Damon moved his arms to make sure they had healed right. "The pain helped."

Buffy nodded and went to make sure that Elena and Stefan were gone. "Come on." She pulled her keys from her pocket. "Let's go home." He followed her out to her car where Stefan and Elena had parked it in the yard. She climbed behind the wheel and started the car.

"What's wrong?" Damon asked after they had pulled out onto the highway.

"Elena." Buffy glanced at Damon. "She's off."

"Off how?"

"She's been…. Obsessed with Stefan and she didn't seem to care about either of us just now."

"I noticed that."

"And I'm pretty sure she broke my car just to get a hotel room with Stefan."

"It's running fine now."

"That's what money is for." Buffy's cell phone chirped and she pulled it out of her pocket. It was a text from Matt. "'Help. K'"

"What does that mean?"

"No idea." She swiped her phone and called Matt, but he didn't answer. In fact, the call was ignored and sent to voicemail. "That's weird." Buffy called Caroline and waited for the other blonde to pick up.

"Hey! Did you find Damon?" Caroline asked when she answered.

"Yeah. We're on the way home. Have you talked to Matt today?"

"Yeah. Tyler and I have been trying to talk to him all day. Nadia has been compelling him to forget things."

"What do you mean? What kind of things?"

"Who knows?"

"He tried to message me, but I guess he got interrupted and he ignored my phone call when I tried to call."

"Nadia must have stopped him. What did the text say?"

"'Help. K' was all I got."

"What does that mean?"

"I have a theory."

"Well, share!"

"Katherine took over Elena's body."

"What!?"

"She hasn't been acting like Elena. She tried to get Damon to kill me."

"I wouldn't call it that." Damon said.

"I would. She told you to drink my blood. You've been killing vampires every time you feed. Ripping their heads off. She knows that because Stefan and I were talking about it in the car on the way here. She had absolutely no qualms about you feeding off me, but when you asked Stefan to donate…."

"She got protective."

"Even further back, she heard Stefan try to stop her, but she bulldozed right over him because she saw you walking up that night. Then she said that she never thought you were good enough for me."

"Oh my god!" Caroline cried. "Elena doesn't think that way at all!"

"And when Katherine was dying, Nadia figured out a way to put Katherine's spirit inside Nadia's body."

"Yeah, but that didn't happen because Katherine had a change of heart." Damon said.

"Has Bonnie mentioned anything about Katherine crossing over?"

"No." Caroline said.

"She popped up, but then disappeared again." Damon said. "Bonnie never saw her again after that."

"No. It's impossible that she'd be…. We would have noticed! It's Elena. We know her…."

"Katherine has gotten good at impersonating Elena," Buffy said. "Especially if Nadia is in on it, then she's been compelling Matt to give Katherine information on Elena because he's…."

"An Elena encyclopedia." Caroline finished. "Oh my God…."

"Yeah."

"Does Stefan know?"

"No. I haven't shared my theory with him. He's safe for now since she's more into getting into his pants than killing him."

"We need to fix this."

"We're on our way home now. We'll see you soon." Buffy hung up and pressed harder on the gas.


	100. Chapter 98

Chapter 98

Buffy leaned against the doorframe at the top of the stairs overlooking the living room and crossed her arms, glancing at her watch. Matt, Caroline, Bonnie, Tyler, Stefan, Willow, and Jeremy were sitting around the living room all processing what Buffy had figured out. Katherine in Elena's body wasn't there. She'd asked Stefan to take her back to her dorm on their way home last night before Buffy could tell Stefan about her theory. Now she wasn't answering any of their calls or texts. Damon was chained up downstairs like he'd requested.

"Hang on here…. Katherine's still alive?" Matt asked. "How is that possible?"

"Remember that time Nadia's ex, Gregor, hitched a ride in your head?" Caroline asked. "Yeah, well, it's kind of the same thing. Katherine is a passenger in Elena, except it's worse because none of us seemed to notice!"

"She was at my house." Tyler said. "How did none of us figure it out?"

"Because it's Katherine and she's smart." Buffy said.

"And conniving and sneaky…. and…. we're the worst friends ever." Caroline said.

"This makes no sense." Jeremy said, trying to call Elena's phone. "She saved my life. She gave me CPR when Enzo tried to kill me. Katherine would never do that."

"That's what made her so believable." Buffy said. "She played Elena to a tee. If she let you die, her cover was blown."

"She didn't count on you having such keen powers of observation." Willow said.

"I was sleeping three feet away from her!" Caroline cried. "She picked out my Bitter Ball dress. And I let her use my toothpaste."

"Well, did she lure you into a hotel room to make out with you?" Stefan asked.

"She's the reason Damon found out about you and Klaus." Bonnie said to Buffy. Buffy sighed and looked away, biting her tongue against saying something snappish at Bonnie's stating the obvious and rubbing salt in the wound.

"So, how do we kill the bitch?" Tyler asked.

"Well, passengers can be expelled from the host." Stefan said. "I saw it happen with Matt. Gregor died and Matt lived. All we have to do is stab her with the Traveler knife."

"I still have the knife Nadia gave me." Matt said.

"Go get it." Buffy said.

"Wait, you guys!" Caroline said. "This is Katherine we're talking about. She's going to see a sneak attack from a mile away. We've got to get her to come to us. Get her guard down, corner her."

"Fat chance you'll be seeing her today." Tyler said. "I'm pretty sure I bit Nadia."

"What do you mean, you bit her?" Matt asked.

"I mean, she was attacking Caroline and I might've nipped her a little."

"And you're just mentioning this now?"

"Focus." Buffy snapped. "Tyler's right. Katherine's not going to leave Nadia's side unless not leaving compromises her identity."

"We've got to invite her to something that Elena can't say no to." Willow clarified.

"Like what?" Tyler asked.

Buffy turned and headed for the cellar. They didn't need her help coming up with a plan. She had other things to attend to. She grabbed one of the little cups Stefan had filled up and went to visit her husband. "Hey."

"Hey." Damon said, smiling slightly.

"Brought you a gift."

He took the cup, popped the lid off, and gulped down the contents. "I need more. That was nothing."

"I know. Sorry. When you were out killing vampires, you said one vampire kept you good for eight hours, so Willow did the math and she came up with four ounces, three times a day should be just enough to help you manage the hunger."

"Manage me?"

"So you don't rip anyone's head off. More specifically mine." Buffy walked over and unlocked Damon's chains.

"What are you doing?"

"You and I are leaving." She held out a piece of paper that Willow had given her. "It's where Wes is hiding. While they're working on getting Katherine out of Elena, we're going to be getting some answers from the good doctor."

"Are you sure?"

"I'm sure that he better have a cure." Buffy led the way out of the cell, grabbed a couple of the cups that Stefan had filled up, and headed for the other side of the cellar where an exit to the backyard was.

"Sneaking out?"

"Willow knows we're leaving. Everyone else might try to stop us."

"You don't want to help get Elena back?"

Buffy sighed and looked up at Damon. "Elena has plenty of people helping her out right now. She doesn't need us." She gently took Damon's face in her hands. "You need help just as much, if not more than Elena. And I'm going to help you." She kissed him quickly. "Not to mention that I've had an itch to torture Maxfield since he tried to turn me into patient zero. Going after you and hitting you with the Ripper virus was the last straw."

"Let's go, then." Damon said, holding open the cellar door.

* * *

><p>Buffy walked across the room and sat down on the desk behind Wes Maxfield. He hadn't heard her silent approach and didn't turn around. Damon made a little more noise on his way to the other side of the room and Wes turned. He jumped at Buffy's sudden appearance.<p>

"I'm not a fan of people named Wes." She said, crossing one leg over the other. "I had a Watcher once whose name was Wes and I didn't like him very much. He kept getting in my way…. Telling me what to do…. You kinda remind me of him."

"How did you find me?" Wes asked, pulling out his phone.

Damon appeared behind Wes and grabbed the phone, crushing it. "A witch did a spell."

"Not possible. The Travelers cloaked my location."

"They cast shoddy spells." Buffy said.

"Got to say…." Damon said. "Long way off the tender track, huh. I take it the Augestine socitey hit a bit of a rough streak."

"There is no Augestine society, Damon. It's just me." Wes said.

"Well then I guess you're my guy. My wife and I have some making up to do and we don't have a chance in hell at doing that if I'm lusting over her blood, you follow?"

"Even if I did cure you of this virus, what difference does it make? So you stop feeding off your friends and you go back to feeding on innocent people. Is that really going to impress Buffy Summers the Vampire Slayer? I did some research on her and…."

Buffy grabbed Wes by the back of his neck and hauled him up. "You don't know me at all, little man. That girl that you did so much research on? She's long gone." She slammed him down on a nearby operating table. "You tied me up," Damon grabbed the restraints on the table and locked down Wes' arms. "You drained me of my blood," Buffy took one of her nails and ran it hard down Wes' forearm, making him bleed. "You pumped me full of vervain and experimented on me."

"And look at me!" Damon said "You did this to me."

"I didn't do this to you." Wes said, struggling to get out of his restraints. "You are this. I simply held up the mirror."

"Well, now it's time the tables were turned." Buffy said as she grabbed the table and spun it, causing a loud screeching noise as the metal legs scraped against the ground. "Now you're going to know what it's like to be the frog in science class." Buffy shoved her hand inside Wes's abdomen. "And what sucks for you, Wes, is that I skipped that day. I have no idea what I'm doing."

Damon reached for the scalpel. "I do." He leaned down and cut out one of Wes' eyelids. "Wouldn't want you to miss a thing because you have the desire to blink."

* * *

><p>Buffy and Damon walked hand in hand back to the house. They'd had to stop and buy new clothes because both of them had been covered in blood. Damon pulled on Buffy's hand and she stopped. "Are you ok?" She asked.<p>

"Are _you_ ok?" Damon asked. "What we did back there…. It was pretty brutal."

"Yes. It was. And about ten years ago I would've been appalled at what I did. But in those ten years, I have been through so much and have changed so much…. That girl is gone. She's never coming back."

"Well, if it's any consolation…. I love this woman standing in front of me."

Buffy reached up and touched Damon's cheek. "And I love this man standing in front of me."

He leaned down and kissed her gently. Buffy wrapped her arms around his neck, but he pulled back. "I don't want to lose control and end up hurting you."

She sighed. "We really need to get this cure." They walked up to the front door and it opened up to reveal Katherine getting ready to run.

"Hello, Katherine." Buffy said. "You didn't think we'd miss this, did you?" Stefan had texted Buffy to let her know that they had managed to lure Katherine to the house. Nadia was dying from Tyler's bite and they'd brought her to the house.

"Ok." Katherine said, backing away into the house. "So…. who's got the knife? Which one of you is gonna get to kill the elusive Katherine Pierce once and for all? What? Suddenly everyone's speechless? When I was on my deathbed you all had plenty to say. Is it you, Tyler? Because I triggered the werewolf curse? Gave you an identity and made you matter?"

"You've done nothing for me." Tyler said.

"Oh please, Tyler. If I hadn't walked into your life you just be a wasted nobody with a boozy mom and a temper problem."

Tyler took a step towards Katherine, but Caroline stopped him. "Hey, don't. Don't."

Katherine set her sights on Caroline. "And you. I'm not worried about you offing me. Because we both know I made you better by making you a vampire."

"Goodbye Katherine."

"Bye, bye Caroline." Katherine walked over to Matt. "The one girl here who actually appreciates how beautiful you are. You wouldn't stab me in the heart, would you, Matty Blue? No, I don't think so. You will definitely go down as the best night I never had. Oh, well…."

"Oh, well." Matt said.

Katherine walked over to Jeremy. "Well, little Gilbert, it was nice to have a brother for a second there…. When you weren't being so damn annoying!" She turned to look at Willow. "Big Red, I will definitely not be missing you one bit. I mean, I couldn't care about you one way or another."

"I could give you another taste of being crushed again." Willow retorted. "That was fun for me."

Katherine rolled her eyes and walked over to Bonnie. "Bon Bon, no need for goodbyes. I'll see you on the flip side." She made her way over to Damon. "Damon. How you would love nothing more than to drive that blade right through me."

"We've already done that, Kitty Kat." Damon said. "I've said all I needed to say."

"I know but I never got to say what I needed to say to you. I'm sorry. You blame me for who you are. And I'm sorry. I'm sorry that I turned you. I'm sorry that you didn't get to die as a forgotten nobody on a bloody battlefield and your father didn't get to live another day to be disgraced by you. Damon, I'm sorry that I gave you a life purpose. Passion, drive, desire. I'm sorry that you are who you are, because I'm the one that taught you how to love."

"Pretty sure that was me." Buffy said.

"Ah, Buffy. Now you…. I know you want me dead and gone more than anyone here. But I've never actually done anything to you directly."

"No. You just attacked everyone that I loved because you were too scared to go up against me yourself. But you see, I got what you always wanted and could never have." Buffy took Damon's hand. "I found love and a family. And I have friends that I didn't have to compel to like me."

Damon brought Buffy's hand up to his lips and kissed her knuckles. "We'll see you in hell, Katherine." He said.

Katherine turned to Stefan. "Stefan. You know, I've always wondered how it would be like to be loved by you. You've gotta admit, for that one fleeting moment…. Your feelings were real. It truly has been the role of a lifetime. Stefan, I love you. And I've always loved you."

Stefan didn't say anything as he handed the knife to Buffy, never breaking eye contact with Katherine. "It was always gonna be me, sweetheart." Buffy said, walking up to Katherine and grabbing her neck. She leaned in close and whispered in Katherine's ear. "And before you go, I thought you should know that I could've cured Nadia." Buffy shoved the knife in Katherine's stomach. "Klaus gave me his blood just in case something like this happened to one of my loved ones." Buffy pulled back and looked Katherine in the eyes. "But now you know what it's like to have your kid taken from you in such a cruel way." She pulled the knife out and felt a prick in her stomach. Buffy looked down to see Katherine inject a syringe of something in her.

"And now you'll know what it's like to rip one of your precious family member's heads off." Katherine fell to ground and closed her eyes. When she opened them, they were solid black. She closed them for a long moment and when she opened them again, they were normal. She fell back against the couch and passed out.

Buffy looked at the syringe in horror. "Please tell me that's not what I think it is." Damon said.

"What happened?" Caroline asked, walking over.

"Katherine injected Buffy with the Ripper virus."

"Oh my god…." Buffy shook her head and took a step back from everyone.

"Don't panic." Stefan said.

"Don't panic!? Do you realize what this means?" She took another step away. "I am like an Original that now feeds solely on vampires. None of you are safe."

"It's ok, Buffy." Willow said. "We'll chain you up and…."

"Chains won't hold me. I'll just break them. I…. I need to be far away from you guys."

Willow walked closer to Buffy and held out her hand. "Let me see the needle." Buffy handed her the syringe and stepped away. "There's still a little left in here. I'll go to Maxfield's lab and find his notes on how he made this virus. Maybe I can find an antidote for you guys."

"I'll help." Caroline offered.

"Thanks. Ok…. Stefan, get Elena upstairs and keep her comfortable till she wakes up. Damon, you and Buffy head down to the cell in the cellar and I will put up a barrier so you can't go anywhere…. Or get to each other. Tyler and Matt, bury Nadia in the woods. Bonnie and Jeremy…. Um, go back to school." Willow turned back to a worried Buffy. "We'll fix this, Buff. I promise."


	101. Chapter 99

Chapter 99

Buffy sat on one side of the cell with her knees drawn up to her chest. Damon sat on the other side of the cell, chained up, and watched his wife. Willow had put up a spell that covered the whole cell and then split the room in half, keeping them safe inside the room on opposite sides so they didn't try to kill each other. There was a line in the dirt across the middle of the cell where the barrier between Buffy and Damon was. It met up with a line on the threshold of the door where another barrier was, creating a T in the doorway.

"I'm so stupid." Buffy said. "I should've known she wouldn't go quietly."

"It was a surprise." Damon said. "You're not stupid. We just didn't know Katherine managed to get her hands on the virus."

"Or that she would use it on me."

"She did say she'd never done anything to you directly. I guess she couldn't go out without finally getting you, too."

Buffy shot to her feet. "God, I'm starving!"

"Yeah. This diet sucks." Damon chuckled. "Pun intended. You're going to be craving carbs constantly, but hey, you know what? There's a plus side. You get to keep your girlish figure."

Buffy shook her head at him and sighed. She looked paler than usual, but Damon figured it was just because she was hungry. He probably didn't look so hot himself. "It's been almost two days!" She complained. "What's taking so long?"

"Willow is working on a cure. She's got her hands on some of Wes' notes and she's got some of the virus itself. I trust her."

Elena walked up to the door and stopped at the threshold. "Elena, you're awake." Buffy said, walking over to the door.

"Yeah." Elena said, stopping herself from crossing over the barrier to hug Buffy. She'd been in and out since they'd ejected Katherine from her body. "Stefan has been filling me in on what's happened over the last three weeks. Are you guys ok?"

"Well, we were." Damon said. "But then we got injected with this lovely virus that makes us want to kill our friends."

Elena nodded. "I'm sorry about Katherine spilling the beans about you and Klaus." She said to Buffy.

"Yeah, we're not rehashing that one out." Buffy said.

"I second that motion." Damon added. "We just want to get this thing cured so we can get to the making up part."

"Caroline is headed for the place where Willow tracked Wes to. She's going to see if he left anything useful there."

"She might find Wes himself." Damon muttered. "Or what's left of him anyway."

"You killed him?" Elena asked.

"We both did." Buffy said. Elena started to say something, but Buffy cut her off. "He deserved it."

Before Elena could say anything, Jeremy came in with two glasses of blood. Instead of handing one of the cups to Damon, Jeremy sat it down in the floor just out of Damon's reach. "Hilarious." Damon said. Jeremy, looking pleased with himself, gently scooted the cup of blood toward Damon.

"Jeremy, give him the damn cup." Buffy snapped.

"Touchy." Jeremy said, sliding the cup to Damon.

He grabbed it up and guzzled the contents down in seconds. When he was finished, he threw the cup at Jeremy. "Wipe that smile off your face."

"Hey! You're lucky I'm even helping you! Considering the last thing you did for me was to tell Enzo to strangle me to death." Jeremy said.

"Quit crying! You're still around."

"Um…. Stefan failed to mention that part." Elena said.

"It's a long story."

"He was hurt and did some stupid stuff." Buffy said. "Where's my cocktail?"

"Sorry." Jeremy walked back out and slid a cup across the line at the door into Buffy's side of the room. "You're extra touchy today."

Buffy picked up the cup. "Just because I'm in here doesn't mean I can't ground you." She tossed back the blood as Jeremy laughed. "Don't think I won't."

"Come on, Jer." Elena said, pulling on her brother's arm. "You can fill me in on what else I've missed."

Buffy watched them go and paced back over to her corner, sitting down again and massaging her temples. Damon watched her, knowing she was worried about Elena and this virus and everything else. "The second we are cured of this and don't want to rip each other's heads off, I am going to take you upstairs and give you the most mind-blowing night of your life."

Buffy smiled slightly and looked over at Damon. "It's a good thing I don't have anything else on my plate then."

Damon pulled on his chains and sighed. "I wish I could be closer to you."

"Me too." She moved closer to him and sat down, leaning against the barrier. "I really missed you."

"I really missed you, too. I'm sorry about how I reacted. I was an idiot."

"You really were. What made you come around? Besides the Ripper virus."

"You won't believe it."

"Try me."

Damon smiled slightly. "It was Katherine." Buffy raised an eyebrow, but didn't say anything. "I don't wanna be another Katherine Pierce. Katherine spent her whole life running from her problems only to die here in this house…. All alone. You were right. I need to face my problems. I realized that I had someone who was willing to look past all of my faults and help me face them. And yes, even though I am upset that you kissed Klaus and you had feelings for him and you didn't share that fact with me…. I realized that if I didn't get over it, then I would lose you forever. And I love you too much to let you go anywhere."

Buffy pressed her hand against the barrier. "Willow needs to hurry up and cure this."

Stefan appeared at the door and smiled at the scene in front of him. "She's working on it." He said. "I'm really happy you guys are back."

"Me too." Buffy stood up and walked over to the door. "So, how is it really coming up there?"

"She's doing her best. This virus is…. Complicated." Stefan's phone rang and he sighed, answering it. Buffy began massaging her temples again.

"Bad news." Caroline's voice said. "It's not the same virus."

Stefan looked at Buffy with a worried look. "What is it?"

"Dr. Creepenstein was working on the next phase of the virus. When Nadia was sick, he was experimenting on her blood and he figured out a way to extract werewolf venom from her blood and put it in the virus."

"Wait…. What do you mean 'werewolf venom?' That means it's fatal."

"What!?" Damon yanked on his chains, trying to get to Buffy.

"Oh, you've got to be kidding me!" Buffy snapped. "Is that why I'm so much hungrier and on edge than usual?"

"Hello!" Caroline said. "You don't think I would just drop this on you without a silver lining! There's an antidote. It just requires you to come meet me. I'll text you the address."

"Or you could just bring it over here." Stefan said.

"No. You have to go there. And don't ask me why, because I can't tell you."

"Caroline…. This doesn't make any sense. Just tell me exactly…."

"If I could tell you, don't you think I'd be there right now to help Buffy? I'll text you the address!"

"I'm not going anywhere until you tell me what is going on."

"The travelers don't want anyone to know what they're up to, and by anyone, I mean Willow. Just get there fast, ok?"

Stefan hung up and looked at Buffy. "Go." She said.

"What about Klaus's blood? I'll grab it."

"It's in the safe under the gazebo."

"I didn't know there was a safe there."

"It's under the boards under the bed." Damon said. "I thought it would be an unlikely place to have a safe, so no one would think to look there. The combination is Buffy's birthday."

"I'll be right back." Stefan disappeared up the stairs.

Damon turned to his wife with a worried look on his face. "Are you ok? How do you feel?"

Buffy shrugged. "Hungry. Agitated. Cooped up. I've got a headache." She looked around. "Why do I smell blood?"

"Your nose is bleeding." He yanked on the chains. "These damn chains!"

"Got it." Stefan came back to the door with the glass bottle Klaus had given Buffy as a wedding gift. He grabbed a little paper cup and filled it half way, leaving plenty of blood in the bottle. He set the cup on the floor and scooted it across the threshold into Buffy's section of the cell.

Buffy picked it up and gulped it down, grateful for the little extra blood. "How do you feel?" Damon asked.

"I don't feel any different. Am I supposed to feel different?"

"Well, you weren't feeling bad before." Damon looked at his brother. "I need out of these chains. I need to be closer to her."

"Damon…." Stefan started.

"She's my wife, Stefan. If Klaus's blood didn't do anything, then I need to be closer to her. The barrier will still be there, just let me out of these damn chains."

"Ok." Stefan grabbed the keys and walked over the threshold, unlocking the chains. Damon ignored him and went over to the barrier, placing his hand against Buffy's. "I'll be back. With a cure, hopefully." Stefan walked out, shutting the door behind him.

Damon ran his finger down Buffy's hand, wishing he could actually touch her. "I wish I could hold you."

"I don't think Klaus's blood did anything." Buffy said, placing her other hand on the barrier to steady herself.

"Why?"

"Cause I don't feel so good." She collapsed to the floor.

"Buffy!" Damon dropped to his knees, hitting the barrier with his fist.

_Buffy heard her name being called and she looked up. She was sitting at the table in the library at Sunnydale High School and Giles had been reading from a book. "Buffy, are you even listening to me?"_

_"Giles?"_

_"Buffy, if you're going to stop the Mayor, then you need to pay attention."_  
><em>"The Mayor? I stopped him already."<em>

_"Really, Buffy." Wesley said, walking out of the office. "This is serious. This is no time to play games."_

_"Buffy doesn't play games." Xander said from beside Buffy. "She's gameless."_

_"What?" Buffy asked._

_"Well, not gameless. You've got plenty of game, Buff." Xander looked at her sheepishly and slid a pink box full of donuts at her. "Jelly?"_

_"Xander, you wouldn't know game if it was a big stinky demon that just slapped you in the face." Cordelia quipped from her seat next to Buffy._

_"Cordelia?" Buffy asked, confused._

_The doors opened and Willow came bouncing in with Oz. "Oh! Donuts!" She grabbed one of the powdered jelly donuts up and turned to Oz. "Wanna split?"_

_"So, Mayor…. Ascension…. Do we know when it is?" Xander asked._

_"No. No, we don't yet." Giles said. "But we know it'll be soon."_

_"It's graduation." Buffy said. "We covered this. I blew this place up."_

"Buffy, come on! Wake up!" Damon's voice broke through the fog and Buffy looked up at her husband's worried face.

Buffy reached up and wiped sweat from her forehead. "Oh…."

"Buff?"

She coughed and closed her eyes, sitting up to lean against the wall behind her. "Why didn't Klaus's blood work?"

"I don't know. Maybe because that bastard worked the venom into the virus so it's part of it. So, maybe Klaus's blood needs to be worked into the cure." Damon stood up and went to the door. "Willow!"

"Damon…." Buffy tried to stand, but she began to cough again.

"Willow!"

"What's going on?" Jeremy asked, appearing at the door. He spotted Buffy looking a bit gray and sweating. "What's wrong?"

"The virus…. That bastard Maxfield laced it with werewolf venom. There's a glass bottle of Klaus's blood by the supply…. Get that up to Willow and tell her to find a cure _now_." Jeremy nodded and grabbed the bottle. "And tell her to take down the barrier between me and Buffy."

"No, Damon…."

"Don't argue. I'm not going to hurt her, but I can't just sit here and watch her wither away. She was with me every second I was going through the venom. I'm need to be there for her. Just make sure you keep the blood supply up, ok?"

Jeremy sighed. "Ok. Fine."

Damon turned to Buffy. "Hey."

She looked up at him. "Man, this thing hit me fast and hard, huh?"

"Yeah."

"The hallucinations…. For you…. What were they like?"

"A walk through my past. Not all of it was good." He pressed his hand against the barrier. "But it was everything that led me to you."

She gave him a small smile. "I was back in Sunnydale."

"Who was there?"

"Giles. Willow and Oz were sharing a jelly donut. Xander was putting his foot in his mouth as per usual while Cordelia was making snide comments at him. And Wesley."

"Maxfield?"

"No. My old Watcher."

"The one you didn't like."

"Yeah." Damon's hand suddenly wasn't leaning against the barrier and he tumbled forward.

"I guess Willow pulled our barrier down." Damon was suddenly behind her, holding her in his lap. "Do you realize how dangerous this is? Every time I cough, I…."

"I know. But I couldn't just sit there and watch. You were by my side the whole time I was going through this."

"I didn't want to rip your head off and suck you dry."

"Not that day, anyway." He kissed her forehead. "Rest, Buffy. I'm right here." Buffy closed her eyes and let herself drift in Damon's arms.

* * *

><p><em>Angel stood in the doorway, the moonlight making him a silhouette. Buffy looked up at him from her seat on one of the beds. They were at a seedy little hotel between Sunnydale and LA. "Angel…." She breathed as he pulled her into his embrace.<em>

_"I can't believe you're really here." Angel said, kissing the top of her head. She began to cry and he held her closer. "I know it's hard readjusting…."_

_"I don't want to readjust. I want it to stop."_

_"What?"_

_"This pain. This hole that's been ripped out of me."_

_Angel looked down at her. "You weren't in hell."_

_She shook her head against his chest. "No. I was happy. I was warm and loved and…. Now it's all hard and cold and that's all I feel inside."_

_"I'm so sorry."_

_Buffy looked up at him, but he was no longer standing in front of her. Angel was suddenly sitting on the other bed across from her and their bags were sitting by the door. They had spent three days together and now, on the third night, they were going back to their separate lives. He reached out and took her hands. "You'll find your way back to yourself, Buffy. It won't always be this way. You'll find something that will spark that fire in you again."_

* * *

><p>Damon watched his wife sleep in his arms and mutter a past conversation she'd had with Angel. He pulled out his phone and dialed Klaus's number. "Damon Salvatore, you are the last person I ever expected to talk to." Klaus answered.<p>

"You're the last person I _want_ to talk to, but I need answers."

"Answers to what?"

"Buffy's been injected with werewolf venom."

"She has my blood. Once she takes it, she'll be fine."

"She's already had some and it didn't work."

"What do you mean? It should've worked."

"This insane scientist made a virus that turns vampires into Ripper cannibals. But he got ahold of some werewolf venom and worked it into the virus and Katherine managed to inject Buffy with it. Your blood didn't work."

Klaus took a deep breath and Damon knew he really did care about Buffy just in that small, pained noise. "She's dying."

"I don't know. That's the worst part. But she said that you thought she was like you. That because she's two things that shouldn't mix…."

"Like a vampire and werewolf."

"Like a vampire and a Vampire Slayer. She said you thought that she couldn't be killed."

"It just a theory, Damon. She wasn't made the same way I was. I don't know if the venom will affect her like a normal vampire or like one of my siblings."

"What happens to them when they're infected?"

"They suffer for a day or so as the venom works out of their systems, but they don't die."

"She's more like you than she is like me…. Physically, I mean…. Maybe…."

"I don't know, Damon. I just don't know. I wish I had an answer, but…. I'll ask around and see if anyone knows of a way to cure her. Keep me posted. I will kill you if you let her die."

"If she dies, I'll beat you to it." Damon hung up and looked down at Buffy who was just opening her eyes. "Hey gorgeous."

"How long was I out?" She asked.

"Not very long. A couple of hours tops. You were talking to Angel."

"It was just after I'd been brought back…. We met up at this hotel halfway between Sunnydale and LA. We spent three days talking."

"Oh."

"He said that I would find something that would spark that fire in me again." She reached up and gently touched his cheek. "He was right."

Damon kissed her palm. "You need to feed again."

"It hasn't been eight hours."

"No, but I remember how hungry you get." Damon eased out from behind her, leaning her gently against the wall, and got up, walking over to the door. "Little Gilbert!"

"He has a name." Buffy said.

"Yeah. Little Gilbert." Damon smirked at her and banged on the door. "Jeremy! Get your ass down here!"

"What?" Jeremy asked, appearing at the door.

"I need one of those little bottles of blood."

"It's not time."

"It's not for me. It's for Buffy. She needs to eat more often than me."

"Damon…."

"Jeremy." Damon mocked. "Just give me a bottle and quit arguing." Jeremy picked up a bottle and handed it through the window. "Thank you." Damon turned his back to Jeremy and walked over to Buffy. "Here, drink."

As Buffy took the bottle and drank, Damon took his place behind her again. She laid her head back on his shoulder and he smoothed the hair off her forehead, noticing the cold sweat that had developed on her skin. It killed him that there was nothing he could do for her. That she was possibly dying in his arms and there was no cure yet.

Buffy held up the bottle to him. She'd left a third of the contents. "Here, you need strength too."

"No." He pushed the bottle down. "You drink all of it. Wouldn't want you to take off my head when the cravings hit."

"I won't. You'll make sure of that." She pushed it back into his hand and Damon sighed, drinking the rest. He tossed the bottle across the room and wrapped his arms around her, burying his face in her hair as she drifted off again. For another three hours, he watched her get paler and mumble in her sleep. When she said something about death being her gift, it scared him enough that he shook her awake. "Don't worry. I already gave that gift once." She said, coughing slightly.

"Stay with me, ok? I can't bear not knowing if you're going to wake up again."

"Do you remember what you did for Rose?"

"Gave her a nice memory to die to? I'm not going to do that for you because you're not going to die."

"No. I want to show you Sunnydale."

"You need to save your strength."

She laughed slightly. "Use your powers to take a walk inside my head, silly."

He smiled slightly. "If you insist." Damon placed his fingers on her temples and closed his eyes, concentrating his power. When he opened his eyes, he was standing in a large library with a book cage on one side opposite an office and a counter. There was a large oak table sitting between the stairs to the second level where all the bookshelves were located.

"Welcome to the Sunnydale High School Library." Buffy said from the doorway to the office.

Damon smiled. "So this was Scooby HQ?"

"For a little while." She walked over to him and took his hand. "Come on." They made their way through the school with Buffy pointing out different classrooms and commons areas and telling him stories about what had happened there. Then suddenly they were standing in a cemetery. "One of the many I patrolled on a regular basis, but this one…." She turned around and pointed at a willow tree at the very back of the cemetery. "I was back there."

"A willow tree. Appropriate. Do you mind if we skip that part? Considering the current situation, I really don't want to dwell on your death."

"Ok." Buffy turned around and they were standing in the front yard of her house.

"Is this where you lived?"

"1430 Revello Drive, Sunnydale, California." She walked up to the door and opened it. The stairs stood in front of her with the hallway to the back. On their left was the living room and on their right was the dining room. "It's one big circle." Buffy said, taking him through the dining room, into the kitchen, around to the living room, and then back to the foyer. "My room is upstairs."

Damon mounted the steps. "I can't wait." He took her hand and she led them up to her old room decorated in the green stripes. "It's so…. Sixteen year old girl."

"I was sixteen when I moved in. So, yeah." Buffy fiddled with the cross necklace that Angel had given her hanging on her necklace hanger. "I moved down the hall into mom's room after I came back from the dead the second time."

Damon touched the little memory board hanging by the mirror and examined the pictures. This room belonged to someone he didn't know. It reflected a girl that no longer existed. But he still loved this girl because she'd grown up into the woman he'd fallen in love with. "This is Angel's Buffy." He said, playing with a stuffed pig on the bed. "This is who he remembers and who he expects you to be."

"Yes." Buffy touched the picture on her mirror of her and Angel when she was 16. "She's long gone." They were suddenly standing on a sidewalk outside of what looked like a coffee shop. "Welcome to the Espresso Pump. We hung out here a lot."

"Dates?"

"Sometimes. That was mostly what the Bronze was for. I'll show you that in a minute. First," She pulled him across the street and down the block a bit. "This is The Magic Shop."

"The place that Giles owned?"

"The very one." Buffy watched him walk around the Magic Shop, checking out all the little artifacts and heading into the back where the training room was. She leaned heavily against the door, suddenly not feeling so good. She struggled not to cough. If Damon thought something was wrong, he would stop the tour. She managed to compose herself just as Damon walked back into the main area.

"This place is pretty cool." He said. "Where to next?"

"How about," Buffy held out her hands and they were now standing in a club with numerous catwalks, a bar, a pool table, and a stage with booths and tables strewn about. "The Bronze." She looked around the room. "This is the old Bronze…. Before it got redecorated."

"Why did it get redecorated?"

"A troll pulled down the catwalks and destroyed most of the inside."

"Oh. Standard reason, then." Damon took her hand and led her out onto the dance floor. He pulled her into his arms and started dancing.

"There's no music." Buffy said, laying her head on Damon's chest. A soft song started playing and Buffy heard Damon softly humming along to it. She started feeling weak again and knew that Damon was holding her up now. "Damon…."

"Nope." He said, holding her tightly.

"I don't think that Willow's going to find a cure."

"Stefan went to get it. He'll be back soon."

Buffy started coughing and she opened her eyes to find herself back in the cell in Damon's arms. She was coughing up blood. A lot of it. Damon's eyes changed and he was suddenly across the room, fighting the urge to tear into Buffy's neck. She doubled over in pain, coughing up more blood. Damon turned and punched the rock wall, burying his fingers into the stone and gripping it tightly.

Enzo suddenly appeared in the doorway and saw Damon ready to attack his ailing wife. He decided to save Buffy first and kneeled down next to her, lifting her up in his arms. "Hey, gorgeous. Got a little something for you."

"Horrible come on line." Buffy rasped through her coughs.

"Well, it's something you're gonna love." Enzo pulled out the vile of the werewolf venom/vampire ripper cure that he'd gotten from the Travelers and injected it into Buffy's shoulder. Damon was suddenly grabbing him away and tossing him across the room, ready to bite into Buffy's neck. Enzo grabbed Damon before he could do anything stupid and stabbed the ripper cure into his neck. Willow appeared at the door and sent Enzo flying across the room with her magic.

"Hey! I was saving them!" He complained, getting painfully to his feet.

Damon looked at Buffy, still lying on the ground weak from the werewolf venom. He was horrified that he'd just tried to kill her. "Buffy…." Damon dropped to his knees and pulled her into his arms. "I'm so sorry."

"I'm still alive." Buffy said against his chest.

"What happened?" Willow asked, coming over to check on her best friend.

"I brought the antidote." Enzo said. "I saved my friend's wife and I saved my friend from killing said wife. I think that would've ruined any future chances for a threesome."

"Those chances were already dead." Buffy said as Damon stood up with her in his arms.

"I'm going to take her upstairs." Damon said, moving past Enzo and Willow and heading for the door.

Willow let the spell drop as Damon walked out the door. She turned to Enzo. "Where did you get the cure?"

"From the Travelers. Now I've got to go make good on my half of the bargain." Enzo rushed out of the room, leaving Willow to pick up the two syringes. She examined them, taking them upstairs to analyze the compounds and see how close to the cure she was.

* * *

><p>Buffy laid her head back on Damon's shoulder and closed her eyes. They were sitting in the bathtub together with Damon behind her. He'd cleaned her up and cared for her, drawing this hot bath just for the two of them. While she'd soaked and sipped on a glass of O positive to get her strength back, he'd lit candles all around the room before joining her in the bathtub.<p>

Damon kissed the side of her head. "Care to share anything churning around in that beautiful head of yours?"

"I almost died today…. Again." Buffy said.

"I noticed. It was me trying to rip your throat out."

"No…. From the werewolf venom. I was just thinking that it's sad I've lost count how many times I've actually died."

"Three." Damon said. "It's only been three and it's only going to be three." He sighed. "It was all my fault. This whole situation we found ourselves in."

"No, it was mine. I kissed Klaus."

"But I overreacted. I should've stayed and talked it out with you. Instead I went crazy and killed Elena's friend, she got taken over by Katherine, I got injected with the ripper virus, you got injected with the ripper virus laced with werewolf venom…." He moved to sit up and turned Buffy to face him. "Things are going to be different from now on, Buffy. It's you and me against the world and nothing will take me away from you again. I'm going to face my problems head on with you by my side. I love you."

"I love you." She leaned forward and kissed him. After weeks apart and then days without being able to take anything further than a chaste kiss, the heat between them flared suddenly and Damon was pressed back against the back of the tub, sinking under the water with Buffy on top of him.


	102. Chapter 100

Chapter 100

An incessant beeping sound broke through Buffy's unconsciousness and she opened her eyes. She and Damon were wrapped tightly together in the sheets. Her hair covered everything her vision could see. She decided that it may be time to get a haircut as she fought her way out from under her hair. Damon felt her movements and groaned, opening one eye to look down at her.

"What's that noise?" He asked groggily.

"I have no idea." Buffy raised her head up to look around and spotted her cell phone flashing on the nightstand. Struggling out from Damon's limbs and the sheets, she rolled over and picked it up. It was her calendar reminding her that Jeremy's parent teacher thing was today. "Ugh!"

"What?"

"Jeremy's parent teacher conference thingy is today."

Damon wrapped his arm around her waist and pulled her back to him, nipping at her neck. "Skip it."

"We can't."

"Say you're sick." His fingers began roaming on her hips as he kissed her shoulder.

"Damon…."

One finger trailed up the inside of her thigh. "Say you're still recovering from that bought with werewolf venom."

"Yes, because his teachers will believe that."

Damon sighed and took the phone from her. "We don't need to be there until noon. It's nine." He tossed the phone back on the nightstand and rolled her under him.

Buffy rolled again and Damon wound up on the floor. "Oh…. Didn't realize we were that close to the edge."

"Ow."

"Sorry." Buffy stood up, sheets wrapped around her, and helped Damon to his feet.

"Well, that just killed the mood." He smiled down at her and kissed the tip of her nose. "Good morning."

She smiled back. "Good morning."

Damon wrapped her in his arms and held her close. "Three weeks without waking up to your hair in my mouth should sound like a great thing, but I actually missed it."

"And here I was thinking about cutting it."

He wrapped his fingers in her hair and tugged so she looked up at him. "Don't you dare." His fingers brushed through her tangled hair and he kissed her hairline. "I'll divorce you if you cut it."

"Harsh."

"I love your hair. I love this flowing mass of gold when it ripples through my fingers and surrounds me in the mornings."

"How poetic."

"It's your fault." Damon looked down at her seriously. "I mean it. Please don't cut it."

Buffy smiled and squeezed him tighter. "Ok. I'll leave it long and flowy just for you."

"Good. Then I'll buy us brunch at the Grill."

"It's not Sunday."

"Who says it has to be Sunday for us to get brunch?" Damon released her with a small slap on her backside as he headed for the bathroom. "We're vampires, baby. We can compel ourselves a good brunch any day of the week."

"As long as we're not late to the school." Buffy headed over to the closet to pick out her clothes. "We've been seriously slacking on our parental duties for way too long."

"I can't wait until Little Gilbert turns 18 so we can have our lives back." Damon called from the shower.

Buffy laughed. "Actually, it'll be the first time we have kid-free lives."

"That'll be the day! I'll break out the oldest bourbon in our cellar to celebrate."

Damon's cell phone started ringing from his pants on the floor of the closet. Buffy reached down and pulled it out, surprised to find Klaus's number on the caller ID. She looked at it in confusion, glancing out of the closet to see Damon enjoying his shower. With a sigh, she answered it. "Why are you calling my husband?"

"Buffy?" The relief in Klaus's voice was palpable.

"Yeah."

"I didn't know if…. Damon said that you…." He let out a breath, obviously trying to form a full sentence. "Are you all right, love?"

"I'm alive. It got a little sketchy before Enzo brought the cure, but I'm not dead."

"When Damon called, he was so desperate for me to tell him that you were like me…. To assure him that you wouldn't die from the venom. I didn't know, though. I wanted to tell him you were going to live. You don't know how badly I wanted to."

Buffy smiled slightly. "I know."

"He should've called to let me know you were all right."

"We were a little busy." Buffy sighed and leaned against the dresser. "He found out about my feelings for you and that kiss when you were here. He didn't take it so well."

"I imagine not."

"We were…. Making up…. After weeks of nearly being divorced."

"And your love is stronger than ever now, yes?"

She nodded, knowing that it was time to end the conversation with Klaus before it ventured any further down this path. "Thank you for being concerned and for checking up on me."

"Do me a favor? Please stop getting into situations that test your immortality. I couldn't bear it if you actually died." Klaus hung up and Buffy set the phone down, glancing down at the sheet she was still wrapped in.

Damon turned around to find a naked Buffy standing behind him. "I thought you didn't want to be late."

* * *

><p>Buffy and Damon sat at a table at the Grill and waited for their check. Damon played with Buffy's hand, kissing her palm and nipping at the skin on her wrist. Matt walked by and laughed slightly. "Absence really does make the heart grow fonder." He quipped.<p>

"Don't be jealous, Donovan." Damon said. "I'm sure you'll find a nice little cheerleader to settle down with and get lots of annoying little brats off her."

"That was almost nice." Buffy said. She put her palm to Damon's forehead. "You don't feel warm."

He smiled and took her hand, kissing her palm. "Oh, I'm warm."

"And that's my cue to run away." Matt said, walking off.

Buffy's brow furrowed and Damon looked over to where she was looking. Jeremy had just walked into the Grill and sat down at a table. He had company already waiting in the form of the baby witch Liv. She'd helped out when Damon had been on a rampage and needed a witch to find Maxfield. Bonnie had decided to take her under her wing and teach her magic.

"Why is he here with her?" Damon asked.

"She helped save his life." Buffy said. "Maybe he's thanking her?"

"With booze and brunch?"

"We had brunch because we compelled it. They're having lunch. And he better not touch that booze." She looked at her watch. "We don't have time to chaperone, though. We've got to go find out how grounded he is."

Damon pulled out his wallet and dropped money on the table to cover the bill and the tip as Buffy walked across the Grill and made eye contact with Jeremy. He sighed, knowing he was probably going to be in trouble after she talked with his teachers and knew she was telling him not to drink. Jeremy gave her a nod and shooed her on. Damon caught up with Buffy and they headed out.

At the high school, people were lined up by the dozens. They were standing in front of a table where Mrs. Douglas was giving a speech. "As the guidance counselor, you'll first meet with me individually and then you'll have an open house with your child's teachers…." She spotted Buffy and Damon and waved them over. "Mr. and Mrs. Salvatore. It's good to see you."

"You too."

"So we're giving our parents their kids' class schedule and you'll go through the school like they do each day and the teachers will talk with you individually. The first stop will be with a counselor, though. And to be honest, Mrs. Salvatore," Mrs. Douglas leaned in and lowered her voice. "I'm really worried about Jeremy."

"We both are." Damon said.

"He's been through so much in the last year alone." Buffy said.

"I realize that," Mrs. Douglas said. "But he's come close to expulsion more than once in the last year. People are starting to talk about your competency as his legal guardian."

Damon squeezed Buffy's hand hard, knowing she was about to jump across the table and rip into the old woman. "Listen, Mrs. Douglas, it's not just Jeremy that's gone through a lot." He said. "My wife has been dealing with just as much on top of trying to be a guardian to a stubborn teenage boy. But she is an amazing parent. Her sister is the prime example there. She went through a rough transition after their mother died and she was nearly expelled a couple of times, but now she's got her own apartment in New York City, she's going to college, and she's even got a steady boyfriend." Damon winced at Buffy's angry squeeze on his hand at the mention of her sister dating Spike. "Things will get better. They will. This is just a rough transition time."

"I understand." Mrs. Douglas pulled out a piece of paper from her accordion file and slid it across the table. "Here's Jeremy's schedule. Your first stop is just down the hall."

"Thanks." Buffy got up and walked off. Damon caught up to her and she wheeled around, making him stop and backpedal a few steps. "'People are starting to talk about your competency as his legal guardian'." She mocked. "Who the hell does she think she is?"

"She doesn't know what's been going on." He soothed. "You are a damn good guardian. Even with everything that's happened."

Buffy looked at Damon for a moment and then deflated. "Oh, who the hell are we kidding? I suck. Jeremy isn't better off with me."

"What?" Damon shook his head and pulled her into an empty classroom. "Babe…."

"I suck. Seriously. Jeremy has been kidnapped, tortured, and killed under my watch."

"It's not your fault he's an idiot."

"Damon!"

"Buffy, one of those times he was kidnapped by me."

"Because I hurt you."

"Yes, you hurt me. But it was my fault that I didn't deal with it the right way." He shook his head. "Jeremy is his own person. He knows that his choices have consequences."

"It's my job to help him make the right choices. Instead I'm spending time making out with Klaus and fighting with you." Buffy moved over to the windows. "They're going to tell us that he's flunking. That something needs to be done." She turned back to Damon. "He had a better life in New York."

"We compelled him into a better life that wasn't actually better. He made a friend out of an Original looking to kill him and your sister and us."

"Then we should compel him again and send him back. If he stays in Mystic Falls, he doesn't have much of a future. Just death and destruction and flunking out of school."

"Hey, that was your future and you still graduated high school and got some college credits under your belt. I think Jeremy will be ok. Let's just see what his teachers have to say and then decide whether or not to go extremes again." Damon held out his hand and Buffy sighed, taking it. He looked at the schedule and led them down the hall to the first class. They took seats at two of the desks and Damon leaned back. Buffy fidgeted in her seat, though. He looked over at her and laughed slightly. "Is it burning you?"

Buffy chuckled. "No. It's just…. I wasn't a big fan of school and being shoved back into desks like these makes me uncomfortable."

"Maybe we should've sent Willow. She loves school."

"She always has."

"Weirdo." Damon glanced at the clock. "Look. The clock's busted. What are we paying our PTA dues for?"

"We should file a complaint. That'll teach those pesky teachers."

He smirked. "How much time do you think we have until this counselor walks in?"

"About twenty seconds." Buffy gestured to the door. "I hear footsteps headed our way."

Mrs. Douglas appeared in the doorway and Buffy groaned. "Ok." The woman said. "Sorry to keep you waiting. Bad news first: Jeremy's missed 11 days of school, he's started three fights, and he's been caught cheating in math class…. twice."

Buffy blinked. "Do you even have anything good to say about Jeremy?"

"He used to be a good student."

"Then his parents died. And then his aunt Jenna. And his uncle John. And his mentor Alaric. And somewhere in all of that, he found out that Elena isn't actually his sister, but his cousin. The poor kid has had so much piled on him that it's incredibly hard on him to find his way out from under it all."

"I understand that. I also understand that you and Mr. Salvatore were separated for a few weeks recently."

"How is that even relevant to this conversation?"

"Most problems in school are rooted in problems at home. Jeremy's in desperate need of a stable living situation. People who care about giving him that, more than their own needs…."

"Someone's in desperate need of a less judgey counselor." Damon said.

"I agree." Buffy said, standing up. "I'm starting to think that a new school is what he needs."

"There's a couple of nice private schools in Richmond we could look into." Damon said as he got out of his seat and followed Buffy out while Mrs. Douglas sputtered. He caught up to her in the hall and noticed her eyes were doing that supernatural thing where they were turning ice blue and were about to go full vampire. She stopped looking human when that happened. "Hey." He grabbed her hand and pulled her into an empty side hall. "You need to calm down. You're vamping out."

"That woman has some serious nerve." She growled. Her eyes were showing the dark veins and her teeth were elongating. The woman was an amazing vampire, but she still had trouble with her temper.

Damon pushed Buffy back into the lockers, pressing himself against her, and lowered his voice. "I want to rip your clothes off right here in the middle of this hall, and throw you into one of these classrooms and kiss every square inch of your body, while a bunch of people that drive minivans listen, wishing they were us." Buffy blinked in surprise, her eyes returning to normal. He gave her a sexy little smirk. "Works every time. Better?"

"Not really."

"What?"

"Because now all I can think about is what you just said."

Damon looked at the people milling about in the main hall. "That's probably a bad idea."

"Probably."

He laughed and took her hand as the bell rang. They hurried to the next class and sat down at one of the tables. Poor Jeremy had to deal with chemistry class in the morning. The teacher, Mr. White, began to drone on about what he liked to teach his students. Damon's hand wandered onto Buffy's thigh under the table and she smiled, turning her lower body more towards him.

He leaned in and whispered, "Wanna skip your next class? I've got study hall after this and I was thinking about skipping it and heading for the bleachers on the football field."

"So I tell my students, chemistry is about attraction and reaction." Mr. White was saying. "Sometimes it's beautiful, just as often, it's destructive…."

"Shh…." Buffy scolded. "You're missing an incredibly boring presentation."

"As you can imagine, it's the more destructive reactions that your students are the most interested in…."

"Don't be a square." Damon joked, running his hand up her inner thigh.

She caught his hand and stood up. "Let's go." They headed out of the classroom, ignoring the looks from the other parents. Damon grabbed her hand and led her down the hall towards the wood shop. He shut the door behind him and pressed Buffy against the wall beside it, nipping at her collarbone. She groaned and pushed him away, leveling a glare at the baby witch standing in the middle of the room. Damon turned around to look as well. "We're busy. Take Jeremy out for his last night of freedom because he's going to be really grounded."

"I need Elena." Liv said, holding a broken piece of wood in her hand. "Where is she?"

"She's not here right now. Obviously." Liv held her hand in front of her and tried to use her magic to fling Buffy across the room. "Sorry," She was suddenly standing in front of Liv, holding her up by her neck and swatting the stake away. "I've got protections from a much more powerful witch."

"Oh, a toy." Damon said, inspecting a powerful vice grip. "You should bring her over here."

Buffy kept a hold on Liv's neck as she made her way over to Damon. He grabbed some rope and a rag, tying her hands together and shoving the rag in her mouth. She began to struggle as Damon stuck her hands in the grip and closed it so she couldn't move.

"So it turns out you're a liar." Buffy said to Liz. "You've got real power. No wonder you stayed away from Willow. So," Liz screamed into her rag as Damon tightened the grip. "What do you want with Elena?"

"I'm going to rip this nasty rag out of your mouth." Damon said. "And if I hear so much as one syllable of hocus pocus, one of us is going to break your neck. Spoiler alert: It's gonna be me." He pulled the rag out of Liv's mouth. "Talk." Liv looked up and Damon, but said nothing. "All right." He turned the grip again and Liv screamed.

Buffy leaned down and got in her face. "If you want to spare yourself anymore pain, you'd better start talking. He won't stop until you sing. Why are you looking for Elena?"

"She's the last female doppelganger." Liv cried. "After tonight, there might only be one male doppelganger. And if that happens, the Travelers will come for Elena. To use her. The witches can't let that happen."

Damon looked up at Buffy. "If she's determined to kill Elena…."

"You know what the answer to that is." Buffy said.

"Are you freaking kidding me?" Jeremy cried, running in and placing himself between Damon and Liv.

"Oh god." Damon groaned.

"If you want to kill Liv, you're going to have to kill me too. What are you waiting for, Damon? Go on. It wouldn't be the first time you killed me."

"She is trying to stake your sister." Buffy said.

"She won't, though."

"Oh really?"

"She's gonna help keep Elena safe. I will make sure of that."

"How? You can't even get a passing grade in penmanship!" Damon said.

Jeremy turned and looked at Buffy. "Trust me, I won't let anyone hurt my sister."

"Jeremy, after all of the things you've been pulling at school, how can I trust you?" Buffy asked. "You haven't exactly been making good decisions."

"Neither have you!"

"I'm about to make a decision that will keep you locked in a room until you're 18."

"How can you expect me to care about school, when this is my life? You of all people should understand!"

"Yes, Jeremy. I do understand. But there is a glaring difference between my life and yours. I'm a Slayer. I didn't have a choice. You do."

"I'm a Hunter!"

"Then you can take care of yourself in a fight. Good for you." Buffy gripped his shoulders. "But the weight of the world doesn't rest on your shoulders. You get to tell the Apocalypse to shove off because you have a chemistry test to study for because you have me to handle it."

"Buffy…."

She held up her hand to stop him. "No. You're a kid, Jeremy. Be a kid. Go to school and study and graduate and have a life! Do the things I didn't get to because I didn't have anyone to shoulder that burden for me."

"Liv knows more about the Travelers than she's letting on!"

"Then I will deal with that."

"Now is not the time to start acting like a mom."

"Now is when it's happening, though. It may not be convenient for you, but it's what's going on. Go home, Jeremy. When I get there later, you had damn well better be studying because you've got one month to get your grades up or I'm sending you to a boarding school in New York." Jeremy glared at her before turning and stomping off.

"Bravo." Damon said.

Buffy turned to Liv and grabbed her face. "All right, your turn. What do we need to do about the Travelers?"

Liv stared at Buffy for a moment before sighing. "Will you let me out of this thing?"

"Are you going to try to kill Elena or my brother in law?"

The blonde witch leveled her stare at Buffy. "No. I'll work with you."

"Good." Buffy released the vice grip and Liv stood up, rubbing her hands. "Talk."

"If the Travelers are coming for Elena and Stefan, or making a move on Mystic Falls, or both, we'll need someone who's going to see it coming before we do."

"Who's we?" Damon asked.

"Me and my brother."

"Why were you involving Jeremy?" Buffy asked.

"Because he's a Hunter. They can't use him as a host."

"What about me?"

"They've never used a Slayer as a host before that I know of. But, I guess, seeing as how Hunters are just…. Watered down versions of Slayers, I'd say you're just as good as Jeremy."

"Get your brother and meet us back at our house." Buffy said. "You're going to meet Willow."

"We can't involve any more people."

"I'll involve whomever I deem necessary. And if it's witches versus Travelers, you're going to need Willow on your side."

"Fine. I've been wanting to meet her anyway." Liv sighed and walked out of the wood shop.

Buffy turned back to Damon. "So, we're having company over."

"I love it when you get all authoritive and Slayer-y." Damon said. "May I make a suggestion?"

"Of course."

"If we're going up against Travelers that can possess people…. We're going to need that magic dagger you stabbed Katherine with."

"Matt has it."

"Then let's give the Quarterback a call and get our ducks in a row." Damon threw his arm around Buffy's shoulders and led her out of the wood shop.


	103. Chapter 101

_**A/N I'm not dead, I promise! I'm just super busy. Between work and getting ready for this charity event next Friday, I've got a lot on my plate and not enough time in the day. How heartbreaking was that season finale, though?! I couldn't stop crying. They really stabbed me in the heart with that. I wrote this chapter before I watched it, so going back and reading this chapter made me cry all over again. So, if you end up in tears, I'm so sorry!**_

Chapter 101

Enzo was setting up a shot on the new pool table that Buffy had bought for Damon. Damon leaned against the side of the lounge chair where Buffy was sitting. "This is a sweet setup." Enzo said.

"My wife is the best." Damon said, leaning down to kiss her.

"I've gotta say, Damon…. I never thought I would see the day that you were happily married. Especially after you were ready to rip her head off not that long ago."

"It surprised me too. But what can I say? I love her."

"Not to be a total bitch, but why are you even here?" Buffy asked.

"I came to see my friend." Enzo said. "And, believe it or not, I like you Buffy."

"Oh good. The guy that took my husband on a killing rampage likes me."

"Take it as a compliment, babe." Damon said, bending over to shoot. "Enzo doesn't like many people."

"Oh, then yay!" Buffy said sarcastically, looking at her watch.

"Do you have somewhere to be, love?" Enzo asked.

"I have some people coming over. So, if you could skedaddle…."

Enzo laughed. "Did you just say 'skedaddle'?"

"Hey, does your mysteriously missing girlfriend know how insufferable you are?" That caused Damon to laugh. "Maybe that's why you haven't found her. She doesn't want to be found."

Enzo sighed and set down his pool cue. "I haven't found her because the Travelers, i.e. my only lead, decided to play a fun game of spontaneous combustion before giving me what they promised."

"Right. Now you're here annoying us."

"We could always go kill people. I hear you're pretty brutal."

Buffy leveled a look at Enzo. "Wanna find out?"

Damon smiled and set down his pool cue. "All right, Enzo. Let me show you the door. I'll call you later."

Enzo reached down and took Buffy's hand, kissing her knuckles. "Mrs. Salvatore, it is always a pleasure."

"Quit flirting with my wife." Damon said, pulling Enzo to the door. Not even two minutes after Enzo left, Matt and Tyler knocked on the door. "About time."

"We're not late." Matt said.

"Do you have it?" Buffy asked.

"Yeah." Matt held out the knife wrapped in a thick cloth.

"Where's this witch at?" Tyler asked.

"Willow's driving her in now." Damon said.

"Why are we here first?" Matt asked.

"Because we need the Traveler's knife." Buffy said, unwrapping it.

"Where's Jeremy?"

"Up in his room studying. He has one month to get his grades up or I'm sending him to a boarding school."

"Is that necessary?"

Buffy glared at Matt. "If you'd seen his grades and heard the way his guidance counselor talked about him, then you wouldn't be asking me that question."

"Well, shouldn't he be in on this, though? He's a Hunter. They're immune to the Travelers taking them over."

"Then he'll be perfectly safe…. Up in his room studying." The door opened and Willow walked in with Liv and a boy that looked a lot like Liv. "Great!"

"Sorry we're late." Willow said. "Long story. What did we miss?"

"Nothing. The boys just got here. Who's that?"

"I'm Luke Parker." The boy said. "Liv's twin brother."

"Liv has a twin?" Damon asked. "Is it possible for there just to be one of someone around here?"

"Seriously?" Liv scoffed at Tyler and Matt. "Townies? No. We don't need them."

"If the Travelers have taken over people in town, then the more people to help the better." Buffy said.

"We only have one dagger."

"Which Damon or myself will be using after these guys find out who's possessed and who's not."

"We need to make sure they're not possessed." Liv said, pointing at Matt, Tyler, and Damon.

"What?" Matt asked.

"The Travelers are here, and our goal is to get rid of them, but before I put my faith in the human, the vampire, and the hybrid, I need to make sure that they're not harboring a passenger."

"So you want us to stab ourselves?"

"This knife is the only thing that will get rid of them." Luke said.

"Again, you want us to stab ourselves?"

"Just do it so we can get on with this." Buffy snapped.

"Says the Vampire Slayer with the Traveler-proof head."

"I'll do it." Tyler said.

"And the hybrid, who heals."

"Dude, you have a magic ring that brings you back from the dead. Quit bitching." Tyler took the knife from Buffy and stabbed himself in the gut.

Buffy took the knife back and cleaned it off. "Wouldn't want to accidentally turn you into a bloodsucker." She said to Matt as she handed him the knife. "Do it in the shoulder. It won't hurt as bad."

"Ok." Matt said, positioning the knife just above his shoulder blade.

"Not too deep."

"Got it." Matt pushed the knife into his shoulder and gritted his teeth, trying not to cry out.

"So much testosterone, so few brain cells." Liv quipped to her brother.

Matt handed the knife to Damon and without hesitation, Damon shoved the knife in his stomach. Buffy took the knife back from Damon and turned to Liv. "Everyone's in the clear. Satisfied now?"

"Not really."

"Are you serious?" Damon asked.

"You have to do that about a hundred more times, only to other people. Look, the truth is that my coven have been tracking the Travelers for thousands of years. They're always on the move, but there have been a few times in history when they have stopped to gather. Freaky part is that no one's ever noticed because one by one they've taken over towns by putting passengers inside the townsfolk. We think they're doing the same thing in Mystic Falls."

"Isn't there a spell to make this a little easier?" Willow asked. "I mean, sending Buffy and Damon out with one dagger to stab, heal, and compel an entire town seems like a serious effort."

Buffy's phone started ringing and she picked it up. "Hello, Caroline."

"Hey." Caroline said. "Have you heard from my mom?"

"No. Why?"

"Well, she was supposed to meet me here, and now she's not texting me back. If you see her, will you just let her know that something came up?"

"Yeah. Is everything ok?"

"I don't think so. There's something going on with Elena and Stefan."

"What do you mean?"

"Well, you know how we all laughed off the notion that the universe is drawing Stefan and Elena together?"  
>"Yeah."<p>

"Well, that's happening."

"What's happening?"

"Now that Stefan's doppel-him…. Tom…. Now that Tom is dead, Stefan and Elena are the last pair of doppelgängers, which might explain why Stefan and Elena are suddenly having vision-type situations of each other."

"What kind of visions?"

"Somebody's having sex dreams." Damon said, standing next to Buffy.

"They're not sex dreams." Elena protested in the background.

"Yeah." Caroline said. "They're more like romance dreams."

"Where's Stefan?" Buffy asked.

"He went to the Traveler camp to see if anyone's still there that can tell him what's going on. It's our only lead. Look, all we know is that Tom is dead, the Travelers just committed a mass suicide, and now Stefan and Elena are having intense visions of each other."

"Ok, Willow's here. We'll figure out what the hell's going on." Buffy hung up and Willow looked at her expectantly. "Stefan and Elena are having dreams about each other."

"Um…. Well, they are giving their relationship another try…." Willow said.

"Well, they're apparently having the same dreams at the same time."

"Oh, like you and Angel had when the First was trying to get him to kill himself." Willow noticed Damon's look and shrugged. "Sorry."

"As long as she's not having those dreams anymore, I'm ok." Damon said.

"Don't worry." Buffy said. "I'm not. Ok, Matt and Tyler, you guys get out there and figure out who's possessed. Damon, you and I will stay here with the witches and figure out what's up with Elena and Stefan. We'll head out when we've heard of a possession."

"Why don't you just give me the knife?" Tyler asked. "I'm just as fast as Damon is. And I can heal the ones that are possessed."

Damon scoffed at Tyler. "You should probably leave it to the adults."

Buffy shook her head. "Actually, that's fine. He can do it. Honestly, I think I need to stay here and make sure Jeremy doesn't go anywhere."

"Are you sure?"

"Yeah. We'll be HQ. They can report back to us who's been possessed. We can keep a record or something."

Damon shrugged. "Fine. I wanted to play with my new pool table anyway."

Buffy handed the knife over to Tyler. "Don't lose it."

"I won't." Tyler and Matt headed out the front door.

Willow walked over to the pool table and smiled. "When did you guys get this?"

"I ordered it a couple of days ago." Buffy said. "I thought Damon would like it. Besides, he needs to work on his game if he ever plans to beat me."

Damon smiled and wrapped an arm around her shoulders, pulling her close. "Cocky little thing."

"You haven't beat me yet." Buffy laughed and he kissed her.

Liv made a gagging noise. "You two are so gross."

"Awe, poor little witch." Damon said. "Never had someone love you before?"

The front door opened and Elena walked in with Caroline and Enzo. Damon looked at Enzo with an annoyed look. "I thought you left."

"I saw a little blonde that I like talking to and followed her back." Enzo said.

"You got a pool table." Elena said.

"A gift from Mrs. Salvatore." Damon said. "You like?"

"It's pretty sweet." She turned to Buffy. "Good wife skills."

Buffy shrugged. "I'm making amends." She took a sip from her bourbon and offered Elena a glass. Elena took it and put the liquid to her lips. "So having sex dreams about Stefan, huh?"

Elena spit the liquid back out. "Wow! Ok. Yeah, that's definitely one way to jump right in."

"I couldn't think of a better Segway."

"Ok, so it's just random snippets of Stefan and me living in some alternate reality."

"Well, that's new." Willow said.

"The prophecy does say that you they're fated to be together." Damon said.

"But why an alternate reality? Why not a 'this-is-your-love-life' type deal?" Buffy asked. "Wouldn't that be more effective?" Before anyone could respond, there was a knock on the front door. Buffy sighed and walked over to answer it. "You had better be a Girl Scout with some Thin Mints and Samoas." She opened to the door to find Bonnie standing there. "Definitely not a Girl Scout."

"Hey, I haven't heard from Jeremy in the last couple of days." Bonnie said, walking into the foyer. "Do you know where he is?"

"He's up in his room studying because he's grounded."

"What? Why?"

"Because he's flunking school."

"Can I see him?"

"Sorry, but no. When I say he's grounded, I mean it. The only people he's allowed to see are the people living in this house at breakfast, lunch, or dinner. He doesn't have his phone or TV privileges or music. He's got his schoolbooks and that's it."

"That's a bit harsh."

"Not really. Even when I saved the world on a regular basis, I still managed to graduate high school. I managed to get Elena across the stage and I will get Jeremy there, too. I've talked his teachers into giving him extra credit to help him pass his classes between now and the end of school."

"You're really not going to let me see my boyfriend?"

"I'm really not going to. Sorry, Bonnie."

Bonnie looked at Elena, but Elena shrugged. "I've got to be with Buffy on this. Jeremy needs to pass his classes."

"What can I say, Bon Bon?" Damon said. "This stuff happens when you're dating a minor."

Bonnie shook her head. "That's really not funny." She spotted Liv and Luke standing in the living room with Willow. "What are they doing here?"

"Nunya."

"Seriously!? She lied to my face and tried to kill Elena! Tell me what's going on."

"Nothing personal, Bonnie, but sneaking up on the Travelers requires them not to know that we're doing it." Buffy said. "You're not exactly stealthy. Every time a supernatural thing dies, you make noises when they pass through you."

"So what am I supposed to do?"

"Go back to school and get good grades." Buffy opened the door and Bonnie walked out.

"She's not happy." Elena said.

"She'll get over it." Buffy walked back over and sat down. "Ok, so we've got three witches in the room and a mystical problem with a couple of doppelgängers having visions of each other."

"How do we make them stop?" Elena asked.

"Not enjoying them?" Damon asked.

"I…. Well…. They happen at random times and I completely space out. Stefan almost got hit with a car."

"Cause he wouldn't survive that."

"Damon." Buffy waved a hand at him. "Be nice." She turned to Willow. "Anything we can do about it?"

"To tell you the truth, I'm not sure I can stop the visions." Willow said.

"What do you mean you can't stop their visions?" Damon asked.

"Our magic doesn't work like that." Luke said. "We're not bigger than the universe."

"Why are _you_ in my house?"

"Because my sister asked me to help."

"We think the Travelers are about to make their move." Liv said. "Their leader Markos is here."

"From where? Chant camp?" Damon asked.

"The other side." Luke said. "He's been dead for centuries and we think the fire sacrifice allowed him to escape."

"Perfect. A dead old guy with a mysterious, evil plan." Elena said. "I'll take a drink now."

Buffy turned back to Willow. "So, you don't think you can stop the visions?"

"Well, they're not like yours with Angel. That was the First manipulating them. If this is some doppelgänger thing, then I wouldn't even know where to begin."

Caroline's phone rang and she pulled it out. "It's Stefan." She walked over to the foyer and answered it.

"You two seem to know a lot about doppelgängers." Damon said to Liv and Luke. "Why don't you whip up a spell or something."

"Did you miss the part where he said 'we're not bigger than the universe'?" Liv snapped.

"Back off baby witch." Buffy said. "He was just asking."

Caroline came back into the living room. "Stefan said the scrap yard's been completely cleared out."

"And let me guess…. The witches don't know where Markos is."

"You guys said the visions are trying to draw Elena and Stefan together for something." Willow said.

"For our doppelgänger blood." Elena said. "The Travelers need it for some prophecy."

"If the Travelers are the ones who need your blood, doesn't it make sense that you're not only being drawn together but also being drawn to them."

"Well, this just keeps getting better and better." Damon said.

"Wait. I don't get it." Caroline said.

"If the visions are a road map, then we need more clues." Enzo said. "Break out the popcorn, blondie. Elena's little sex romp isn't over yet." Elena groaned and walked out of the room. Caroline sighed and followed her.

Liv looked at Buffy. "Where's your kitchen? I'm hungry."

Willow walked to the hallway. "Come on, wonder twins. I'll lead the way." She led Liv and Luke out of the living room.

"So this is the little gathering you kicked me out for?" Enzo asked Buffy. "It's lacking a bit of finesse, love."

"Are you absolutely necessary?" Buffy asked.

"Why do you insist on disliking me?"

"I don't know, maybe it's because you held my husband hostage, threatened to kill him more than once, and then took him on a killing spree."

"That's the nature of our friendship, love. But what you don't know is that I spoke in your favor, tried to convince him that leaving you was a mistake, and as soon as he was in real trouble, I took the opportunity to call you so you could be the one to come save him."

Buffy blinked. "What?"

"Well, and save myself as well, of course. But it became quickly apparent that Damon was miserable without you. He couldn't even talk trash about you with any sort of gusto. Even drunk off his head, he was sick in love with you."

"You promised you wouldn't tell." Damon said.  
>Enzo shrugged. "Sorry, mate, but I'm throwing you under the bus. Your gorgeous wife has my friend's heart and I'd like to get to know her. And for me to do that, she has to be willing to get to know me."<p>

"You're lying." Buffy looked at Damon. "Is he lying? I can't tell."

Damon sighed and sat down. "He's not lying. I was so pissed off at you, but I couldn't hate you. I tried to hate you. I wanted to hate you."

"He thought if he avoided you as much as possible, he could start to hate you." Enzo said.

"But I just ended up missing you more and more."

Buffy looked at Enzo and narrowed her eyes. "Why?"

Enzo shrugged and pushed one of the pool balls in the corner pocket. "Damon is my friend." He levelled a stare at her and she sighed.

"Ok, fine. I'll ease up."

He took her hand and bent down to kiss her knuckles. "Thank you, love."

"Uh…. Let's not call her that." Damon said, taking his wife's hand. "There's one too many vampires calling her that already."

Buffy's phone rang and she looked down to see that Bonnie was calling her. "Ugh!" She answered it. "He still can't come out to play, Bonnie."

"Matt's dead." Bonnie said.

"What?"

"He just passed through me, but before he did he told me to tell you that the Sheriff is in trouble and that you would know what that meant."

"Yeah, I do."

"What's going on, Buffy?"  
>"Don't worry about it." Buffy hung up and called Tyler. "Where are you?"<p>

"Waiting for Matt to call."

"Well, he's a little on the dead side, so I'm calling."

"What?"  
>"When I sent you guys out there, you weren't supposed to get yourselves killed. Get over to the Sheriff's office and de-Traveler her. And make sure Matt was wearing his ring. That's the last thing I need is to tell Elena that her BFF ex is on his way to being permanent worm food."<p>

"I'm on my way." Tyler hung up and Buffy slipped her phone back in her pocket.

"Maybe we should've gone?" Damon asked.

"Yeah. Maybe."

"Maybe you two should think about moving." Enzo chimed in.

"And give up this great house?" Buffy asked.

"Buy another one."

"We do have a gorgeous villa in Italy." Damon said. He looked at Enzo. "Wedding present."

"Nice."

"Jeremy will be finished with school soon enough." Buffy said. "Then Damon and I can concentrate on being…. Damon and I."

Damon smiled and took her hand, kissing her knuckles. "I think once we finally have an empty nest, we should celebrate with our best booze and our birthday suits for at least a month straight." He pointed at Enzo. "Sorry, but you're not invited."

"Pity. Sounds like a roaring good time to me." Enzo chuckled. "Well, speaking of a roaring good time…. Where did Caroline go?" He headed out of the living room.

Damon pulled Buffy into his lap and wrapped his arms around her. "Why didn't you want Enzo to tell me that?" She asked.

"Because I was a pathetic wreck and I didn't want you to know how right that you were about me."

"Stubborn ass."

"I'm a work in progress."

"We all are." Buffy leaned in a kissed Damon as she snuggled closer to him. "Don't leave me again, Damon."

"Never. It's you and me, Mrs. Salvatore, for the rest of eternity." He kissed the side of her hair and nuzzled her neck as they snuggled into the couch together to watch the fire.

Elena found them there a couple of hours later. They were still wrapped in each other's arms and sleeping peacefully with Damon spooning Buffy's back. It made her happy to see them happy. She didn't want to wake them, so she turned to leave.

"Any visions yet?" Buffy asked.

Elena turned back around. "I thought you were asleep."

"I'm a light sleeper." She gently sat up, not disturbing Damon. "Him, however…. He could sleep through Godzilla attacking New York around him."

Elena laughed and sat down. "I haven't had any visions in a while."

"It's ok. They'll happen eventually."

Buffy looked out the window. "Wow, it got dark. How long were we out?"

"A couple of hours."

"Where is everyone?"

"They're around. Caroline and Enzo are in the library trading snide remarks."

"That's how Cordelia and Xander got started."

"Don't put the eggs in the microwave!" Damon cried suddenly. Buffy and Elena turned confused eyes at him as he realized he was awake.  
>"Weird dream?" Buffy asked.<p>

"I watch too much Discovery Channel." He said, sitting up and rubbing his face. "That was a nice, unplanned nap."

"Elena?" Buffy asked. Damon turned to see that Elena was staring off into the distance, her eyes not focusing on anything. "That's a vision look if I've ever seen one."

"It's creepy."

"Damon!"

"What? It is."

She rolled her eyes at him and moved over to sit next to Elena. "Elena." Buffy moved Elena's hair behind her ear and Elena woke up from the vision. "Hey."

"Did I just…." Elena asked.

"Yeah."

"He's here. I know where Markos is. 4620 Walnut Drive."

"Ok, you stay here and make sure Jeremy stays grounded. Damon and I will go over there."  
>"I should come with you."<p>

"Nope." Damon said, standing up. "That's what he wants. Call Stefan and make sure he doesn't go over there."

As Buffy and Damon headed for the door, Buffy pulled out her cell phone. "Huh…. No calls from Tyler or Matt."

"We can check on them after we get this crap sorted out."

"Where are you two off to?" Enzo asked, appearing in the hallway. "Headed out for an evening romp in the woods?"

"How did you guess?" Buffy said sarcastically.

"Care if I join you?" He joined them without waiting for the invitation, slipping into the backseat of Buffy's car. "This is a nice car. Bit modern for my tastes."

"Well, I like it and that's all that matters." Buffy started the engine and drove them to 4620 Walnut Drive. The place was nice if you liked that suburban look.

Damon stuck his hand in over the threshold to test the entryway. "Huh. Clear." He and Buffy exchanged looks and walked through the door. "Not my kind of place."

"It's a bit…. Bland." Buffy agreed.

"I wonder if this is where Stefan and Elena had crazy vision-sex." Enzo said. Buffy and Damon turned to give him annoyed glares. "Eh, it's probably the bedroom. Stefan's pretty vanilla, but apparently that's Elena's favorite flavor."

"I'm gonna staple your tongue to your chin." Buffy said.

"Not in my house, please." A voice said from a dark corner. They turned around to see a figure sitting in the shadows beside a fireplace.

"Markos I take it." Damon said.

"That or it's Hannibal Lecter." Buffy said as Markos stood up.

Damon chuckled. "Well, I'm not Stefan, and this is not Elena."

"Why are you here?" Markos asked.

"We were about to ask you the same question. Plus, what do you want, and why are the doppelgängers having visions of each other?"

"First two are complicated. Last one's easy. I'm the reason Stefan and Elena are having visions of each other."

"You?" Buffy asked.

"Well, would you look at that." Enzo said. "I think we just met the universe."

Buffy looked up at Enzo. "Well, if that's the universe then I'm seriously disappointed."

"You and me both."

"You mind telling me what the hell is going on?" Damon asked.

"I'm afraid the doppelgänger lore's been misinterpreted over the ages." Markos said.

"As in there is no prophecy?"

"The prophecy is that the doppelgänger blood can help the Travelers, but they're being drawn together because of a spell I cast 1500, years ago. I had no idea where they were, and it turns out the best way to get people to go searching for each other is the promise of true love. Is it stuffy in here? Why don't we take a walk?" Markos pointed at Enzo. "You stay here."

"Not bloody likely."

"You want to find Maggie? You stay here." He turned to Buffy and Damon. "Shall we?" Without waiting for an answer, Markos headed for the front door. Damon sighed and he and Buffy followed while Enzo rolled his eyes and sat down. A couple of blocks down the road and they were in the town square. "Mystic Falls is a beautiful town."

"Oh, yeah. Picket fences, block parties, uncannily high death rate." Damon said.

"You take your homes for granted."

"I'm sorry. Are we walking so I don't fall asleep?"

"Two thousand years ago, Silas and Qetsiyah cast a spell for immortality. It created a schism in the Traveler community, giving rise to the witches. They tried to keep us scattered to make us forget how powerful we can be."

"And thus began the war between the Travelers and the witches." Buffy said.

"And it's still rages on and on…." Damon yawned. "Sorry. I just nodded off."

"The witches put a curse on us that kept us from settling down as a tribe. Whenever we've tried to gather, disaster struck…. Plagues, earthquakes, fire…. Something inevitably wiped us out."

"Let me guess," Damon moved in front of Markos to stop him in his path. "The doppelgängers can fix this. So you found them. Now what?"

"We simply need their blood, but we're not your enemy, Damon, and to prove that to you, I'm gonna stop their visions." All around them, townspeople stopped what they were doing and turned to face Markos. At some unseen cue, they all started chanting. "The curse might prevent us from gathering in our own bodies, but we've found ways around that."

"Passengers." Buffy said. "So how many of you are there?"

"A few…. Here and there. Shall I continue?" Markos joined in on the chanting and all around them, the creepy Latin words built until he stopped and opened his eyes. "It's done." The passengered townsfolk went about their business. "The visions are no more."

Buffy looked at Markos. "You know, I get it. The need for a home and all. But why here?"

"Why did you settle here?"

"Because I found what I didn't know I was searching for."

"I know what I'm searching for." Markos turned and walked off.

Buffy sighed and turned to Damon. "We need to find Matt and Tyler. They obviously didn't get anything done today."

"Well, Matt's truck is over there by the sheriff's office." Damon said. "I'm gonna go out on a limb and say that's where he is."

"I'll call Tyler." She pulled out her phone as they headed for the sheriff's office and dialed Tyler. He answered on the fourth ring. "Where have you been all day?"

"I took care of Sheriff Forbes." Tyler said. "She was hijacked. I just dropped her off with Caroline at their house."

"Did you get anyone else?"

"Yeah. A couple of people. It's hard to tell who's been hijacked and who hasn't, though."

"Uh, pretty much everyone in town. Look, Damon and I are going to make sure Matt wakes up. Bring us the dagger and we'll get working on it."

"Yeah, ok. See you in a little while."

Buffy hung up. "Useless teenagers."

Damon opened the door to the sheriff's office and found Matt lying on the ground, dead from a stab wound to the neck. "The quarterback with the letter opener in the sheriff's office. I win."

"Did you ever actually play Clue?" Buffy chuckled. She looked around. "Well, this is a mess." Suddenly Matt gasped and woke up. "Are you ok?"

"I…." Matt looked around.

"You died and came back from the Other Side." Damon said.

"I know. I remember."

"You remember?" Buffy asked. "That doesn't happen."

"One second, I was holding Vick…."

"You saw your dead sister?" Damon asked. "How?"

"I don't know, but she pushed me away, and then…. And then she just disappeared. What's going on over there?"

Buffy and Damon exchanged worried glances.


	104. Chapter 102

Chapter 102

Buffy and Damon got out of the car outside of Matt and Tyler's house. "He better be here." Damon said.

"He's not answering his phone." Buffy said, hanging up again. They marched up the stairs and opened the front door, walking in. "Matt!"

Matt popped his head out from the living room holding a pair of old, smelly boxers. "Tyler?"

"That's what I thought." Damon said.  
>"Where's the Traveler knife?" Buffy asked. "Hand it over."<p>

"That's gonna be a problem." Matt said, tossing the boxers away.

"Five words that make me want to vamp-toss my keys into your chest cavity." Damon said.

"Why is it a problem?" Buffy asked.

"I can't find it." Matt said.

"As in you lost it?"

"As in it's not here."

"It's not here?"

"Tyler said he hid it in the piano."

Buffy sighed and Damon groaned. "And when was the last time you heard from Tyler?" Damon asked.

"Yesterday when we were out looking for Travelers."

"Ok, Matt, you get to stay here and keep away from Tyler. He's probably been possessed." Buffy said. "Damon, we're going to hunt down a Traveler and see if we can find Tyler…. Or the knife. Or if we're lucky, both."

Damon followed Buffy out. "Here's a kooky idea. Let's get some help finding us a Traveler."

"From who?"

"Enzo." Buffy cocked an eyebrow at Damon. "Come on, babe. You promised to lighten up on him."

"I know I did."

"Then what's the problem?"

Buffy sighed as she sank into the passenger's seat, letting Damon drive. "He's a loose cannon."

"I was a loose cannon until the right woman came along."

"Yeah? Well, I can't be the right woman for Enzo, too. Pretty sure that's not how it works."

Damon chuckled. "I know, but I'm the only one who's actually given him the benefit of the doubt since he got out of Augustine hell. Maybe if someone else…. Someone as amazing as my wife…. Gave him a real chance, then he'd reign it in." He turned the key in the ignition and headed down the driveway.

"Maybe if he found his Maggie that might help."

"Then let's get some help from Willow."

"I've already asked. She needs something personal of Maggie's."

"She's a seriously powerful witch. You're telling me she can't find one little…."

"Woman who she's never met, doesn't have a picture of, and doesn't even know what her last name is?"

Damon paused. "Ok, touché. So, we're back to…."

"Fine. Call Enzo and see if he'll help."

He smiled. "I'm driving, sweetheart. That's dangerous to make calls when you're driving. Maybe you should call him." Buffy sighed and pulling out her phone, dialing Enzo's number.

"And to what do I owe the pleasure, Mrs. Salvatore?" He answered.

"You don't happen to know where I can find a Traveler, do you?" Buffy asked.

"You know Travelers: vagabonds and the like. Haven't seen any. Why?"

"I've got a hijacked hybrid and a bonehead quarterback that can't put two and two together."

"Don't envy you there, love."

"So, I was wondering, would you like to go on a field trip with me and my husband? I'm sure there's some salvage yard we haven't toured yet."

"Sadly, I've got to take a rain check. I'm late to meet some people."

"Oh. Well…. Another time then."

"It would be my pleasure." Enzo hung up and Buffy looked at Damon.

"No?" He asked.

"He's meeting some people."

"Maybe he's on the trail to finding Maggie."

"Maybe."

"Guess we're on our own in the Traveler hunt, then."

"I guess so." Buffy smiled at her husband and took his hand. She couldn't shake the feeling that Enzo was up to no good, though. Her instincts were rarely wrong, but she didn't want to disappoint Damon. Enzo was the first person that Damon cared about outside of their little family, so she was determined to give him the benefit of the doubt.

* * *

><p>Buffy opened the front door and shook her head. "Seriously, how hard is it to find a possessed person?"<p>

Damon's phone rang and he looked at it. "It's Enzo." He answered it as he shut the door. "How is it Travelers are everywhere until you actually need to find one?"

"Hunt going poorly then?" Enzo asked.

"That's what we get for working with the Hardy Boys."

"I take it you don't have Stefan's diaries handy. I need you to check his journal for an entry on November 8, 1960."

"Stefan burned his journals a while ago. He was in a mood. Why?"

"Well, just trying to settle a little debate. No matter. I'm right."

"Damon!" Elena cried in the background.

"Elena?" Damon asked. Buffy's head whipped around and she looked at Damon. "Why are you with Elena?"

"And Stefan, too." Enzo said. "But not for long. I reckon one will be dead soon. Eye for an eye and all that."

"Whoa, whoa, whoa, Enzo. You have your murder voice on. I need you to speak very slowly and calmly and tell me what the hell the problem is."

"The problem, if you must know, is that my girl Maggie, the one who got away, it turns out she didn't get away for long. Your ripper of a brother took a big bite out of her neck membrane in the sixties."

"Sixties? Stefan wasn't even…."

"Got to jet, mate. Nothing personal, just a bit of revenge, you understand?"

"Enzo?" Damon looked at his phone. "He hung up."

"Why in the hell does he have Stefan and Elena?" Buffy asked.

"He thinks that Stefan killed Maggie."

"Why would he think that?"

"I have no idea."

"Stefan wasn't a ripper in the 60s. Lexi had fixed him long before that."

Damon sighed. "We need to solve Maggie's murder before Enzo kills my brother." Buffy nodded and pulled out her phone. "Who are you calling?"

"Liz. If Maggie was killed in Mystic Falls, then there'll be a record and Liz will have access to it."

* * *

><p>Damon and Buffy sat on the hood of his car outside the sheriff's office. Buffy was leaving a voicemail for Caroline. She'd been calling around trying to figure out where Enzo had Elena and Stefan. "You're the only one unaccounted for and I don't know where Elena and Stefan are. Call me back." Buffy spotted Liz walking up to them. "Or at least call your mother."<p>

Liz walked up to them with a few large files in her hands. "Why the sudden interest in Mystic Falls history?"

"You know when your brother kills your only friend's girl and you're stuck in the middle?" Damon asked.

"No."

"Well, then don't ask."

"Ok." Liz looked at Buffy and she just shrugged. "1960, there was a mugging reported November 9."

"No, no, no. It has to be the eighth. He was very specific about the eighth."

"Ok. Well, that would be Maggie James." Liz sorted through her files and pulled one out. "Died November 8, 1960, unresolved homicide, possible serial killer." She handed the file to Buffy.

Buffy opened it to find pictures of a decapitated woman lying in the street. Damon made a noise and Buffy looked up at him. "What?"

"Stefan was right. He didn't kill Enzo's girl." Damon said.

"How do you know?"

"Because I did." Damon sighed. "I didn't know who she was."

"Would you have cared? Your emotions were off." Buffy shut the file and looked at Liz. "Thank you for this."

"Do I want to know what's going on?" Liz asked.  
>"Nope." Buffy and Damon said. Buffy handed Liz the file back, thanking her, and she and Damon got in the car.<p>

"So, where the hell do we find them?" Damon asked.

"Well, I know that Elena was supposed to be studying today and Stefan was planning on helping her. Let's ask some college kids where students like to study at on campus."

* * *

><p>After walking around campus for twenty minutes, Damon and Buffy finally narrowed down what seemed like the cool place to study. It was Whitmore Restaurant. Damon held the door open for Buffy and she walked in. The place was like a coffee shop merged with an old library and a bar. Stefan and Elena were tied to a chair while Enzo stood in front of them.<p>

"Well, this is depressing." Damon said behind her. "Stadium seating really necessary? These people are starting to creep me out."

Enzo turned around. "If I didn't know any better, I'd say that was a veiled attempt to get to release the damn hostages."

"Oh, I'm sorry. Was that veiled? Release the damn hostages."

"Whose side are you on?"

"There are sides now?"

"You were there with me in Augustine. Look. Don't tell me you've forgotten what it was like to cling onto the one thing that kept you from feeling pain!"

"Enzo, I get it. The prospect of seeing Maggie again was your safety line to the outside world, the one thing that kept you from shutting it off. There's probably a chapter in Elena's psych book about it." Damon glanced at Buffy and she took his hand. "The thing is…. I didn't know she was your Maggie."

Enzo turned around slowly and looked at Damon. "What are you talking about?"

"She didn't tell me her name when we met."

"And when exactly was that?"

"November 8, 1960. I'd gotten a message at the house saying a lady wanted to buy me a drink. Naturally, I was curious. She, uh…. She said she wanted to interview me for some article for the Whitmore College Alumni Gazette. We made small talk and then she tried to hit me with a vervain shot. I didn't have my emotions on and I was a monster. I squeezed her neck until her head popped off. And just because, I set her head down with the body like she was just laying there. Had she gotten me with that vervain injection, things would have been very different. She didn't stand a chance against me."

"And you made it look like I did it?" Stefan asked.

"Maggie was the hope Enzo clung to. You were mine, and when you didn't notice that I was missing for five years, let's just say I held a grudge."

"You killed Maggie." Enzo said.

"I didn't even bat an eye." Buffy moved a little closer to Damon and squeezed his hand. Damon obviously felt bad for what he'd done. "My switch was off, Enzo. But I didn't do it to make your life miserable from every angle. I did it because I didn't care. Just do whatever it is you got to do. You want to kill me, you want to hate me, do it. This is between us."

"Well, that's the problem, Damon." Enzo was fighting back tears. "I don't want to hate you. Because if I hate you, then I have nothing left." He took a deep breath. "There is another option." Enzo closed his eyes

Buffy realized before anyone else what Enzo was doing. She was suddenly standing in front of Enzo, holding his shoulders and shaking him. "Don't you dare! Enzo!"

He opened his eyes and smiled. "There we are." Enzo looked over at Damon. "You're right! I don't have a care in the world." He threw an arm around Buffy's shoulders and grinned at her. "Can I buy you a drink, love?" Damon took Buffy's hand and pulled her away from Enzo. Enzo just shrugged and went behind the bar. He poured himself a drink and tossed it back. After pouring a couple of more, he dropped the glass to break on the floor. "This is fun, not caring." He tossed a bottle in the air and it crashed on the ground.

"Yep. Emotion-free." Damon said. "Bye-bye humanity."

Buffy moved towards Stefan and Elena, but Enzo held out his hand. "No, no, no, Mrs. Salvatore. They stay put." He lifted another bottle in toast. "To Maggie James for whom I feel absolute and blissful detachment."

Buffy looked back at Damon. "Hey, we should get out of here."

"Right!" Damon said. "You said you wanted to go somewhere…. Where was it? Cape Town?"

"Cape Horn." Enzo said.

"Even better." Buffy said with a bright smile. "I've never been there."

"All right. Everyone's free to go!" The students in the place all stood up and started to file out. "Show's over! Don't worry. I compelled you all to think you spent the day studying like the good, little students you are." Bonnie and Liv made their way down from the second level and Liv tried to sneak out the back. "Except you. Stay. I want to test something." Enzo attacked her, drinking from her neck. Bonnie screamed and he let Liv go. "Look at that. I don't even feel obliged to say thank you."

Damon went to attack Enzo, but Enzo broke a bottle and stabbed Damon in the neck. "Damon!" Buffy screamed. She snapped Stefan and Elena's ropes before rushing over to her bleeding husband. Stefan ran and jumped to come down hard on Enzo with his fist. Enzo grabbed his jug of vervain water and threw its contents at Stefan. Elena went to attack Enzo, but he threw a barstool at her and knocked her back a few feet. Buffy stood up and Enzo threw her over his shoulder. She didn't fight back, though. She just let him rush out of the bar with her.

He was half way across campus before he realized she wasn't fighting him. "What are you doing?" He asked.

"What are _you_ doing?" Buffy asked. "You know that you're not gonna kill me."

He set her down. "Well, the way I figured it, I would take something of Damon's that he loves."

"Well, that's gonna be a little tough considering I'm very hard to kill." Buffy gripped his shoulders. "Enzo, he didn't know. He would never have killed her if he'd have known it was your Maggie."

"He still killed her!"

"Buffy!" Buffy and Enzo turned to see Willow running up. "Sorry I missed your calls. You are never going to believe…." She noticed that Buffy was with Enzo and not Damon. "Uh…."

"Enzo is having an existential crisis. I'm trying to snap him out of it." Buffy said. "Where have you been?"

"I've been offered a job! Here at campus. When I graduate, they want me to take over the occult studies program and teach…."

Suddenly Enzo was standing behind Willow and Willow was collapsing to the ground with a broken neck. "Perfect timing, Red. I killed two birds with one stone. I took something Damon cares about and I took care of the promise I made Markos for the information on Maggie."

Buffy's eyes widened as she realized what had just happened. Stefan suddenly appeared and attacked Enzo away. Buffy dropped to her knees and pulled Willow to her. "Willow…. Come on!" She bit into her wrist and tried desperately to get her best friend to drink the healing blood, but the redheaded witch that had been Buffy's best friend for the last sixteen years was gone.

Buffy heard a loud crash and then Enzo say, "Ouch. Hope it's insured." She stood up and followed the sounds of the fight. Stefan was sitting on the ground, beaten down, while Enzo stood over him. "Bet you wished you'd murdered me back when you had the chance, but Damon would have been furious. I think it's time we both stopped coddling him." Enzo punched into the car, creating a hole from which gasoline began to leak out of. "Now where is my lighter? Maggie's lighter, I should say. I wonder what she'd think of all this. Of course, who knows what lies in the great beyond for a mere human like Maggie James? Probably nothing. It's probably just as well she's not watching this. I believe it might upset her." Enzo flicked the lighter on, but it was suddenly snatched from his hand and he found himself flying across the parking lot and smashing into an SUV. Buffy was on Enzo before he could stand up, lifting him up by his neck. Enzo laughed at her vamped out face. "Aren't you a scary little thing?" He choked out.

"Buffy…." Stefan said, struggling to his feet.

"I was willing to give you a chance." Buffy growled. "I was willing to see the good in you that Damon sees."

"Awe…. Did I just ruin my chance to be redeemed?"

"Yes." Buffy's free hand shoved through Enzo's chest and gripped his heart. "Any last words?"

"Won't it be a sweet piece of revenge when Damon finds out you killed his best friend?"

"I'm sure he'll understand." She shoved him away while still holding his heart. He began to desiccate as Stefan ran up to her.

"What did you do?" Stefan asked as she crushed Enzo's heart and threw it at his body.

"He killed Willow." The grief hit Buffy and her face reverted to normal as she began to cry. "He killed…. He…." Stefan pulled Buffy to him and held her tightly as she sobbed.

Damon suddenly appeared looking shocked and distraught. He spotted Enzo's body laying a few feet away. "What the hell happened?"

Stefan looked up at Damon. "He killed Willow to get back at you. He killed your wife's best friend because you killed his girlfriend!"

Damon pressed his hands to his heart. "I am so sorry Buffy. I had no idea he would do anything like that…."

"I don't blame you." Buffy said through her tears. She let go of Stefan and moved into Damon's arms. "What Enzo did to Willow…." Her voice hitched at saying her best friend's name. She looked up at her husband. "I know he was your best friend and that he was there for you when you were at your worst, but I'm not sorry I killed him." Damon nodded, holding his wife tightly as she began to sob.

* * *

><p>Damon sat in front of the fireplace in the library back home staring at the fire as he drank his bourbon. Buffy was upstairs asleep. She'd cried herself to sleep about an hour ago. Stefan had taken Willow's body to the cemetery and buried her next to the Salvatore crypt. Elena had volunteered to call Xander, Dawn, Angel, and Faith to let them know what had happened to Willow, but Jeremy had stopped her. He'd informed them that Bonnie was working with Liv to be able to come back from the Other Side before it imploded and that meant Liv may have a way to bring Willow back with Bonnie.<p>

Stefan walked in the door and sat down next to Damon. "How's Buffy doing?"

"She's, uh…. She's not good. My best friend killed her best friend…. And she in turn killed my best friend." Damon took a long sip. "It's almost poetic justice, isn't it? After all…. I killed Lexi."

"Damon…."

"I'm not mad at her. I would've done the same thing."

"I know."

"Once again, I found a way to accidentally hurt my wife. If I hadn't killed Maggie, this whole stupid situation…."  
>"This isn't your fault. I'm sorry for what I said. Enzo spent too much time being tortured. He wasn't worth saving anymore."<p>

"You don't know what you're talking about, Stefan."

"Really?"

"Yeah, because you know what you never knew? The whole time I was in that cell, every time I'd say something terrible about you or blame you for not coming to rescue me, Enzo would bring me back from the edge."

"I know you guys were close…."

"Enzo reminded me that at least I got to grow up with a family. At least I had family still out there, which was more than he could say for himself. Said he envied me for having a brother."

"Even a crappy one like me?"

"Even a crappy one like you. He defended you, Stefan, even though he didn't know you. Said it was good that we had people on the outside, people just living their lives free and clear of our Augustine hell, people worth holding on to our humanity for because we loved them. And all that time as a prisoner, every time I wanted to give up on you, Enzo stopped me from hating you."

Stefan sighed. "I'm sorry, Damon. I really am." He patted Damon's shoulder. "You should get up to your room and be with Buffy. She's going to need you. Especially if Liv doesn't find a way to bring Willow back."

Damon nodded and set down his empty glass. He dragged himself up off the couch and towards the stairs. Liv better damn well find a way to bring Willow back or Damon was going to have a hard time keeping Buffy from killing her. Of course, he wasn't sure that he cared enough. He had loved Willow, too.


	105. Chapter 103

_**A/N Everybody just calm down. There's a reason I killed Willow. It wasn't a cheap shot thing. I have a plan. Just wait.**_

Chapter 103

Buffy came down the stairs and Stefan spotted her. He smiled at her. "Hey, looks who's up and moving around!" She looked like hell, but he wasn't going to tell her that. This was the first time she'd left the bed in two days. Damon had kept a steady supply of blood and food headed up to her, but most of it came back uneaten.

"Xander called me." Buffy said. "Where's Damon?"

"I'm right here." Damon said, walking out of the library. He wrapped her in his arms and smoothed her unruly hair down. "Xander called?"

"He, uh…. He said that he hadn't heard from Willow for a couple of days and he wanted to know if I'd talked to her." She was fighting not to cry again. "I told him that she'd been busy because they offered her a job at the school."

"We'll get her back, baby. I promise." He kissed her hair and hugged her tighter. The front door burst open and Tyler rushed in. The three of them looked at him in confusion. "Where the hell have you been?" Damon asked, the first one to find his voice.

"There's a Traveler hitching a ride in my head." Tyler said. "I've been at their base camp." He finally noticed Buffy's disheveled look and red eyes. "What did I miss?"

"A lot."

"What did you find out?" Buffy asked, moving everyone towards the living room.

"We have a problem. Markos turned Sloan into a vampire, had her drink doppelgänger blood, and after some chanting ritual thing, she turned human again."

"He cured her?" Damon asked.

"He cured her to death. The blood took away her vampirism but left her in the state that she was in just before she turned."

"That state being dead." Stefan said. "Got it."

"So it kills vampires." Buffy said. "That's worrisome. Keep going."

"The point is they feel if they can get rid of all magic they'll break some lame-ass witch curse." Tyler said.

"Markos said they can't settle anywhere without evoking earthquakes or hellfire, but they break that curse, and they just move right on into Mystic Falls." Damon said.

"And come after Elena and me today, as in now." Stefan said.

"Oh, well. Markos had a good week or two in the land of the living. Now where is he so I can kill him?"

"No idea." Tyler said. "They were moving camp when I got out. Maybe Willow could track them and…." He trailed off when he noticed Buffy tear up and look away and Damon and Stefan move to each side of her. "What did I miss?"

"Enzo killed Willow." Stefan said. "It's a long story."

"We still need to keep Elena and Stefan protected." Buffy said. "We aren't losing anyone else in this family." She stood up and took a deep breath. The change was visible. She shook off the grieving friend and became the Slayer ready to protect her family. "Stefan, get packed and get Elena. Damon, get us packed and then get Jeremy and tell him he's temporarily ungrounded. He's going to call Matt over here and help Tyler."

"Help Tyler what?" Damon asked.

"Tyler, you're going to avoid the entire Czech language while you figure out how to find Markos."

"How am I supposed to do that?" Tyler asked.

"You have a Traveler inside of you. Figure it out."

"Where are we going?" Stefan asked.

"It's a secret." Buffy pointed at Tyler and Stefan nodded.

"Got it."

"I've got some calls to make." She took another deep breath to compose herself and then headed upstairs.

* * *

><p>Buffy followed Caroline into the cabin that her father had owned. Luke was setting up his cloaking spell on the front porch while Stefan and Elena unloaded the car. Damon carried the grocery bags into the kitchen and started putting them away. Caroline showed Buffy the master bedroom where her and Damon would be staying before heading out to the car to help with the bags.<p>

Damon walked in behind her as she looked out the window. "Everything look ok for our hideaway getaway?"

"Yeah." Buffy said, turning around and giving him a small smile. "It's a nice place, huh?"

"Well…. It's not our Italian villa, but it'll do in a pinch." He pushed her hair behind her ears and kissed her forehead. "How are you doing?"

"Don't ask me that."

"Sorry. I'm just…."

"Worried. I know." She laid her forehead down on his chest and he wrapped his arms tight around her. "There's no spell."

"What?"

"There's no spell. There's no way to bring Willow back. She's gone."

"You don't know that."

"I do know that, Damon. She's been my best friend since the moment I met her in Sunnydale way back when. She's grown and changed and she became this all powerful witch right in front of me." Buffy moved away from Damon and sat down on the bed. "If there was any way to bring someone back to life, she would've done it."

"She brought you back."

"With the last Urn of Osiris…. That got broken while resurrecting me. Any other spell means they come back wrong. I don't want her to come back wrong. She doesn't deserve that."

"And the tables turn." He squatted down in front of her and took her hands. "Usually you're the one begging me to have hope. Now I'm begging you. We will find a way to bring Willow back. I am so sorry for what Enzo did and I will find a way to fix it. I promise." Damon kissed her knuckles. "Why don't you take a nap? I'll work on dinner."

Buffy shook her head. "I'd rather just stay busy. Mind if I help?"

"Sure. Whatever you wanna do." He stood up with one of her hands still in one of his and they headed back downstairs.

"For a couple of doppel-targets, you two seem to be taking this all in stride." Caroline was saying to Elena and Stefan.

"Yeah." Stefan said. "Well, you know, a tribe of ancient wannabe witches want to drain of us our blood and eliminate supernatural beings? I've had worse."

"Buffy and I are making dinner." Damon announced. "What are you people gonna do?"

"Caroline and I used to come here before her parents split." Elena said. "Her dad could tell a pretty good ghost story. Maybe we should try that."

"Well, I hope that dickwad's spirit isn't floating around anywhere."

"Have a little respect for the dead."

"I respect that he's dead. How about that?"

"Ok, if there's going to be ghost stories, then there needs to be a fire." Stefan said. "I'll go gather some firewood."

"I'll help." Elena offered.

"No getting nasty in the woodshed." Caroline called after them.

Buffy felt a chill and looked around. She couldn't see any ghosts around, but that chill was definitely from a ghost. She took a step forward and Damon's voice broke through her concentration. "Buff?"

"Yeah?" Buffy asked.

"Everything ok?"

"Uh…. Yeah. Just paranoid, I guess. What's up?"

"What are we having for dinner?" Caroline asked.

"I don't know." Buffy looked at Damon.

"I brought enough to make a feast for Henry VIII, so I'm sure we'll figure something out." Damon said.

"I'll work on games." Caroline offered.

"Games?" Buffy asked.

"Yeah. We'll need something to occupy us since there's no TV." She wandered off to collect supplies.

Damon grinned at Buffy. "Well, I can think of something to occupy us and it doesn't involve a board." Buffy cracked her first smile in days and shook her head at her husband. He smiled brightly and pulled her to him. "You have no idea how happy I am to see that smile."

"Let's work on dinner before the wolves get hungry and attack."

* * *

><p>A little while later, Buffy was working on making drinks while Damon worked on the frying squash. Caroline was snacking on maraschino cherries while writing down prompts for charades on slips of paper. Buffy looked over and realized Caroline was eating all the cherries for the drinks and took the bowl away. "Hey, munchie. Those are not for you."<p>

"Shh, I'm thinking." Caroline said.

"Did I mention that I hate charades?"

"No."

Buffy took some of the slips of paper out of the hat and read a few of them off while Caroline protested. "Area 51, J.F.K. Assassination…."  
>"You're ruining the game."<p>

"What game?" Damon asked.

"Charades. Our theme is secrets that people think they're getting away with."

Damon looked over Buffy's shoulder at one of the slips of paper. "Well, Meryl Streep, I'd love to know how we're gonna act out Watergate."

"Well, I'm sure team Stelena will figure it out."

"Teams? You do realize there's an odd number of people here, right?"

"Luke is here."

"He's indisposed with keeping his spell going." Damon paused. "Do Buffy and I have a couple's name?"

"Of course."

"What is it?"

"Duffy."

"Cute." Buffy said. She looked up and realized that Elena and Stefan still hadn't returned from getting firewood. "It's been almost 45 minutes. Should I be worried that our doppelgangers aren't back from getting firewood?"

"They're probably doing the nasty." Damon said. "They've been spending a lot of time together lately."

"That's because they're dating again." Caroline said.

Buffy looked at Caroline with a confused look. "I knew they were taking things slow, especially after the whole Katherine thing, but they're officially official again?"

"Oh yeah. Stefan hasn't mentioned anything to you?"

"No. Well, I've been a little preoccupied."

"Right." Caroline shifted uncomfortably. She didn't want to upset Buffy any further. "Well, Elena didn't want to flaunt it in your face. Especially after the last few days and everything that happened with Damon before that."

Just then, Elena and Stefan came back into the house carrying firewood and laughing. They stopped laughing and Elena looked at Buffy. "Cocktails. Good call."

"I'll, uh…. I'll make a fire." Stefan said, making a hasty exit with a grin on his face.

"I'll help." Elena said, following him quickly.

"They're being very obvious." Buffy said.

"You think?" Caroline said, shaking her head and going back to her charades.

* * *

><p>After dinner, Stefan, Elena, Buffy, Damon, and Caroline sat around the fireplace playing charades. Caroline had made herself in charge of the hat since she didn't have a team. Damon had been keeping Buffy's drink topped off and she was getting drunk. She was loosening up and smiling a little more as Elena mimed for Stefan.<p>

"Uh, ok." Stefan said. "Think. Ponder. Brain. I don't know. Uh, skull!"

"Yes!" Elena cried.

"All right! Skull, skull. Ok. Limb. Joint. Bone. Bone, bone. Skull and bones."

"Yes!"

"Skull and bones! Got it! Five-zero, five-zero. Come on, guys. Zip."

"Ok." Damon said. "Let's play a game called _Never Have I Ever_, hmm?"

"Oh, I don't think I'm drunk enough." Buffy said.

"Oh, come on! It'll be fun!" Caroline said.

Damon filled Buffy's drink back up and said, "Come on, babe. It'll be fun."

"I'll go first. Never have I ever died."

"Cheers to that one." Damon said as they all took a drink.

"Buffy, you should be drinking two more times to that one." Elena said.

"Cheers to that."

Buffy sighed and took two more drinks.

"Ooh! Ok." Stefan said. "Um, never have I ever been possessed by my evil doppelgänger."

Elena huffed. "Mean." She took a drink. "Never have I ever been fooled by my evil doppelgänger while she was pretending to be me."

"Low blow." Caroline said.

"Tough but fair." Damon said as everyone but Elena drank.

"Never have I ever kissed a Salvatore brother." Caroline said.

"Mm-hmm." Elena laughed as she and Buffy got ready to drink.

"Today." Caroline added.

"Cheater." Buffy said, taking a drink with Elena. "I know you've kissed Damon before."

"Yeah, yeah. Don't remind me. Your turn."

"Fine. Uh, never have I ever had a spell gone wonky on me."

Damon laughed and everyone but Caroline drank. Stefan looked at Caroline in disbelief. "Seriously?"

Caroline shrugged. "Seriously."

"Ok," Elena said. "Never have I ever lied to my parents to do something they wouldn't approve of."

"Well, that's too easy." Buffy said as everyone took a drink. "Here's one…. Never have I ever had a parent show up while something supernatural was happening."

"_That_ was too easy!" Damon said.

"No. Elena didn't drink." Caroline said.

"My parents died before anything supernatural started in my life." Elena said.

"What about John and Isabelle?" Stefan asked. "They don't count?"

"Nope. They weren't really my parents."

"Touché." Stefan looked down at his drink. "I'm out, so I'm gonna get another round. Does anybody else want anything?"

"Actually," Buffy stood up. "I'm officially buzzed, so I'm gonna go and get ready for bed."

"I think I'm going to join my wife." Damon said, standing up as well.

"You don't have to."

"But I want to." He wrapped an arm around her waist and kissed the side of her head. "I'll draw you a nice hot bath in that big tub."

She smiled slightly. "Well, I can get on board with that idea."

"Don't make too much noise." Caroline joked. "We have vampire hearing."

Upstairs, Damon went into the bathroom to start the bath water going. Buffy sat at the vanity and brushed her hair out. She started to dwell on the sound of her best friend's neck snapping and her eyes unfocused. Damon saw her start to brood and he rushed over and started massaging her shoulders. She looked up at him in the mirror and gave him a small smile. "Thanks."

He took the brush from her and started to run it through her hair. "I made the water nice and hot just like you like it."

"Oh, good."

Damon pulled her hair into a loose ponytail, twisted it, and pinned it up with a claw clip he'd grabbed from her bag. "There." He leaned down and kissed her neck. "You get in and start relaxing. I'll be in in just a minute."

"What are you gonna do?"

"Set out some clothes for us. And find some towels."

"Ok." Buffy headed into the steamy bathroom and turned off the water so the tub didn't overflow. She looked around her, suddenly feeling like she was being watched. There was no one there and the window was too steamed up to see through it. "Willow?" She asked hopefully. She let out a sigh when there was no answer and removed her clothes, slipping into the hot water. She laid her head back, resting her neck on the edge of the tub as she waited for Damon.

Suddenly a hand grabbed the top of her head and shove her under the water. She struggled to surface, screaming for Damon when she managed to get her head above water. Just before Damon rushed in, Buffy could've sworn she saw Enzo standing over the tub.

"Buffy!" Damon helped her out of the bathtub and wrapped a towel around her. "Come here. Come on. What happened?"

"There was…. Someone in here." Buffy gasped.

"Who?"

"I think…. I didn't see anyone, but I could feel someone pushing me under the water. I think it was Enzo."

"Enzo?"

"The other side is falling apart. I think it's letting Enzo mess with us."

Damon wrapped his arms tighter around her. "Enzo! You in here? Because knock it off!"

"What's going on?" Stefan asked, rushing in with Elena and Caroline behind him.

"Enzo is here. He just tried to drown my wife." Damon growled at the room. "Because killing her best friend wasn't bad enough!?"

"It doesn't make any sense." Caroline said. "If Enzo wanted to kill Buffy, drowning her wouldn't have worked."  
>"Maybe he's just trying to scare us." Elena said.<p>

Damon looked down at Buffy. "Drowning you was just a distraction. He figured out a way to kill us all in one fell swoop." He turned to Stefan. "Check on Luke." Stefan, Elena, and Caroline ran out of the room as Buffy went over to get dressed.

"Go with them." She said. "I'll catch up."

"No." Damon shook his head and moved closer to Buffy. "I'm not leaving your side if Enzo's out to kill you."

"He's out to kill us all." Buffy reminded him.

"Well, he's after you first because of me."

Buffy yanked on her boots and twisted her wet hair back up into the claw clip. "Ok, let's go witch hunting." They headed outside and went in a different direction than the others.

"Can you pick up his scent?"

"Enzo's? No, he's dead."

"No. Luke's scent."

"Oh, sorry."

"It's ok. It's been a hard few…. Months." He took her hand as they continued searching.

"I'm catching faint hints of his scent, but it's not anything concrete."

"Are we at least heading in the right direction?"

Buffy stopped, pulling Damon to a stop. "Do you hear that?" She pointed through the trees at what appeared to be the wood shed. There was a sloshing noise coming from the shed."

"Yeah." Damon pulled her towards the shed. "Come on."

They found Luke tied up in the shed and laying on the floor. "He's barely breathing." Buffy said, checking Luke's pulse.

"Why the hell would Enzo dump him here?"

Buffy froze and looked around, sniffing the air. "Damon…." She spotted an overturned, empty gas can in the corner just before the lamp above them smashed to the ground, igniting a rapidly spreading fire.

"Grab him. Let's go." Damon turned to the door, but it slammed shut in front of him. Buffy went to pick Luke up, but a long wooden pole was suddenly protruding from her chest. She groaned in pain and dropped Luke. "Dick move, Enzo."

Damon moved towards Buffy to help her, but a large burning beam came between them. Suddenly, a large hunk of wood through Damon's stomach pinned him to the shed wall. "Damon!" Buffy cried.

"If only this wasn't totally avoidable."

Buffy pulled on the long pole in her chest and gritted, "This is in no way _my_ fault."

"This isn't gonna stop, Buff. I killed his girl, he killed your best friend, you killed him. This is not gonna stop. You listening to me, Enzo?" The wood was shoved harder into Damon. "Is that a yes or a no? Because I can bring you back. Bonnie came back, Markos came back. I'll find a way, but this has to stop. How do you think you're able to do all this stuff, huh? The Other Side's falling apart, Enzo, so you can either help me, or you can blink out of existence. It's your choice." Buffy finally pulled the pole completely out of her body. "Go on, baby. Get Luke out of here. He's the only one that can hide Stefan and Elena."

"Enzo, let him go." Buffy growled.

"Buffy! Go now!"

Buffy glanced at Luke and sighed. She picked him up and kicked a hole through the nearest wall. Once she got Luke far enough away, she went back to the shed and shoved her arms through the wall and pulled Damon out. Apparently Enzo was still holding the large piece of wood because as Buffy pulled Damon out, the piece of wood was pulled out of him. As she held Damon up, she caught a glimpse of Enzo and focused on him, making him clearer to her. "You don't deserve to come back." She growled at him.

"You can see me?" Enzo asked.

"It's a talent. I was willing to give you a chance. I was willing to be your friend and you killed my best friend because you're upset with yours."

"Collateral damage to get my point across."

"What point!? Willow had nothing to do with what happened in 1960!"

Enzo pointed at Damon. "He killed Maggie!"

"He didn't know that she was your Maggie! If his emotions had been turned on, he wouldn't have killed her."

"Well, then he knows how I feel!"

"Why did he even need to know? He's sorry for what happened! He's apologized."

"He can apologize by reversing what you did."

"What you _made_ me do!"

"It doesn't matter. If you want this to stop, then you find a way to bring me back. Otherwise, I will keep coming after you and your sweetie bear."

Damon groaned and looked up at Buffy. "What is he saying?"

"That you need to make good on your promise to bring him back." Buffy said.

"I will, Enzo. I promise."

"Don't disappoint me again." Enzo said before walking away.

Damon leaned back against a tree, holding his abdomen. Buffy bit into her wrist and offered him her blood so he could heal the gaping hole the wood had created. Luke groaned behind them and stood up. "Could someone get these ropes off me?" He asked.

Buffy and Damon walked in the house and found Stefan standing there. Luke was heading back outside past them. Damon had texted Stefan that they'd found the witch and they needed to go back to the house. The Travelers had to know where they were now, so they were going to pack up and move to a new location and let Luke start his spell again.

"I guess Enzo bought it." Stefan said.

"Bought what?" Damon asked.

"Bring him back. I mean, how do you plan on doing that?"

"The same way that I'll bring Willow back. Markos found his way back. It's not impossible unless you want him terrorizing us for the rest of eternity."

"Not particularly."

"Uh-uh." Damon turned to looked at Buffy. "I'll get our stuff down to the car." Buffy nodded and Damon headed upstairs.

Stefan moved over next to Buffy. "I thought that you said…."

"I did."

"Then why…."

"He has hope, Stefan. He really believes that he can find a way to bring Willow back." Buffy looked up at her brother in law. "When has he ever had that much hope in something?"

"Never. Not until you came along, at least."

"I have to believe that if someone like Damon can find that much hope inside himself that he can find a way to do the impossible."

Stefan gave her a small nod. "Ok. Good. I'm going to go get Elena and Caroline."

"Yeah. We need to hurry." Buffy headed upstairs to help Damon get the bags. She watched him pack up the few items that they'd unpacked and he turned around to smile at her. Buffy walked up to him and kissed him passionately.

Damon blinked. "What was that for, baby?"

"It was a thank you."

"For what?"

"Everything. I've had a pretty horrible few days and you've been the one to make me smile."

He leaned down and kissed her gently, moving her hair behind her ears. "I love you. I would do anything to make you smile."

"I love you, too."

Damon reached behind him and zipped up the last bag. Without letting her waist go, he picked up the three bags on the bed and they headed downstairs. Luke was sitting in the car and Caroline was standing on the porch. Elena and Stefan were missing.

"Hey, where're the lovey dovey doppelgangers?" Damon asked. "We've gotta go."

"What?" Caroline asked. "Elena said she was going to pack."

"She wasn't up there."

"Stefan said he was coming to get you guys." Buffy said.

"I haven't seen him."

"Oh, you've gotta be kidding me!" Damon said, dropping the bags.


	106. Chapter 104

Chapter 104

Buffy sat on the couch and watched Damon tie up the unconscious Traveler. Stefan and Elena had been nabbed and they had no idea where they had been taken. Luke had disappeared the moment they'd gotten back into Mystic Falls and his sister Liv had fallen off the grid. Jeremy, Bonnie, and Matt had spent their time trying to find Markos and had managed to find a cave full of sleeping Travelers that had taken over people in town. Tyler had also been completely taken over by the Traveler in his head and he was now chained in the basement. After searching for Elena and Stefan, Buffy had gone out and grabbed one of the people that had been standing in the square when Markos had stopped the doppelganger visions.

Damon sprayed water in the man's face to wake him up. "Wakey wakey. Mr…." He grabbed an ID tag from the man's shirt. "Sikes. Head of corporate accounts." The man tried to speak, but Damon had a gag in his mouth. "Oops. Sorry about that! Yeah. Can't have you mumbling any of those annoying Traveler ditties. It's a sure migraine. So, here's the deal. My brother and his girl have both been kidnapped by Travelers and I can't seem to find them anywhere. I mean, like, POOF, gone. Right. So," He came over and laid down on the couch, placing his head in Buffy's lap. "Besides a completely clueless hybrid in my basement and a cave full of sleeping Travelers, I've got nothing to go on except you. So I'm going to need you to tell me where I can find your leader, Markos." The front door opened and Caroline walked in.

"Liv and Luke aren't answering any of my…." Caroline trailed off when she saw who was being held captive in his living room. "Oh my god! Mr. Sikes?"

"You know him?" Buffy asked.

"Yeah! He helped me open my first savings account! He gave me a lollipop."

"Well, unfortunately, Mr. Sikes here is occupied by some low-life Traveler." Damon said. "Buffy and I saw him and his buddies chanting in the town's square last week. I also know that Markos and your Traveler comrades are planning some big, flashy spell to undo some super-boring, ancient, witch curse. And where that sucks for us: it just happens to undo all witch magic, i.e. kill, me and my sexy blonde wife here."

"And me." Caroline added.

"And Blondie number two." Damon stood up, picking up a knife from the side table.

"If you know where Markos took Stefan and Elena, you need to tell us." Buffy said.

"Yep. Sorry. You're going to have to speak up." Damon shook his head. "Hmmm. Nope. Didn't quite catch that either." He shoved the knife into the Traveler's leg, causing the Traveler to mumble in pain and Caroline to cringe. "I think he's trying to say something." Damon removed the cloth from the man's mouth. "Come on, sweetie pie…."

"It doesn't matter where Markos is." The Traveler said. "Nothing you do can stop him now."

* * *

><p>Buffy paced the living room while Damon sat on the couch. It had been four days now since Elena and Stefan had gone missing. She was also frustrated because she couldn't contact Willow. She was seeing Enzo hanging around annoying them, but her best friend was missing. Bonnie hadn't seen her since she'd crossed over to the Other Side.<p>

"We can't bring her back if she's not around." Buffy said.

"Maybe she's hanging out with Giles somewhere." Damon suggested. "Or getting lucky with Tara."

"She's been dead a week. Doesn't she know that I can still see her despite that fact? That I need to see her?"

Damon grabbed her hand and pulled her into his lap, wrapping his arms around her. "She'll turn up, babe. I know it."

Buffy's phone rang and she pulled it out of her pocket. "What?" She answered it and heard the operator informing her that it was a collect call from Stefan. "Stefan? Yes I'll accept it!" She turned on the speaker phone and held it out so Damon could hear.

"Buffy?"

"Stefan!"

"Seriously? Collect calls are still a thing?" Damon asked.

"Yeah, well, you know what could have saved you the cost of this phone call?" Stefan asked. "You finding us. How long have we been gone?"

"Four days." Buffy said.

"Four days!? Four days and you couldn't track us down? What did you think? We were having a nice spa getaway?"

"Slow your roll, judgeypants! We've been searching 24/7, ok?"

"Maybe if you would've been a little more perceptive, you wouldn't have gotten yourselves doppelnapped." Damon accused.

A window shattered in the background and Buffy glanced at Damon. "What the hell was that?"

"Travelers drained us of our blood, so we're having to do a little hunting." Stefan said.

"You have Elena participating in squirrel slaughter?" Damon asked.

"Believe me. She's no happier about it than I am."

"She'll shoot your eye out."

"Do you want to talk to her?"

"Just tell us where you are? We'll come get you." Buffy said.

"I have no idea where we are. We're in the middle of nowhere. Listen, we'll make our way back, but Markos drained most of all our blood and considering the kinds of spells he was able to do with just a little bit of it…."

"Yeah. We know…. Find Markos, kill Markos, save Mystic Falls from becoming Traveler home." Damon said. "It's going to be a busy day for us, Stefan. Time to strap on the hero hair."

"I'll get her home safely, all right?"

"Get both yourselves home safely." Buffy said. "We'll see you soon." Just as she set the phone down, a widdled piece of wood flew by her head and almost landed in Damon's shoulder. She stopped it just before it punctured his skin. "Enough Enzo! We get it."

"He said, and I quote, 'I will find a way.'" Enzo said, appearing by the entrance to the living room. "This doesn't look like finding a way."

"Yeah, well, we've got a list of problems and you're not very high up on it right now."

"The Other Side is on the brink of collapse. I plan on pestering all of you until I'm safely returned to the land of the living."

"I'm sorry. Did you miss the list of problems I mentioned? We've got two missing doppelgangers, a traveler that wants to rid our town of magic, a dead and missing best friend, and the friendly banker, Mr Sikes, in the coat closet. So your escape from the netherworld is going to have to wait till tomorrow." Enzo picked up a bottle of bourbon and chucked it into the fireplace, causing the flames to climb up the wall.

"Don't burn my house down because you're pissy about being dead." Damon snapped. "You deserved what you got. You're lucky that we're even willing to help you."

Just then, Jeremy came in through the front door. "You. You're still on probation." Buffy said. "Where were you?"

"At Matt's place." Jeremy said. "You called?"

"I need you and your x-box buddy to run an errand for me. Come on, let's go." Buffy ushered Jeremy back out of the house.

"What are we doing?"

"You're going to go pick up the UHAUL that Damon rented and bring us the bodies of the Travelers sleeping in that cave."

"What?"

"It's called leverage, Jeremy. If you had been keeping up with your schoolwork, you would know that."

"Hey, my grades are picking up."

"Not enough. And if we don't get this Traveler thing sorted out, you won't have much of a choice except to go to that school in New York because we won't be able to live here anymore."

"What are you and Damon gonna do?"

"Take care of the other problems that are cluttering our lists." She pushed Jeremy towards his car. "Now hurry please."

* * *

><p>Buffy groaned as Damon picked up pieces of a broken vase. "Ahh! Great." Damon growled at Matt and Jeremy as they carried yet another Traveler body into the house. "I'm going to add carrying to the list of things you can't do well, but that's ok. You can repay us with your salary from the Grill…. if you want to work a couple thousand years."<p>

"Buffy, are you holding out on Damon?" Matt asked.

"Don't make me relocate your spleen from inside your body." Buffy said. "Just put her on the pool table."

Caroline walked in the front door. "What the hell is going on? Who are all these people?"

"Traveler husks." Damon said. "They've passengered themselves into the beautiful citizens of Mystic Falls, like your buddy Mr. Sikes."

Buffy looked around them and nodded. "Ok, that's all of them." She turned to Jeremy and Matt. "You two make yourselves useful. Patrol the town and call me if you see anything weirder than usual."

"And what are you planning on doing with all of them?"

"Markos put them in a cave, so we're hoping he wants them back." Buffy said. She gave Damon a weird look when she spotted him setting up the girl on the pool table to look like she was making a shot. He smiled and shrugged at her.

"So you think drawing Markos to your house is the best idea?"

"It's the only idea!" Damon said.

"Unless your body snatched ex-boyfriend in the basement can help us." Buffy said.

"Julian is not Tyler." Caroline said. "Therefore, he has no reason to help us. So until I figure out a way to get Tyler back, he's just extra baggage."

"There's no shame in giving up. I mean, aren't we all a little sick of Tyler?" Damon asked.

"You know what? Your whole too-cool-to-care thing is really starting to get old. Just keep your torture happy hands away from Tyler until I figure something out." Caroline turned around and headed down to the basement.

Buffy shrugged and turned to Damon. "Ok, so now we wait."

Damon looked around at all the bodies. "I wonder if we can get them to wake up." An hour later, Buffy and Damon were roaming around the bodies discussing different ways to try and wake the Travelers up. They'd had an argument about the gasoline he'd sprayed on them. Buffy loved this house and she didn't want to have to set it on fire. Damon tapped his fingers on the head of a comatose Traveler. "Nothing." He picked up a fireplace poker to see if that warranted a physical response from the nearest Traveler, but his phone started buzzing before he could. "Salvatore Boring House."

"I'm calling about my people." Markos said from the speakerphone.

"Hey! You found my note! Now listen, don't be offended, but I can't just give them to anyone. So, what do they look like?"

"They're ragged, beaten down by the world, desperate for a home…."

"You just described homeless people, Asians, and Matt Donovan."

"One of them is 5'10, wearing a black coat…. You're standing next to him."

Buffy and Damon looked around for a moment, before Markos walked in through the patio door. "I know the concept of a home is new to you, but it is polite to knock." Buffy said to him.

Markos eyed the room around him. "Nice place…. A little rustic. My tastes are a bit more modern, ironically. Still, good bones and all." He knocked on one of the walls, checking to make sure it's sturdy.

"I think you read the flyer wrong." Damon said. "See, the bodies are the only thing on the bargaining table…."

"And in the attic." Buffy said.

"And in the garage."

"And in the kitchen."

"About that," Markos said. "Please tell me taking hostages isn't your grand plan. It feels a little…. Small. Much like the half-bath off the foyer."

"Funny!" Damon said. "Here I thought you didn't have a sense of humor!" Markos made a face when he got a whiff of the gasoline. "Oh! If you're wondering about the smell, I have your salvation army doused in gasoline and I'm just itching to light a match."

"I'm itching to throw them outside and make a bonfire instead of setting my house on fire." Buffy said.

"You're right!" Markos said. "None of this would be possible without their willingness to passenger themselves into your citizens and help perform my spell." He took out a crucifix-shaped object. "And while I'd like to give them the opportunity to return to their actual bodies," He took the object and crammed it into the artery of one of the Travelers, killing him. "It's not essential to my plan." Buffy and Damon exchanged worried glances. "Did you really think you found the whole of my people? Travelers are everywhere. They're the faces that surround you every day…. the world over…. the ones you don't notice. Because you're too busy making a mess of all you have. They want those things too. A home, a family, a better life…. And they're willing to die for it."

"You want a promised land?" Buffy asked. "I get it. But why Mystic Falls?"

"Mystic Falls is just a means to an end…. Like a small pebble dropped into a very large pond." Markos picked up a piece of ice and dropped it into a drink he had just made for himself.

"Very poetic! No idea what it means." Damon said.

"Once we destroy the spirit magic in this town, the witch's curse will finally be broken, but from there, the spell will ripple outward, unraveling spirit magic as it spreads. Only pure magic, our magic, will remain. My people will be free to go wherever they choose. And when witch magic, and everything it ever created, is gone from this Earth, you will be too."

"I think I've heard about enough." Damon rushed at Markos, but he easily pushed him across the room.

"You underestimate me. I've completely transfused myself with doppelganger blood. I am channeling all the power of my people. You aren't strong enough to kill me anymore!"

"What about me?" Buffy asked, suddenly standing behind Markos. Before she could reach out to snap his neck, she crumpled in pain from the witchy migraine he was inflicting on her.

"You were the only one who could actually stop us. You and your friend Willow. Once we removed Willow from the picture, her protection spells on you died with her." Markos cocked his head, hearing chanting humming in the background. "The spell has begun."

Markos walked away from Buffy and Damon rushed to her side. "Buffy!"

"Where the hell is Willow?" She gritted out.

Markos stopped using the spell and released Buffy. He walked around the foyer, checking the floor plan and admiring the décor. Damon went to the drink cart and began pouring himself and Buffy drinks. "I'd invite you to stay for dinner, but I'm not very familiar with Traveler cuisine." He said, handing Buffy her drink first. "Although I'm sure it involves a lot of trail mix and gruel."

"I think I'll knock this wall down. I love an open-floor plan." Markos said.

"Buffy, he doesn't know I'm here." Julian said down in the basement, knowing Buffy and Damon could hear him and not Markos. "Use the element of surprise. Not sure if you're clever enough to pull it off. Just thought I'd put it out there."

"Well, all I can ask is that you leave me with a couple good bottles of wine." Buffy said. "You know, my husband spent half his life shop-lifting stuff. I assume you want to see the wine cellar?" Markos nodded and they headed downstairs.

Damon browsed through the wine. "Here's something you don't see every day." While Markos watched Damon pull out the wine, Buffy grabbed the key to the shackles and closed her hand around it. "I think I won this in a poker game. Or, maybe Stefan brought it back from the war. I don't remember."

Buffy looked around Damon's shoulder. "Oh, Stefan brought that."

"Where is your brother?" Markos asked. "I was hoping he'd be here. The doppelgangers seem to have slipped away without saying goodbye."

"That's a good question. Why don't we find out?"

Markos waited for Damon to walk back upstairs and Damon gestured for Markos to take the lead. "After you." As they walked out, Buffy dropped the key and kicked it under the door into Julian's hands.

"You know, this house has had some renovations in the last couple of years." Buffy said as they walked into the upstairs hallway. "I put in a gym, turned my old room into a big closet…. Nothing you'd be interested in."

"Those things can easily be changed." Markos said.

Damon hung up his cell phone. "Well, Stefan isn't picking up, so…. He might just be out of cell phone minutes."

Markos heard some rumbling in another room. "What kind of game are you playing?" Suddenly, Julian pounced on Markos' back and started biting into his neck.

"It took you long enough!"

Markos flung Julian from his back and Julian ran his fingers over the spot where his fangs should be. "My fangs…. What the hell happened to my fangs?"

"What?" Damon walked a few steps forward, directly into a beam of sunshine, and his skin started to burn.

"Damon…." Buffy moved towards him, but a patch of sunlight hit her skin and burned her.

"We have a problem." Damon said.

One by one, the sleeping Travelers started to wake up. "And what were you saying about this being your home?" Markos asked. Damon doubled over in pain when a pool of blood collected on his shirt. Buffy grabbed her neck as she felt the pain of a broken spine beginning to creep up. "Like I said, this spell will continue to unravel spirit magic as it spreads, which means you're not long for his world. The sun's about to set. Feel free to buy yourself a little time to say your goodbyes. You two and this traitor of yours can try to outrun the spell for a little while, anyway." Julian took off through the front door. Damon and Buffy followed shortly after him, but before they left, Damon took one last look at the place he had called home for over 100 years.

Buffy yanked on Damon's arm and took off with her vampire/vampire Slayer speed. She rushed through the woods, keeping a tight grip on Damon's arm. Not knowing where they were going, they ended up getting lost. By the time they reached a clearing with a road, the sun had set. A car pulled up with Jeremy as the driver. "Jeremy!" Buffy cried.

"Little Gilbert, I have never been so happy to see you." Damon said.

"Get in." Jeremy said. Buffy and Damon climbed in the backseat and Jeremy floored it. "So, because I just saved your asses, does that mean I'm not grounded anymore?"

"Just drive." Buffy said. Jeremy drove them to Whitmore campus and pulled up to where Elena and Stefan were standing with Matt. Buffy jumped out of the car and gave them both hugs. "Are you guys ok?"

"We'll live…. For now." Stefan said, hugging his brother.

"Matt got us blood." Elena said, handing Buffy a bag.

"Good." Buffy turned to Jeremy and Matt. "You two get to head back into town. We need eyes and ears in Mystic Falls. Where are Caroline and Bonnie?"

"They're at the dorm packing." Matt said.

"Ok, we need to get them. I'll call you in a few hours, Jer."

Jeremy gave Buffy a tight hug and handed her the keys to his car. "Be careful."

"You know me." Buffy turned to Stefan and Elena as Jeremy and Matt got in Matt's truck. "Wait here. We'll be back with Caroline and Bonnie." They nodded and she took Damon's hand, heading for the dorms.

"This thing is going to spread." Damon said. "Where are we gonna go?"

"I think I have a way to stop this." A voice said behind them. Only Buffy could hear it, though. She stopped and turned around.

"What?" Damon asked.

"Where have you been?" Buffy asked, walking up to Willow and Tara. She wished desperately that she could hug her best friend.

"I was with Tara. Dying wasn't exactly easy for me."

"I'm sorry. I should've stopped him."

"It's ok. You didn't know and it happened so fast…."

"We'll bring you back. Somehow. I promise."

"Is it Willow?" Damon asked, stepping up next to Buffy.

"Yeah." Buffy said. "She's with Tara."

"We've got a plan." Tara said.

"And they've got a plan."

"I'm glad someone does." Damon said. "What do we need to do?"


	107. Chapter 105

Chapter 105

Stefan's body was lying on a couch in the lounge of the dorms. Elena was crying over his body as Buffy and Damon ran in. They had been discussing Willow and Tara's plan when Elena had called in hysterics. She hadn't been making much sense on the phone, but Buffy had managed to get that they were at the dorms.

Buffy looked in horror at her brother in law's body. "Stefan!" She sat on the coffee table in front of his body and shook him. "Stefan?"

"I didn't know where to bring him and I just couldn't leave him outside." Elena said.

"How did this happen?" Buffy asked in a small voice. Damon looked stricken and Buffy wrapped her arms around him.

"Bonnie has a plan, right?" Caroline said from the corner of the room.

"Yes!" Elena said. "She…. she said that she could bring people back. Tell me that she can bring him back!"

"We'll bring him back." Damon said. "Come on. Let's get away from prying eyes." He kissed Buffy's forehead, making sure she was ok, before he bent down to lift Stefan's body.

* * *

><p>Stefan watched the scene play out from the Other Side with Willow and Tara. "Why can't she see me?" He asked, moving in front of Buffy.<p>

"The Other Side is falling apart." Tara said. "Willow's been trying to talk to her for a couple of days, but she couldn't get through." A wind started to kick up and Tara grabbed Willow's hand.

"What is that?"

"It's the wind that comes to take us away. We never know who it's coming for next." Willow said.

"It's pulling me." Stefan panicked as he was pulled against the column. Willow and Tara grabbed his hands as the wind picked up. The pull became more than the two women could hold and Stefan slipped from their hands. Stefan was dragged down the hall in the direction of a window. He was lifted up in the air and grabbed onto a corner to hold himself as Willow and Tara ran towards him.

Lexi appeared and grabbed Stefan. "I got you!" With Willow and Tara's help, she pulled Stefan out of danger. "Looks like I've now saved you from both metaphorical darkness and actual darkness. I think you owe me a beer." She turned to Willow and smiled. "Hey Big Red."

"Lexi!" Willow hugged the tall blonde.

"What are you doing over here?"

"Damon's best friend, Enzo, killed me."

"I'm sorry. How's Buffy? Her brother in law and her best friend both die within days of each other…. I can't imagine how she's coping."

"She's ok, actually." Lexi gave Willow a surprised look. "We've got a plan to bring everyone back."

"Is that possible?"

"We're working on it."

"Who's we?" Stefan asked.

"Bonnie got Enzo to find a dead Traveler willing to help us out." Tara said.

"Enzo? The one that killed you?" Lexi asked.

"Well…. I'm an optimist." Willow smiled nervously.

"I know that voice." Stefan said. "What have you done?"

"Well, if Enzo fails…. I've got a backup."

"Who?"

* * *

><p>Damon kicked a wooden chair, smashing it to bits. "Damon, stop." Buffy cried. He was taking apart Elena's dorm in his anger. He took a fireplace poker and broke a flower vase on the mantle before turning around and pointing it at Bonnie. "What happened to the plan, Bonnie?"<p>

"We had a Traveler who knew the right spell." Bonnie said.

"And you lost her!"

"I didn't lose her. She was sucked into oblivion like everyone else on the Other Side."

"Then find another one!"

"Damon, calm down." Buffy said, pushing the poker away from Bonnie.

"It's more than just knowing the spell." Bonnie said. "Markos was able to come back because dozens of Travelers were willing to sacrifice themselves in order to overwhelm me. I doubt they'll be willing to do that for a bunch of supernatural strangers."

"You know who needs motivation?" Damon asked Buffy. He pointed the poker at Bonnie's neck. "You need motivation because if the Other Side goes away, everyone we know there, including you, goes away with it."

"Stop it." Buffy pushed the poker away again. "She knows that."

"My brother is over there."

"I know that!"

Damon threw the poker across the room and Buffy took his hands. "So is Alaric, Buffy. And so is Willow."

"I know."

Enzo cleared his throat. "Let's not forget who else is at the top of the search and rescue list."

Buffy rolled her eyes and Damon looked at her questioningly. "Enzo is here."

Damon looked around the room. "Well, if it's not Mr. Butterfingers himself. How'd it feel to have your only hope of coming back literally slip through your fingers?"

"Hello to you, too, grumpy pants." Enzo shot back.

Willow walked in the room with Tara. "I'm never without a backup plan."

"Are you serious?" Bonnie asked. "You found another Traveler?"

"Well, then get on it!" Damon said to the room.

"Be nice. It's Willow now."

"Sorry."

"Oh, she gets an apology?" Enzo snapped.

"Shut up." Buffy snapped back. "Willow, please tell me that you've found another Traveler?"

"I have and we're already on it." Willow said. "You still need someone to do the spell."

Buffy nodded. "I know just the witch and just the motivation she needs." She turned to Damon. "Get Caroline and Elena to go after Liv and Luke. If she refuses to help, then tell them to kill her brother."

"Vicious." Damon said.

"Necessary." Damon nodded and headed out of the room. Buffy turned to Willow. "My mom and Giles…."

"They've moved on." Tara said.

"I'm sorry." Bonnie said, hugging Buffy tightly.

"No. It's ok." Buffy smiled slightly. "They deserved peace." She took a deep breath. "What about Alaric?"

"Lexi and Stefan went to find him." Willow said. "He's around."

"Ok. Good."

"How are we going to get all those Travelers to kill themselves?" Bonnie asked.

"I'll come up with something." Buffy shrugged. "I got the entire senior class to work together, I'm sure I can convince the Travelers to kill themselves."

* * *

><p>Jeremy and Matt stood at the desk in the front of the classroom looking at a map of Mystic Falls. Damon and Buffy walked into the classroom. "Class is in session." Damon announced. "First assignment: Anti-magic perimeter."<p>

"Jer, what do you got?" Buffy asked.

"I walked around Mystic Falls this morning to see where my hunter instincts disappeared." Jeremy said.

"Meaning what, your biceps shrunk, and your brain got smaller?" Damon asked, eliciting a backhanded smack from his wife to his torso.

"Meaning that I have a supernatural urge to kill vampires, so wherever I hated you less, there was no magic."

Buffy looked down at the map of Mystic Falls with the big red circle drawn on it. "The cemetery's outside of the no-magic perimeter."

"A couple of un-populated areas, too." Damon said, pointing them out. "Other than that…."

"Hey, Professor Salvatore, not everyone can see the map." Caroline said from Matt's phone laying on the desk.

"Yeah, don't forget about us." Elena said from the speakerphone.

"Donovan, you had one job." Damon said.

"I'll send you a picture right now." Matt took a picture of the map with his phone and sent it to Elena.

"We should be there." Elena said.

"Nope." Buffy said. "You should not be. You are on witch duty because without crazylocks, no one's rising from the dead."

"So next order of business: Mass murder." Damon said. "Quarterback?" Matt pulled out another set of maps. "Thank you."

"Ok. We got these from the Sheriff." Buffy said. "Apparently there was some truth to her evacuation story. There's a major gas line that runs underneath the town. Now if it did leak, it could be deadly, as in massive explosion kind of deadly."

"We can't blow up our hometown." Matt said.

"Why not?"

"Says the girl who blew up hers."

"Says one of the only people left in this group who can actually live in Mystic Falls."

"We're not blowing up our town." Elena said. "We just need to lure enough Travelers to one spot…."

"How?" Caroline asked. "We can't lure anyone anywhere stuck out here."

"And that's where your mama comes in." Damon said. "She will convince them to gather somewhere inside."

"Meanwhile, Matt and Jeremy at 7:00 will turn on the gas and let it leak." Buffy said. "We'll have about 10 minutes before anyone can smell it. You clear out. Boom! Travelers gone, resurrection spell starts, loved ones return."

"Good? Good. Class dismissed." Damon turned to his wife. "Shall we make our way to the cemetery?"

"Sure." Buffy took his hand and they headed out.

They walked through the woods in silence, just enjoying each other's company. Every now and then, they stopped to share a kiss. Despite the awful things around them, they were together and happy. Finally, Damon stopped and turned to face her. She knew something was up by the look on his face.

"Are you ok?" Buffy asked.

"Operation massacre…. assuming Donovan knows the difference between a water-main and a gas-main…. Yeah, I'm ok." Damon said.

"Then what's with the face?"

"Listen…. I wanted to spare you the gory details and then I figured, well, I'll be lying, and then the whole point of the universe would be moot because you'd be pissed. So here it is: project kaboom needs someone to trigger the explosion, so-to-speak."

"I know." He waited as Buffy worked out what he was saying. "You? No. Damon, no! Absolutely not."

"Go with your first instinct Damon, lesson learned." Damon muttered to himself.

"You can't do that me. I love you. You're my future. Damon, you're the only future I can see anymore."

"Buffy, I've seen it since the second I laid my eyes on you."

"Then don't go on a suicide mission!"

"Listen…. Technically, it's only half a suicide mission because we're going to be bringing people back from the Other Side and I'm going to be with them."

"What if something goes wrong?"

"I'm going to take a page from Elena's book, here, because that usually works with you. This is my choice. I need you to respect it."

"That was a low blow."

He gently held her face in his hands, rubbing his thumbs against her cheeks and holding her gaze. "I will make it back to you. I promise." He lowered his lips to hers, kissing her tenderly. She buried herself in his arms, letting him surround her. Damon held her tightly, resting his cheek on top of her head. "I promise you, we will have our eternity together."

* * *

><p>Damon sat on the hood of his car outside of the town's city line and drank a bottle of bourbon as he waited for confirmation from Liz. He was focused on the memory of watching Buffy walk towards him in her wedding dress with the most serene smile on her face. It was his happiest memory out of his 173 years. Buffy was back at the cemetery keeping an eye on Liv and Bonnie. Silas was helping out as the Traveler with the resurrection spell. Willow had managed to track him down as the backup Traveler.<p>

His cell phone vibrated in his pocket and he pulled it out. It was the text from Liz. With a sigh, he heaved himself off the hood of his car and slid in the driver's seat. Before he could turn the key, Buffy appeared in the passenger seat beside him. "What the hell are you doing?"

She grinned at him. "So, I figured that now would be the best time to test Klaus's theory about me."

"No, Buffy. The second we cross the border, you're going to feel everything. You're going to have your neck snapped all over again and probably feel going into that portal the second time you died and came back. It's going to…."

Buffy leaned over and kissed him, shutting him up. When she pulled back, she said, "I know what I signed up for, Damon. I'm all in, baby." Damon hesitated, contemplating his next move. "What are you staring at? Drive!" She turned the key in the ignition and Damon slammed on the accelerator, throwing them into Mystic Falls. He sped towards the Grill, taking turns so fast he fishtailed a couple of times. "Hurry! We have to die while we're still vampires, or…" Buffy yelped in pain as she felt the horrible pain in her neck.

"No!" Damon slammed his foot down on the petal and started driving even faster. "We should've taken your car! Come on!"

"Damon…." Buffy said, gritting through the pain.

"I know." Damon took Buffy's hand as they took the turn for the Grill. They braced themselves for impact as the car crashed through the window. Buffy felt herself thrown out of the car just before the explosion happened.

* * *

><p>Bonnie stood outside in the graveyard. Suddenly, dozens of Travelers surrounded her. "We meet again…." Markos said, coming to the front. "We can do this all day, Bonnie. Your friends kill me and I come right back through you. I look forward to the deja vu." Markos touched Bonnie and passed through her.<p>

After the last traveler passed through her, Buffy came running up to her. "Bonnie!"

Bonnie turned around. "Buffy! Did it work? Are you…."

"Yes!"

"Yeah?"

"Did Damon…."

"I'm right here." Damon said, running up behind her. "I guess Klaus was wrong about you." He paused. "That's the first time I'm not excited about that."

"Ok. When you guys pass through me, you're going to wake up with your bodies on the Other Side." Bonnie instructed. "I need you to get back here as fast as you can."

"Ok." Buffy looked at Damon and they both touched Bonnie's arms together. When Buffy opened her eyes, she was laying in the charred-out remnants of the Mystic Grill. She stood up and spotted her body lying across the hood of the car, still half in the car and burnt beyond recognition. "Ew."

"Haven't you heard? It's against the law to not wear your seatbelt." Alaric said behind her.

Buffy turned around with a smile. "Alaric!"

"Come on. You gotta go."

"Damon…." She looked around the room for Damon, but didn't see him. "I need to find him."

Alaric stopped her from walking further into the Grill. "No, you need to go home to Elena and Jeremy. I'll find Damon."

"You know I can't leave without him!"

"Go on, Buffy, get out of here. I will find Damon and I will get him to you, ok?" Buffy sighed, looking around the Grill. "Elena and Jeremy need you."

"Fine. Hurry." Buffy turned and ran out of the Grill. She took the fastest route to the cemetery and found Stefan and Lexi standing with Bonnie. "I can't find Damon!"

"You go. I'll wait here." Stefan said.

"No, I'm not leaving without him!"

Lexi turned Buffy to face her. "This place is falling apart."

"I know, but…." Suddenly, Bonnie grabbed Buffy and forced her to pass back through her.

"Buffy! Thank God!" Elena cried.

"No! Bonnie! Why would you do that?! I can't leave without him!" Buffy cried.

"We'll find him!" Bonnie said.

"Wait? What's going on?" Caroline asked. "Who are we missing?"

"Buffy." Willow and Tara were standing behind Buffy and she turned.

"You guys made it." Buffy said. She looked at Tara. "Welcome back to the land of the living."

"You too." Tara said, hugging Buffy. "Where's Damon?"

"Alaric promised he would find him. I wasn't going to leave, but…."

Bonnie started coughing up blood and Elena went to her. "Are you ok?"

"Oh my god! Bonnie?" Caroline said. Bonnie almost fell to the ground, but Stefan suddenly appeared, holding her up.

He looked around, startled. "No. No. No."

"Stefan!" Elena cried, rushing into his arms.

Stefan shook his head. "I was just trying…."

"What's wrong?"

"She fell…. I was just trying…."

"What?"

"Damon…." Stefan looked at Buffy. "He's not there yet."

Tears welled up in Buffy's eyes. "This is not happening."

"It's ok. I can do this." Bonnie said. She turned around and said, "I can hold on. I have to. Just come through. We have to finish this! Lexi! Come on! It's you turn!" She looked stricken for a moment, but then her face lit up. "Thank god!"

Alaric suddenly appeared and Buffy looked at him expectantly. "He was right behind me." He assured her.

"She made it through." Bonnie said to Damon. "Come on." She reached up to grab Damon's arms, but Damon didn't appear.

"Where's Damon?" Buffy looked up at Bonnie. "Where is he?" Bonnie shook her head and Buffy looked at her in bewilderment. She turned and ran towards the crypt. She rushed in and found the place empty.

Liv was gone.

Buffy's entire world came crashing down on her as she realized that the spell had been stopped before Damon could come through. Willow appeared in the doorway behind Buffy and she turned to the newly resurrected witch. "We need to start the spell again!" Buffy cried. "Willow, you…."

Willow walked towards her best friend in the entire world and took her hands. "We can't. That was our one shot."

"No…. Willow, Damon is on the other side! We have to…"

"Buffy, it's too late."

Buffy shook her head, the tears beginning to fall. "No. He can't…. He's not…." She grabbed her head and started crying hysterically, repeating the word _no_ over and over again and unable to stop herself. She shoved Willow's comforting arms away and spotted Damon standing just inside the door. "Damon!"

Willow looked around in confusion. "Buffy…."

"Oh my god! You made it! You're back!" She moved towards him, but his pained face stopped her in her tracks.

"I'm sorry, baby." Damon moved towards her and Buffy realized she was seeing him on the Other Side.

Buffy's voice was tiny and choked up as she said, "No…."

Damon reached out and stroked her hair and face. "I am so very sorry."

"You lied to me! You promised me eternity! We were supposed to be together forever. Please, Damon…. Please don't leave me. You promised you wouldn't leave me…. Please…."

"I don't have a choice, baby." He leaned in and kissed her forehead. "You are, by far, the greatest thing that ever happened to me in my 173 years on this Earth. I get to die knowing I was loved not just by anyone…. But by you, Buffy Anne Salvatore. It's the epitome of a fulfilled life. It's never gonna get any better than this. I peaked." He wiped the tears from her face. "I love you. I love you so much, Buffy."

"Please…. Please…." Buffy reached out, but she couldn't hold his hand. It slipped right through her hands. "No! Come back to me. Damon…. Please…." She heard two final words before he faded from her vision.

"Bye baby."

A blood-curdling scream tore its way out of her throat and she collapsed to the ground in a tiny ball, gripping her hair in her fists and hiding her face in her forearms. She felt a hole in her very heart and soul rip away with the scream. A piece of her life was cleaved away from her and she was left alone and distraught, suddenly drowning in the misery of the loss of her beloved Damon.

"Buffy…." Willow came over, but Buffy shoved her away. Willow didn't know what to do. She just stood there and cried, watching over her best friend. Alaric appeared in the doorway with Tara, Stefan, Elena, and Caroline coming in behind him. They realized that the raw scream had come from Buffy who was rocking herself in a ball on the floor and crying uncontrollably.

"Oh no…." Tara said.

Willow turned to her. "I don't know what to do." She cried. "I don't know…." Tara pulled Willow to her as Stefan walked over to Buffy. Elena began to cry and Alaric hugged her tightly.

Stefan squatted down in front of Buffy and she looked up at him with sorrow filled eyes. It was all too much for Stefan to bear. He didn't know how to stay strong for her because he was just as alone and distraught without his brother as she was. "He's gone, Stefan…." She sobbed. "He's gone…." Stefan fell to his knees and wrapped his arms around her. The last two Salvatores let their grief overcome them as they sat on the floor of the old crypt and wept.


	108. Chapter 106

_**A/N Annnnnd we're back! This is going to be a roller coaster of a season. I hope I reflected that in this first chapter of the new season. And I really hope you guys enjoy it. Please let me know what you think with a (hopefully positive) review.**_

Chapter 106

Damon wrapped his arms around Buffy's waist as he stood behind her and laid his chin on her shoulder, kissing her neck. "God, this place is beautiful." They were standing on the balcony of their rented honeymoon Italian villa looking at the amazing view spread out in front of them. The sun was setting and casting the entire world in a pink and orange glow.

"We should've just moved here." Buffy said.

"All good things must come to an end."

"Don't talk like that. I don't think we have much time."

Damon sighed. "I know. I'm sorry."

"What if I just stayed asleep forever? I could stay here…. With you."

"You know I would love that, but I also know that you can't."

"It would be so easy…."

"Buff, you don't do easy."

"In this instance…." She turned in his arms and laid her head on his chest, snuggling closer. "I think easy is the way to go. It's too hard being awake. It's too bright and harsh. It's like just after I came back from…." Damon silenced her with a kiss, holding her tightly to him. "You know that doesn't help your case any."

"I know. But kissing you is way better than anything else."

"Are you sure?" Buffy's hands moved lower down his back and pulled him even closer.

He let out a groan and picked her up, rushing them into the bedroom and pressing her down on the bed. "Ok…." He ran his hands up her shirt along her ribs. "Maybe there are a couple of things better."

Buffy closed her eyes as she felt his lips press light kisses and his teeth took tiny nips up her thighs. The sound of a key in a lock made Buffy's eyes open and she realized she wasn't in Damon's arms about to head into a really good night. She was curled up in her bed in a little ball, buried under the covers with the windows all heavily blocked. She wasn't sure if it was daytime or nighttime outside.

It had been four months since Damon had died. They still couldn't go home to Mystic Falls, but truthfully…. She didn't want to go home and sleep in the bed that she and Damon had shared. She didn't want to roam the halls and look at the places where she and Damon had fallen in love and made a life together. The dreams were hard enough to deal with.

In the last four months, everyone had tried to get her out of her grieving period. Dawn and Spike had come for a week. Angel had come for a while, offering to stay, but Buffy had told him she didn't need him to. Willow and Tara came by every day to check on her. They lived a couple of streets over. Xander had come for a few days. Faith had come for a couple of weeks. Enzo even made an effort every other week. Caroline came by at least twice a week and tried to force Buffy out of the apartment. Last week, she'd managed to get Buffy to come out on one of the picnics she had with Sheriff Forbes by the Mystic Falls sign.

Stefan was scarce. He was off looking for a way to bring Bonnie and Damon back from the dead. He didn't talk to many people, rarely ever answering his phone, but he never stayed away from Buffy for too long. He snuck in at night every now and then and just slept in the bed next to his sister…. Making sure she was still making an effort to live. He and Elena were taking a break from their rekindled romance. Stefan was so grieved over losing his brother and Elena was so busy with school and worrying about Buffy that the only option she could come up with was to put the relationship on the back burner.

Elijah and Klaus had even come for visits as well when they heard about Damon. Elijah had held her hand and talked to her, letting her cry when she needed to and holding her tightly through it. He was great at talking, the first one that had managed to get Buffy to say more than two sentences at a time, but he was an even better friend to her. He knew how much Buffy had loved Damon. And how much Damon had loved her. He knew that nothing anyone said or did would make her miss her husband any less. Nothing would make the pain of losing him any less. Nothing would make the idea of eternity without him scare her any less. So he never tried to talk her out of her grief, or try to convince her to go out on the town. He just simply let her talk, let her cry, and told her stories about his lost loves.

Klaus had been an entirely different visit. He and Buffy had just laid in bed, holding each other and not saying much of anything. He'd lost his daughter and he was grieving too. If Buffy had been in her right mind, she would've marveled at how much Klaus had changed since she'd last seen him. She also probably would never be lying in bed with him and letting him hold her. But they were both going through a similar situation and they needed the comfort.

Eventually he'd had to go back to New Orleans. He'd asked her to come with him, just as he always did, but she'd refused, just as she always did. She still had Alaric to look after now. He was back from the dead and he needed help adjusting to being as powerful a vampire as Buffy and the Originals. They'd moved in together just off the Whitmore campus where he was now a professor. He was a great roommate. He took care of Buffy, made sure she ate and bathed and took care of herself. She helped him get his vampire nature under control and taught him how to control his strength. Both of them together managed to make it look like they were actually functioning individuals.

Buffy heard the front door of the apartment finally open and the light steps of Elena walking into the living room. A few moments later, she opened the door to Buffy's bedroom and stuck her head into the dark room. "Buffy?" Buffy just let out a groan. "I brought fresh blood and muffins." Elena said enticingly.

"I can smell that." Buffy felt the bed dip where Elena sat down on the edge. The blonde sighed and sat up when the bedside lamp came on, letting the covers drop away from her head and spill in her lap. Elena raised an eyebrow at Buffy's hair. "Shut up." She ran her fingers through the tangled mess as best she could.

"I wasn't going to say anything. You look beautiful."

"Don't patronize me."

"Sorry." Elena held out the coffee cup filled with warm blood and a bag with a blueberry muffin in it.

Buffy took the bag first. "It's still warm."

"It's fresh."

Buffy looked over at the clock on the nightstand. "It's 1:45 in the afternoon."

"I compelled the bakers to go back to the kitchen just for you."

"You spoil."

"You took care of me. Now I'm taking care of you. It's the circle of life." Elena got up and grabbed Buffy's brush off the vanity. She sat down behind Buffy and got to work brushing out the long blonde hair while Buffy picked at the blueberry muffin and sipped the blood. "You want to go to the football game today?"

"The last time I went out with you, I got hit on by college guys. They were like flies buzzing around a pile of poop. I don't want to be a pile of poop."

Elena chuckled. "Alaric is coming. He'll scare off the guys."

"Ow." Buffy said pathetically as Elena tugged on a particularly nasty snarl.

"Don't be a baby."

"Well quit trying to rip chunks out of my scalp."

"Well quit trying to grow dreadlocks." Elena let Buffy work on the muffin as she worked on Buffy's hair. After a long moment of silence, she finally asked, "Did Stefan come by last night?"

"Not last night."

"When was the last time he was here?"

Buffy sighed. "Elena, if you want to talk to him, you have his number. Call him."

"He's busy and he doesn't want to be bothered."

"Neither do I, but everyone keeps bothering me." Buffy muttered.

Elena pulled on a snarl and Buffy growled. "_You_ are different."

"Why am _I_ so different?"

"Because as much as you loved Angel, you chose Damon. You loved him so much, you gave up the love of your life to be with him. You married him. You told the world that _Damon_ is the love of your eternal life. And you continued to choose him over everyone through everything. That kind of loss is something that can consume you. Especially since you can't turn your emotions all the way off." Elena set down the brush and started French braiding Buffy's now smoothed out hair. "Stefan made me promise to make sure that you kept your head above water and didn't completely lose yourself to grief. He promised not to completely lose himself if we made sure you didn't lose yourself. So, if you want to blame someone for everyone 'bothering' you, then you can blame Stefan and get onto him the next time you see him."

Buffy was quiet for a long time, letting Elena finish braiding her hair. "I would never have tried turning my emotions off or losing myself or letting my life slip away." She looked down as she played with her nails. "Damon would be so mad at me if I even think about trying that. I understand that your intentions are good. And I appreciate how hard you guys are trying. I just…. This is something that _I_ need to work my way through…. slowly. My heart is broken and there's a large part of me that doesn't believe that he's really gone."

"Well, sure! You came back from the dead after three months. Anything is possible. But you were on the Other Side and…."

Buffy shook her head. "No…. I wasn't on the Other Side. I remember bits and pieces from my time…. Away. I was happy. I knew that everyone I cared about was going to be ok. And I'm certain now that where I was…. It was whatever is beyond the Other Side. It's where my mother is. Where Giles is." Buffy's voice dropped to just above a whisper as she choked on a sob. "Where Damon has to be. So I can't help but wonder if Stefan will find a way or if Willow could bring him back…. Somehow. Someway. She pulled off the impossible when she brought me back. Maybe she could find a way to do it again."

"Buffy…."

"But there's a smaller, slightly logical part of me that knows when she brought me back…. That was the last urn for that type of spell and it got destroyed. That there are no more chances." Buffy looked over at Elena with tears in her eyes. "I'm at war with myself. I know that he's gone, but I refuse to accept it. I can't…." Elena wrapped her arms around Buffy tightly. "I dream about him, Elena. When I close my eyes, I can see him and I can hear him…. I can feel him. He's not really gone."

Elena smoothed her hand over Buffy's braid. "We'll figure something out, Buffy. I promise. We will. I've got to head to class. Alaric will be home later. You should come to the football game this afternoon."

"I'll think about it."

"Well, at least 'think about it' is better than a 'no'." Elena stood up. "I'll see you later."

Buffy watched her walk out and then turned to the nightstand to turn the light off. There was a picture of her and Damon, smiling and happy on their wedding night. Sheriff Forbes had gotten it from the boarding house along with a bunch of Buffy's clothes and shoes. She'd also brought some of Damon's things. They were in a box underneath Buffy's bed. Every now and then, she'd pull out one of his shirts, slip it on, and just breathe in his scent.

Buffy picked up the picture and leaned back against the headboard. She traced the lines of Damon's smiling face. They were looking at each other and the love they'd shared was leaping off the picture. She would never in her eternal life find anyone she loved more than Damon Salvatore.

"That was the best day of my life."

Buffy glanced at the other side of the bed where Damon was leaning against the headboard looking at the wedding picture over her shoulder. "I know. It was mine, too."

"I'd never seen you more beautiful." He glanced over the side of the bed. "The rest of the wedding album is here, isn't it?"

"Yes. Along with the scrapbook that Elena insisted on making of our honeymoon."

"Why aren't they sitting out?"

"It wasn't even my idea to put the wedding picture out. That would be Elena being stubborn."

"Babe, you don't have to hide this stuff away. It's happy memories to be relished."

"It's a constant reminder of the life we were robbed of."

"Or you could look at it that way." He took her hand and kissed her knuckles. "Celebrate our life together."

"It was so short!"

"It was so amazing!"

"How are you not angry that you're dead?"

"Because I had 173 years to get used to the fact that I was already dead?"

"Damon! Be serious. I'm furious that you're gone! You shouldn't be a figment of my subconscious in a dream. You should be here trying to figure out how the hell to take down that spell on Mystic Falls so we can go home."

"So do that. Go help Willow and Tara and Blondie Vamp out."

"I can't!"

"Why?"

"Because my life doesn't have a purpose without you in it."

"Yes it does. You have Elena to look after. Jeremy is going crazy. You should reign that in. You have Alaric to help learn the ins and outs of being a super powerful vampire. He's gotta learn to feed off humans at some point and we both know _that's_ not going to go over too well. You have Stefan to…. Actually, I'm not quite sure what you have Stefan for. What is he doing exactly?"

"Travelling the world trying to prove Willow and Tara wrong."

"Then why aren't you with him? You love proving people wrong!"

"I love you! And I don't have you, so what's the point?"

"Well, at least you're doing better than Willow. She lost Tara and tried to destroy the world. So, I'm proud of you in that respect."

"Gee, thanks."

"Come here." Damon held out his arm and Buffy snuggled into his side, laying her head on his chest. "Buff, go to that football game with Alaric. He needs your help."

"I don't want to go anywhere. I want to stay right here with you."

"You can't sleep forever." He kissed her forehead. "But we've had this discussion before. You know all of this. I'm a broken record at this point."

"I'll take a broken record as long as it's you." She moved her leg between Damon's and snuggled in even closer to him. "I'm so scared that I'm going to forget what your voice sounds like and that I'll forget what you smell like when I press my nose right here." She pressed her nose into his sternum and breathed deeply. "What happens then?"

"I don't know, baby. I just don't know."

"Buffy?" Alaric's voice sounded from outside in the living room.

Buffy opened her eyes and realized she was holding a pillow tightly to her chest with her wedding picture clutched against it. The bedside lamp was still on and the clock read 4:03. She'd only been asleep for a couple of hours. Rick's class was over and he would be heading out to the football festivities. With a sigh, she got out of bed, set the picture back on the nightstand, and opened the door.

Alaric smiled at her. "Hey. Were you asleep?"

"Aren't I always?" Buffy shot back.

"True." Alaric brushed the blueberry muffin crumbs off her shirt and pants. "So, are you coming to the football game with me? Elena said that you said you'd think about it."

"I lied. I didn't think about it. I fell back asleep as soon as she left." Buffy walked into the kitchen and grabbed a blood bag from the fridge. She poured it into a large mug and popped it in the microwave to heat it up a bit. "How was class?"

"Tyler was late. Elena almost sent me into a feeding frenzy. Liv made cracks about my lesson on resurrection. And Willow corrected me way too many times for my liking."

"That's because you took her job." She took the mug from the microwave and walked over to curl up in the oversized recliner.

"I'm not going to keep it. She has to finish school first." Alaric sat down on the couch across from her. "I'll transfer to the history department when she's ready to take over."

"I think she's ready now." Since Willow had missed out on at least three of weeks of school from being dead, she hadn't finished her last semester. She was making it up now and Alaric had made sure to keep her job offer open for her when he'd compelled himself a job. Occult studies had been the only opening at the time.

"Quit dodging my question. Will you come to the football game with me?"

"That's not what you asked."

"I reworded it. I'd really like you to come. Being around that many people makes me nervous."  
>"Rick, you're doing great. Really."<p>

"I don't feel like I am. Buff, you're the only person who knows what I'm going through. I need you."

Buffy sighed and looked up at the ceiling. "Ok, I get it! Message received."

"What message?"

"Never mind. Fine, I'll go with you to the football game." She hauled herself to her feet, taking her now empty mug to the kitchen. "Have you talked to Jeremy today?"

"No. I called a couple of times before class, but he didn't answer."

Buffy sighed. "I'll call him." She walked into her bedroom and grabbed her phone. While Alaric leaned in the doorway, she dialed Matt's number.

"Hey, Buffy." Matt said. "How are you?"

Buffy didn't feel like talking about her. "Why isn't Jeremy answering his phone?"

"Uh, I don't know. He's probably doing homework or something." Matt said uncertainly. Buffy could hear the video game being played loudly in the background.

"Donovan, don't lie for him. Put me on speaker." Buffy waited until the game got louder. "Jeremy, get your ass off the couch and do something productive."

"Or what? You're gonna come here and make me?" Jeremy asked.

"Did you forget that I have non-supernatural friends and you don't have your Hunter strength while you're in that little bubble? I will have you bound and gagged and dragged to the town boarder where I will kick your ass in person."

"Hollow threat. You don't leave your apartment."

"This is one thing that will make me leave. Donovan, don't make me drag you into the ass kicking, too. Help me out."

"Yeah, I'll deal with it." Matt said.

"Thank you." Buffy hung up and set the phone down. She didn't need to break another one.

"What are we going to do with him?" Alaric asked.

Buffy sighed. "I don't know. I get the whole not wanting to do anything, but only one of us can curl up and stop existing. And just for the record, I think losing my husband trumps losing his girlfriend." She sat down on her bed. "Can I just stay here and sleep?"

"That's all you do these days. That and eat."

"What else is there these days?"

Alaric walked over to her and gently cupped her face in his hand. "Buff, it'll get easier. It will. You just have to put one foot in front of the other. At least you're getting out of bed more these days."

"I don't make it past the fridge."

"You went out with Elena a couple of weeks ago."

"That was horrifying." Buffy shook her head as he sat down next to her. "Rick, how am I supposed to move on when I feel it deep in my heart and soul that mine and Damon's time together isn't done?"

"What do you mean?"

"Exactly what I said. I don't feel like Damon can actually be gone. That we still have so much left to do together. That somehow, someway…. He can be brought back."

"Stefan is out there looking. Willow hasn't been completely slacking either."

"I thought she was working on bringing down the no magic spell."

"She's been working on both…. Trying to follow some of the leads that I've been digging up. With Tara back, though, she's got a lot on her plate. Tara was gone longer than anyone. She's having a bit of trouble adjusting."

Buffy put her face in her hands. "I never even noticed."

"Well, you're a little busy grieving your husband."

"Will they be at the football game?"

"Yes."

"Ok. I'll…. Get dressed. And we can go."

Alaric leaned over and kissed her cheek. "Ok."

* * *

><p>Buffy and Alaric walked around the festivities looking for Willow and Tara. People were having fun before the match playing games, drinking beer and booze, and some were even placing bets. Tyler was walking with his head down and bumped into Alaric.<p>

"Oh. Watch it, dick!" He realized it was Alaric. "Whoa, sorry. Still working out the kinks of being human. My tolerance blows." He sucked back some beer from a cup and realized Buffy was with Alaric. "Buffy! You're out of your apartment." He hugged her tightly, genuinely happy to see her.

"Yeah." Buffy gently moved him back, holding his shoulders. "Tyler, are you sure somebody with your anger issues should be drinking at all this close to a full moon?"

"My issues are under control. Coach lets me practice with the football team. I get to kick ass in a controlled environment."

"Till you get plastered and do something stupid and trigger your werewolf curse all over again." Alaric said.

"Guys, chill. It's under control."

"Good."

Buffy took the beer from Tyler. "Just in case."

"Really?"

She shrugged. "Look, coming out into the world when all I want to do is stay at home in my PJs and sleep is a bit overwhelming. I need some anesthetic. And a distraction from all the pumping veins around me."

"You know, I haven't been buzzed since I came back to life." Alaric complained. "And saying that aloud while sober really freaks me out."

"It's part of being a vampire." Buffy noticed Tyler staring at Liv standing a few feet away. "Tyler, you can seriously do better than her." He looked at her with a shocked expression.

"I doubt she'd even give him the time of day. Trust me when I tell you this, Tyler: The girl is so not into you."

"Shoot higher." Buffy patted his arm. "Thanks for the beer." She and Alaric started to move away.

"Buffy," Tyler said, making her turn around. "It really is good to see you out and about. You should make it a habit."

"Thank you, Tyler." She turned and walked off, tossing back the rest of the beer in the cup. "Ok, seeing Liv and being reminded that her brother is the reason Damon isn't here…. The blood lust is rising. This beer isn't going to be enough."

Alaric pulled out two blood bags from his pocket. "I brought some extra sustenance. Being surrounded by all these walking talking blood bags isn't easy."

"I'm going to tell you the same thing Damon once told me…. And Elena…. You've got to learn to drink from them at some point." She chuckled, remembering what Spike had once called humans. "Just look at them as Happy Meals with legs."

"I'm not ready for that. Not yet."

"It took me a little bit to get used to the idea, too. But it's really not bad."

"Until then," Alaric pulled out two flasks and walked over to a trash can.

"You bought me my own flask?"

"I thought it might get you out of the apartment more." He filled hers up and handed it to her.

She inspected it closely. The entire thing was made of silver and was engraved with pretty filigree woven around her initials. "Pretty."

"I figured you'd like it." He filled his own flask up as Buffy started to drink from hers.

"Thank god. Someone over 20." A woman with dark hair said, walking up to them. "The rest of the chaperones are huddled around the burger bar."

"And you're a vegetarian." Alaric said, making sure the empty blood bags were hidden in the trash.

"I don't eat red meat. I look at blood all day. Because I work at the medical center. Not because I'm a serial killer or anything. I'm Jo."

"Alaric. I teach Occult Studies here."

"I didn't know that was an actual thing."

"Yeah. And this is Buffy. She's…. My best friend's wife."

"Nice." Buffy said to him under her breath.

"Sorry."

She turned to the newcomer. "Jo from the hospital? I think my kid works for you. Or with you. Elena Gilbert."

"You're her mother?" Jo looked Buffy up and down disbelievingly.

"Well, sort of. I'm her and her brother's legal guardian."

"Oh. Nice to meet you." Jo motioned to Buffy's flask. "May I?"

"Uh, sorry…. No." Buffy slipped the flask in her pocket. "I'm actually a germaphobe."

"A germaphobe. So, you're like the vegetarian of cool people."

Buffy was suddenly fascinated by Jo's neck. "I guess so." Alaric's quick squeeze on her arm alerted her to the fact that she was staring at the pulse beating just below Jo's skin. "Um…. Will you excuse us for a second? Elena was supposed to meet us here and we haven't seen her."

"Yeah, sure. It was nice meeting you both." Jo walked off, glancing back at Alaric a couple of times.

"She thinks you're cute." Buffy said to him, taking a long draw from her flask.

"And apparently when I lost my human nature, I also lost my game. I didn't even notice." He took her arm and steered her away from the crowd around them. "What was up with that?"

"What?"

"Buffy, you were staring at her neck ready to pounce."

"I…."

"Buffy!" Alaric and Buffy turned around to see Willow and Tara walking up to them. "You came!"

"Yeah. Starting to regret it."

"She almost jumped someone." Alaric said.

"What?" Willow looked at Buffy. "Are you ok?"

"Maybe this was too soon." Buffy shook her head. "I'm not ready for this."

"It's been four months." Alaric said.

"Is there a time limit to grief? Cause I didn't get that memo. Maybe it's your fault."

"My fault?"

"Being around you and your newfound blood lust. I've been extra hungry since you came back."

Alaric realized that her entire flask of blood was now empty. "Maybe it's because you've been sleeping a lot." He said. "Your body needs the extra energy because you're not doing anything."

"Willow." Tara said. Alaric and Buffy turned to look at Tara giving a guilty-looking Willow a stern expression.

"What's wrong?" Alaric asked.

"It's not like there's a label with all the side effects!" Willow said defensively.

"What did you do?" Buffy asked.

"Ok, Luke felt bad for what he did…. Stopping the spell before Damon came back…. So, he came to me a couple of weeks after it happened and he gave me these herbs."

"I said it was a bad idea." Tara said. "But I saw how heartbroken Buffy was. In all the time that I've known her, I've never seen her this hurt."

"You're supposed to drink them, but I found a way to use them in a spell so all I had to do was make a talisman and hide it under your bed. So whenever you slept…. You would have good dreams of Damon. Luke keeps me in a steady supply so I can recharge it whenever I come over. I just…. I'm sorry. I wanted to help you, Buffy. Give you a chance to see him again…. I didn't think there would be serious side effects."

Buffy shook her head. "So all those dreams…. Of Damon…. They were just the drugs in your talisman? A hallucination?"

"I'm sorry I didn't tell you."

Alaric started to wrap his arm around Buffy, but she moved away. "I thought it was really him. I thought Damon had found a way to come to me and was…." She looked at Willow before turning and walking away.

"Buffy!"

Willow went after her, but Buffy used her super speed to disappear. She rushed back to the apartment and got in her car. Before she knew it, she was driving back towards Mystic Falls and heading for the crypt where she'd last seen Damon. The real Damon.

Before she reached the turn off to the graveyard, there was a car sitting on the side of the road with a woman standing in front of it looking at a map. Buffy sighed and pulled over. She didn't want to deal with anyone else's drama, but she was hungry. A stranger on the side of the road was a good snatch and erase. And the appeal of a live vein instead of a blood bag was overwhelming after four months.

Buffy rolled down her window. "Are you ok?"

"Depends. Am I still in the western hemisphere?" The woman asked.

"I think so." Buffy got out of the car and walked over to the woman.

"I'm sorry. I'm from New York and we're big on cell phone reception."

"Where are you heading?"

"Mystic Falls. My GPS died and then I started second-guessing myself…."

Buffy grabbed the woman and sank her fangs in. She knew when to stop, but she reached that point and kept drinking. "Oh, my god! What are you…." Buffy was startled by Caroline's sudden appearance and released the woman.

"Caroline. It's not…." Buffy realized that the woman was running away and she went after her. Unfortunately, they were really close to the border of Mystic Falls and her arm burned in the sunlight when she reached out for the woman. Buffy backed away from the border and sat down in the grass.

Caroline made her way over to Buffy. "What did you do? Why the hell are you feeding on people? Hey! You're out of your apartment!"

"Hello to you, too, Caroline." Buffy said.

Caroline heard the tears in Buffy's voice and sat down beside her. "What's going on?"

"For the last four months, my best friend has been casting a spell on me to make me see Damon. She's been using these…. Herbs that Luke gave her. I just found out today. Apparently they're the reason I've been super hungry."

"Have you been coming out and hunting?"

"No. Just sucking down the blood supply that Elena brings Alaric and I. Why?"

"My mom has been hunting for a vampire border lurker. I thought maybe…."

"It's not me. I don't leave the apartment." Buffy sighed. "Elena and Alaric convinced me to go to the football game today. I almost attacked Elena's doctor teacher person because I'm so hungry."

"So, Willow has been casting a spell on you to make you see Damon, but it also makes you really, really hungry?"

"I thought he was real." Buffy wiped at the tears falling down her face. "I thought that he had found a way to talk to me…. Be with me…. I've been holding onto those dreams like a lifeline…. And they've all been fake. They haven't been him at all."

"Oh, Buffy…." Caroline wrapped her arms around Buffy's shoulders. "Stefan is out there looking for a way to get Damon and Bonnie back. He'll fix this."

"Speaking of 'fix this'. That girl…."

"Don't worry about it. My mom and I will fix it. You go home and get that spell out of your system."

"Tell your mom I'm really sorry about that. I was going to compel her, but…."

"That was my fault. Don't even worry about it." Caroline helped Buffy to her feet. "I'll come by later to check on you, ok?"

"Yeah." Buffy headed back to her car and got in. She didn't go home, though. She drove to the woods and headed for the crypt where she'd last seen Damon. Pulling out her phone, she dialed Stefan's number.

He picked up just before it went to voicemail. "Buffy?"

"Yeah." Buffy let out a shuddering sigh.

"What's wrong?"

"Have you found anything? Please tell me you're on to something. Because I am seriously losing an uphill battle, here, Stefan. Willow has been dosing me with some kind of witchy herbs to make me see Damon. They were so real…. But it wasn't him. And now I don't know what to do. What do I do, Stefan? How do I go about my day without completely falling apart? How do I make it to tomorrow without my husband? I can't face another minute without him. I don't want to go through eternity without him." Stefan didn't say anything. "Stefan?"

"I'm sorry, Buffy."

"Sorry for what?"

"I gave up."

"What do you mean? You've been looking for a way to bring him back."

"I did. I was. But then I realized it was pointless and I needed to move on with my life. So, I stopped."

"What do you mean you stopped?"

"I mean I said goodbye. I moved on. Damon is gone. It's time you said goodbye, too." He sighed. "I'll come by soon to check on you."

"Don't bother." Buffy hung up and threw her phone across the crypt. It shattered against the wall and Buffy turned and started destroying anything and everything within her reach. She ended up curled in a little ball against the wall, sobbing into her knees and begging the universe to give her her husband back. "Damon, I need you. I can't do this without you. Please…. Please…. I need you to find a way to come back to me. I need the dreams to be real. I need _you_ to be real."

Hands gently gripped her arms and she looked up hopefully. It was Alaric. "Hey." He moved to sit next to her and she let him hold her as she continued to cry. The sun set around them, but they didn't move.

Finally, Buffy said, "I feel like I've lost him all over again."  
>"I can imagine." Alaric kissed the top of her head, giving her a tight squeeze. "You did a number on this place. And I see we're going to have to get you a new phone…. Again."<p>

"Stefan gave up. He hasn't been looking for a way to bring Damon back. He said he moved on."

Alaric sighed. "I'm sorry, Buffy. I had no idea. I've been feeding him leads for months. He let me believe he was following them."

"He let us both believe it."

"I know you were hoping he would find something."

"I wasn't just hoping…. I was depending on him to find something. I was depending on him not to give up on his brother. I don't understand…. He never gives up on Damon. Ever."

"Maybe there just isn't a way to bring Damon and Bonnie back."

"Why is everyone giving up on this?"

"I'm not giving up, Buffy. But you have to admit that it's starting to seem a little hopeless."

Buffy shook her head and stood up. She walked a few feet away and turned back to Alaric. "When Enzo killed Willow…. Damon was the only one that had hope we could find a way to bring her back. He had to talk me into it. So, like I told Stefan then, I'm telling you now. I have to believe that if someone like Damon could find that much hope inside himself, then we can find a way to do what he did. That we can pull off the impossible, too. We owe him that."

Alaric stood up. "So…. What are we going to do?"


	109. Chapter 107

Chapter 107

*Four Months Ago*

Damon lifted his head and looked around. He had landed in the back room of the Mystic Grill. The place was in bad shape, but his body was in even worse shape. It was mutilated and badly burnt laying on the floor not far from him. Buffy had ended up staying in the main room when she'd died.

He got to his feet and spotted the Sheriff's feet. She was trapped under a fallen beam. "Liz! No, no, no, no…." He tried to lift the beam off her, but he struggled to get it up. Alaric was suddenly there, helping him lift the beam. Damon grabbed a large metal something and shoved it under the beam to keep it from falling back down.

"Friendly advice: Don't blow your wife up just to test if she's actually immortal."

"Good to see you too, buddy." Damon laughed. "And that was completely her idea."

"Yeah." Liz began to wake up and started moaning in pain. "I think she's going to be ok. We need to go."

Damon nodded and they headed out. "Where is my wife?"

"She's going to meet us at the cemetery." Alaric caught the look on Damon's face. "I made her leave. She didn't want to go without you."

"You're a dick."

"I missed you, too." They raced back towards the cemetery where only Bonnie was waiting.

"Bonnie!"

"Thank god!" Bonnie said, turning towards them. Alaric made it to her first and Bonnie grabbed him by the arm. He disappeared back into the land of the living.

"Where's Buffy?"

"She made it through." Bonnie assured him.

"Ok."

"Come on." Bonnie grabbed Damon, but nothing happened. She backed up and tried again, but still, nothing happened.

"Well, would you look at that…." The emotions that ran through Damon all at once were staggering. The one that was the loudest was the worry he felt for Buffy. She was going to be so upset. Damon looked at Bonnie who was shaking her head at someone off to his left. "Where is she?"

"She just went to the crypt to see what's happened with the spell."

Damon nodded. He had no idea what he was going to say to Buffy. There was nothing to say to make this situation ok. He wasn't even sure if she would be able to see him. He prayed…. for the first time in a very, very long time…. That she would be able to see him. He couldn't bear leaving her. But if he had to, he wasn't leaving without saying goodbye. The crypt loomed ahead and he steeled himself for what was coming.

"No…. Willow, Damon is on the other side! We have to…" He heard Buffy say.

"Buffy, it's too late." Willow said.

"No. He can't…. He's not…." Damon stepped into the doorway just as Buffy grabbed her head and started crying hysterically. It broke his heart over and over again every time she repeated the word _no_. Willow tried to comfort her, but Buffy shoved her best friend's arms away. That was when she saw Damon. He was standing just inside the door now and he breathed a sigh of relief that she could see him. "Damon!"

Willow looked around in confusion, not having the same ability to see the dead like her best friend could. "Buffy…." She started.

Buffy ignored her as she walked over to Damon. "Oh my god! You made it! You're back!"

Damon felt horrible and something in his expression made her stop dead just in front of him. "I'm sorry, baby."

"No…." Buffy's choked voice made his stomach turn and his heart clench. She knew now that he wasn't coming back.

He reached out and stroked her hair and face. Sadly, he couldn't actually feel her soft skin and silky locks. "I am so very sorry." He was going to really miss waking up with his mouth full of her hair because they were so wrapped up in each other as they slept.

"You lied to me! You promised me eternity!" Damon felt the beginning of tears well in his eyes. Ghosts could cry. Interesting. "We were supposed to be together forever. Please, Damon…. Please don't leave me. You promised you wouldn't leave me…. Please…."

His stomach flipped again and his heart seized once more. If he wasn't already dead, he was certain this would be giving him an actual heart attack. "I don't have a choice, baby." Damon leaned in and pressed his lips to her forehead. She smelled like heaven. He hoped that wherever he was headed, he could hold onto that smell. He studied her face for a long moment, letting his emotions swell. This sucked! "God, I love you. You are, by far, the greatest thing that ever happened to me in my 173 years on this Earth. I get to die knowing I was loved not just by anyone…. But by you, Buffy Anne Salvatore." It didn't matter how many times it was said, the sound of his last name at the end of hers made him so very, very happy. "It's the epitome of a fulfilled life. It's never gonna get any better than this. I peaked." He wiped the tears from her face, wishing that he wasn't the reason for them. "I love you. I love you so much, Buffy." He felt himself being pulled away from her.

"Please…. Please…." Buffy reached out and grasped his hand. She held on for just a moment before the pull became stronger and Damon realized that the Other Side was pulling him away. His fingers slipped right through her hands. "No! Come back to me. Damon…. Please…."

"Bye baby." Damon said just before the Other Side pulled him completely away. It wasn't soon enough, though. He caught the beginning of the blood-curdling scream ripping its way out of her throat. Wishing he could stay somehow, he stood there and waited a moment. Maybe the Other Side would let him see her again. No such luck though. He walked out and joined Bonnie standing in the trees at the edge of the woods. "This place is going down, isn't it?" All around them, huge holes of light poked through. The wind was blowing hard, whipping at their hair and clothes.

"It is." Bonnie said. "I'm sure there are a million people we'd rather be with right now, but…." She reached out and took Damon's hand.

"A couple thousand, at most." He glanced back towards the crypt where his wife was crying.

"Do you think it'll hurt?"

Damon turned his attention back to the large orb of light cutting through the Other Side and shining in his eyes. "I don't kn…." Before he could finish his sentence, the light engulfed them both. He closed his eyes and waited. A moment later, when he heard nothing, he opened them again. They were in the same place they had been. He looked down at Bonnie and realized their hands were still interlaced. They both let go. "Huh. That got awkward fast.

"What happened? Where is everybody?" Bonnie asked, walking away.

"Where are you going? Hey." Damon followed her into the woods, glancing back at the crypt where he'd last seen his wife. They headed into town. That was weird. The place had a no magic barrier. Damon reached up to touch his teeth. "Well, I feel a fang. I'm still a vampire. Either I'm a dead vampire or Mystic Falls is no longer magic free."

"Look."

Damon followed her gaze and saw that she was looking at the Mystic Grill. "I definitely blew that up about an hour ago."

"Why don't we see any people? If we're still on the Other Side, we should at least be able to see the living."

"Where the hell are we? And I don't mean geographically."

"I have no idea."

* * *

><p>*Today*<p>

Enzo was kissing his way up a witch's neck in the coat check room of the Hotel Albert outside of Knoxville, Tennessee. "Oh, just lay it down."

"I don't know anything." She insisted.

"You witches are all so monstrously secretive. Lucky for me I'm quite gifted at unraveling the truth." He got on his knees and began to kiss her bra.

"Ok, there's a coven in Oregon. They'd found a way to communicate with their ancestors before it went away. Maybe they know what happened to your friends. They call themselves the Gemini Coven. They're small and weird and they don't like outsiders."

"See? You did know something."

"I just wanted you to work for it."

Buffy took that moment to make her presence known. She cleared her throat, arms crossed. Enzo turned around and smiled. "Well, hello, gorgeous."

"Enzo." Buffy said, leaning against the doorframe.

"I see you've finally ventured out of your little cubbyhole, love. To what do I owe the immense pleasure?"  
>"I wanted to know what you've found."<p>

"You could've just picked up the phone."

"I'm turning over a new leaf. Trying to shake off the grieving-wife look and put on the determined-to-save-her-husband look."

"It's an excellent look on you, if I do say so myself."

"Um, should I leave?" The witch asked.

Enzo turned back to the witch. "Not yet. But you can do us a big favor."

* * *

><p>*Four Months Ago*<p>

It was now morning in Bizarro World. Damon and Bonnie wandered the deserted streets. They'd been doing that since their arrival. Damon groaned and asked again, "How many more streets are we going to wander?"

"How many times are you going to ask me questions I don't have the answers to?" Bonnie shot back. "There's something weird about these cars."

"Yeah, they're all 20 years old or more and yet they look brand new." He ran his hand over the hood of one of the cars. When he looked up at a house in front of them, his eyes widened a bit. It was the Gilbert house with toys on the lawn. "And that is Elena's not-so-burnt-to-a-crisp house." In the front of lawn, Damon spotted a newspaper on the grass. He leaned down and picked it up, unfolding it. "Look." Damon turned to her and held out the paper.

Bonnie craned her neck and read. "Rare solar eclipse expected to be seen across 12 states?"

Damon rolled his eyes. "The date."

"May 10th, 1994. Is that…. Are we…. But that's impossible." As if to prove her wrong, the sky turned a darker blue. They looked up to see the eclipse blotting out the sun.

"I don't think we should be asking where we are. I think we should be asking _when_ we are." Damon walked over to the house and up onto the porch. The swing was there and he gave it a pained expression.

"What's wrong?" Bonnie asked.

"Just remembering some little moments sitting in this swing with Buffy." He sat down on the swing and put his arm across the back. Closing his eyes for a moment, he imagined Buffy leaning against him with her head nestled on his chest. When he opened his eyes, Bonnie was sitting on the steps. "Where is any booze in this empty retroville?"

"It feels so weird to be back here. I practically grew up on this porch."

"All right, talk me through it."

"Before the Other Side collapsed, my Grams said that she made a sacrifice so that I could find peace."

"The part where you actually have a theory."

"Well, this clearly isn't peace, otherwise I wouldn't be stuck here with you."

"Rude."

"She must have…. I don't know…. Sent me somewhere. And when I held your hand, it took you with me."

"Well, did she happen to whisper a safe word in her last breaths. A clue, maybe? Witchy path out of here?"

"No, but if we got here by magic, magic should be able to get us out."

"And that frown that's not upside down is telling me what?"

Bonnie stood up and moved towards a glass vase with a candle in it. "Fes matos incendia." They both watched the candle intently, but nothing happened.

"Still can't do magic." Damon saw back on the swing, his shoulders sagging. "Perfect." He looked around. "1994…. Buffy would be, what, 13 years old? She's not the Slayer yet."

"I would be about 2. Elena and Caroline would both still be 1."

Damon leaned forward and leaned his arms on his knees. "We need to get back, Bonnie. I need to get back to my wife."

* * *

><p>*Today*<p>

Buffy was driving down a highway with Enzo sitting in her passenger seat. She was on her newly acquired cell phone checking in with Alaric to let him know that she was ok. "Yeah. We're headed to Oregon, I think, to check out some witch coven lead." She was saying.  
>"Caroline is offering to come help." Alaric said. "She's worried about you."<p>

"I'm fine. I promise. Caroline should keep working with Willow on the no-magic-bubble over Mystic Falls. Or compelling herself back into college."

"I'll tell her you said that."

"How's Elena doing?"

"She's a little pissed you ran off without saying anything to her, but she understands. You should call her when you get a chance."

"I will."

"I need to get to class. I'll check in with you later, ok?"

"Yeah. Ok. Bye, Rick." Buffy hung up and put her phone in the cup holder.

"Please tell me that you're not hooking up with the teacher." Enzo said.  
>"Ew. No." She shot him an annoyed glare. "You're disgusting."<p>

"I'm just looking out for my best friend. Wouldn't want his wife to be moving on to his buddy while I'm trying to bring him back."

"Um, last I checked, I'm trying to bring him back with you. Why would I be doing that if I was 'hooking up' with Rick? When do we exit?"

"Soon."

"Did you make up the 'Gemini Coven' lead? I've never heard of them. Who are they?"

"No idea. That's not where we're headed."

"What? Where the hell are we going?"

"You'll see."

"Enzo, seriously…." Buffy saw the sign that announced they were entering Georgia. She hit the brakes and pulled over.

"What are you doing?" Enzo asked. Buffy ignored him and got out of the car. She walked a few feet away into the field next to the highway. Enzo got out and followed her. "Buffy, what's the matter with you?" When he caught up to her, he realized she was crying. His entire demeanor softened and he gently touched her shoulder. "What's wrong, love?"

"I'm sorry." She shook her head and wiped away the tears. They were quickly replaced by fresh ones. "I was just reminded of Damon and it was completely unexpected."

Enzo looked around. "What reminded you of him?"

"That sign…. The Georgia sign…. I should've recognized the road we were on…." She looked up at Enzo. "Three years ago, Damon kidnapped Elena and I and drove us to this bar just outside of Atlanta. I'd only known him for a couple of weeks and I wasn't his biggest fan…. He'd killed my best friend, Lexi…. But this trip changed something between us."

"You fell in love with him?"

"No." She chuckled slightly. "No…. That wasn't until much later. This trip…. I saw a different side of him. I saw something…. I don't know…. Redeemable in him. Or maybe it was the universe making sure I didn't kill the man I was going to marry. Either way…. I started to care for him. I saved his life on that trip."

Enzo gently gripped Buffy's shoulders. "Buffy, we will get Damon back. Somehow, someway…. I promise you."

Buffy stared at Enzo for a long moment. "Why are you so nice to me?"

"I've got a list."

She gave him a small smile. "What are the top three reasons, then?"

"In no particular order," He ticked off each one on his fingers. "You're my best friend's wife; you're an amazing woman; and I owe you for killing Willow." He smiled at her and Buffy shook her head.

"Yes, you owe me big time. So, where are we going?"

Enzo sighed. "We're going to pay a visit to your brother-in-law."

* * *

><p>*Four Months Ago*<p>

Damon had the 90s music turned up in the kitchen and was dancing to it as he flipped pancakes. He had a bottle of bourbon in his hand and was chugging it as he cooked. He hadn't slept well at all. The bed had been too big. Buffy wasn't wrapped in his arms. He didn't even get to dream about her. Instead, he'd laid in the bed and ran through his memories of her. Sadly, the more he did, the angrier he got at the whole screwed up situation. The witch Luke had stopped Liv from doing the spell just before he'd gone through Bonnie. If Buffy hadn't already ripped him to shreds, which he actually hoped wasn't the case, he was definitely going to when he got back to the real world…. In the right time.

After a few hours of tossing and turning, he'd gotten out of bed. Bonnie hadn't been home. He had no idea where she was and he couldn't bring himself to care. Heading down to the basement, he'd grabbed a good bottle of bourbon and headed upstairs. The stupid idea of making pancakes had come to him about a third of the way into the bottle. He was going to pretend that Buffy was here and he was just making her breakfast in bed. Maybe it made him sound crazy, but he needed _something_ to do while he waited for Bonnie to magic them out of there.

Damon flipped the pancakes over and breathed in their scent. Buffy had loved it when he made her breakfast in bed. Blueberry pancakes had been her favorite, but there weren't any blueberries in Bizarro World's fridge. When he finally made it back to her, he was going to make her breakfast every morning for the rest of eternity.

Bonnie cleared her throat and Damon stopped dancing, looking caught. "I didn't know you cooked."

"Only for my wife, but since she's not here…." Damon waved the thought away. "How'd you sleep? Me? Not good. My 1994 mattress was very lumpy…. And empty. Whatcha got there?"

Bonnie looked down at her belongings in her hands. "Oh, Ms. Cuddles, I lost her when I was nine. But I went into my house last night and here she was." She held up the bear and wiggled it around before setting it down and lifting the book in her arms. "I also found this at my Grams's house. Her old grimoire."

Damon walked over to the radio. "Yeah, well I found this." He waved the bourbon around as he took the CD out of the CD played. "Drank it last year when Rick died."

"So we're in this snapshot of another time, or…. something." Bonnie watched Damon twist the CD rack with his hand covering his eyes before picking one at random. "Everything that existed in 1994, still exists."

"For better or for worse?" He kissed the CD in his hand before putting it into the stereo.

Bonnie turned the music off as soon as he'd hit play. "Listen, there was a time when I couldn't practice magic. This grimoire taught me a lot. Maybe I can reteach myself."

Damon turned the radio back on. "If you were still a witch. Which with our luck and your skill…. Probably ain't the case."

"Would a little support kill you?"

"You know, I am acutely aware that we are in some otherworldly time dimension. However, do you ever think for one second that maybe it's you being negative reacting to my natural self negative-ly?"

"You're ridiculous."

"Nope, I'm consistent." Damon put two pancakes onto a plate and set it in front of Bonnie. "Eat your pancakes. Oh, and…." He grabbed the newspaper from the counter and dropped it in front of her. "You can do a crossword puzzle."

"Oh, gee, thanks breakfast with my least favorite person that he made for his wife who isn't dead…. And a crossword puzzle from 1994." Bonnie turned her back to him, opening the paper. "All right, what's a seven letter word for…." Suddenly, the sky darkened like it had the day before. The two of them looked up in surprise.

"You've got to be kidding me. Bonnie, look at the date on that paper."

Bonnie looked down and read. "It says, May 10th, 1994. It's the same day as yesterday. We're living the same day all over again."

"Well that proves it…. We're in hell. Our own personal, custom-built hell. And you're in it with me." Damon raised his bourbon. "Bottoms up."

* * *

><p>*Today*<p>

Stefan was hastily chopping cucumbers and mushrooms while he waited for Ivy to return. He put the chopped up veggies in a steaming pan before dropping some cheese in it. He poured wine in the pan, dusted his hands off, and went to the fridge. He opened it and took out a blood bag. He gave a small sigh of pleasure as he squeezed the dark liquid his mouth. Behind him, the door opened and he tossed the blood bag back in the back of the fridge.

He turned around to see Ivy walking in. "Hey."

"Hey." Ivy said. Her confused face made him nervous that she'd seen him drinking the blood.

"Perfect timing, I was just uh…."

"I ran into some of your friends."

"What? Where?"

Enzo and Buffy stepped into the house through the open door. "Stefan!" Enzo cried. "You are a hard man to track down. Uh, I wasn't sure if your new…. friend would invite us in but she said that this was your place. Which means open invitation to all your mates, right? Got any bourbon?"

Stefan looked at Buffy as she surveyed the room with a blank expression. When her eyes finally met his, her face melted into an angry glare. "Buffy…." Stefan started.

Ivy walked over to Stefan and wrapped her arms around his arm. "It looks like you made enough for everyone. Would you two like to join us for dinner?" Ivy asked cheerfully.

"We'd love to!" Enzo said, walking over and throwing an arm around Stefan's shoulders.

Twenty minutes later, the four of them were seated at Stefan's dining room table. Enzo was digging in and Ivy was gingerly picking at her food. Stefan was just pushing his food around the plate since he was unable to find his appetite. Buffy sat across from him with her arms crossed, leaning back against her chair and glaring at him.

"Good stuff, mate." Enzo said.

"So, how do you guys know Stefan?" Ivy asked.

"Uh…." Stefan started.

"He's my brother-in-law." Buffy said, each word like a whip.

"Oh, I didn't know Stefan had a brother…. Who was married." Ivy said.

"It's a very complicated situation." Enzo said.

"I didn't realize that he had met someone." Buffy said, her icy glare not leaving Stefan's face. "Last I was aware, he was supposed to be dating a friend of mine." Ivy almost choked on her food. "How did you two meet?"

"Uh, Ivy's car was in the shop…. where I work." Stefan said, his voice cracking a bit.

"Oh, you work at an auto repair shop, do you?"

"It's…. relaxing."

"Is it? Must be nice."

"Why?" Ivy asked. "What did you used to do?"

"Ah, man of all seasons, jack of all trades." Enzo said. He looked at Ivy for a moment. "You have a lovely clavicle."

"Oh…. Thank you. I think."

"Forgive me, I always notice a woman's neck. I'm a neck person! So is Stefan, right Stefan?"

"Not anymore." Stefan said.

"Ah, well that's silly. You can't just stop being a neck person."

Ivy leaned over to whisper at Buffy, "Is Enzo your husband?"

"No." Buffy said. She was barely containing her fury at Stefan and Ivy was beginning to notice that she hadn't moved a muscle. A normal human would've fidgeted by now.

"Do you believe in the supernatural, Ivy?" Enzo asked suddenly, drawing Ivy's attention from Buffy.

"I've never really thought about it." Ivy said.

"I myself, am I believer. Had to get a witch to do a locator's spell to find my buddy here."

Ivy gave a confused laugh, not sure if Enzo was kidding. "How about we change topics?" Stefan suggested.

* * *

><p>*Two Months Ago*<p>

The eclipse was high in the sky, but it was moving out of the way to reveal a bright sun. Damon was behind the counter, flipping pancakes again. It had been his routine now for two months. Two months of agonizing boredom and loneliness. He woke up, grabbed a bottle of bourbon, and started making pancakes.

It may seem crazy to Bonnie, which she loved to point out, but it gave Damon a small sense of peace. He had convinced himself that he was practicing making the ultimate tasting pancakes for when he got back to his wife. When he wasn't making breakfast, he was playing the piano or drawing pictures of Buffy from memory. There was nothing in the house that physically represented her, so he'd started to draw and frame the pictures in his room.

"What's a seven letter word for kill me now?" Bonnie asked from her seat at the table.

"That joke got old six weeks ago." Damon said.

"And so did this crossword puzzle. Every day for two months I've done this stupid thing and I still can't figure out 27 across. Old tongue twister, Eddie turned top 40?" Damon put two pancakes on a plate and circled it with whipped cream. He placed it in front of Bonnie, who grabbed her pencil and stabbed angrily at the pancakes. "And I hate pancakes!"

"Whoa, don't take it out on the pancakes. Those pancakes, like myself, are waiting for you to be witchy to get us the hell out of here."

"You know I've been trying!"

"And failing. Further evidence, we're in hell. Not only am I stuck with you, I'm stuck with the useless version of you."

Bonnie opened her mouth to say something but closed it again. "Did you hear that?"

"What would I have heard, Bonnie? We're the only two people here, we were the only two people here two months ago and the only two people here now!"

"Well I swear I heard something!"

"Maybe it's the sound of existential despair. I was told that's what hell sounds like by my wife's ex-boyfriend. I'd really like to get back before he decides to swoop in and try to steal her away…. Again."

"You know what? You think we're trapped in your hell? I have to spend every day on repeat with the person I like least on this earth! Maybe we're trapped in mine." Bonnie snatched her teddy bear off the table and stomped off.

* * *

><p>*Today*<p>

"So, Stefan, tell us," Enzo said. "This house…. Very charming. When'd you get it?" Dinner was over and now everyone was drinking wine. Everyone except Buffy. She wasn't touching anything that came in front of her.

Stefan was pouring wine into a glass from a fresh bottle he'd just uncorked. "About a month or so ago." He said. Buffy's angry eyes were still on him.

"No, more than that, remember?" Ivy said. "We met two months ago and you already had it."

"You've lived here for more than two months?" Buffy said, he voice lowering almost into a growl.

"Yeah…. I guess I have." Stefan sat back down. He had no idea what Buffy would do. She hadn't been great at controlling her temper and he'd never seen her go angry this long without snapping.

"I was under the impression that you were living somewhere else doing the job you promised me you wouldn't give up on."

"I've…. moved on from that job."

"Boy, Stefan, I had no idea that was a choice. Move on. Why didn't I think of that?"

"Can we just drop it? I'm happy doing what I'm doing now, and that's all that should really matter, right?"

"What happened to not giving up on your family? What happened to making sure I was ok? _This_ is not ok, Stefan! _I_ am not ok!"

"There, darling." Enzo said, laying a soothing hand on Buffy's arm. "No need to make a scene. Really it's all just some big misunderstanding. Perhaps this will clear it all up." He grabbed his fork from the table and stabbed Stefan's hand to it.

Ivy screamed and looked around for help, but Buffy didn't move. "What the hell is wrong with you?" Stefan growled at Enzo.

"So many secrets…. What are you running from, Stefan?" Enzo removed the fork and the wound healed instantly.

"Um, I-I don't…." Ivy started.

"Enzo, take Ivy upstairs and compel a nice little story for all of this mess." Buffy ordered. Enzo started to protest, but she turned her glare on him.

He sighed and was suddenly standing in front of Ivy. He grabbed her by her chin and caught her gaze. "Calm down, come upstairs with me." Ivy followed Enzo upstairs and Buffy turned back to Stefan. She was still sitting there, but she was now leaning forward with her muscles ready to pounce. "How could you, Stefan? How give up on us? How could you give up on Damon?"

"You don't know what you're talking about."

"You said!" Buffy surged up and Stefan found himself pinned to the wall by his neck. "You said you would never give up on Damon and here you are! Living another life behind my back! Do you realize how betrayed I feel…. By my own brother? _You_ are the one who always cared. You cared more than anyone. How could you just…. You just stopped caring."

"I had to. I had to move on. The months before I moved here, I was following every lead that Alaric sent my way. I spoke to every witch, every shaman, every psychic in 20 countries around the globe, and every lead was a dead end."

"You don't know that! Enzo has another lead, there's this coven in Oregon…."

"The Gemini Coven, yeah I looked into them too. Buffy, there was nothing there. Because there's nothing we can do. Damon and Bonnie are dead. I had to come to terms with that. And once I did, I had to start over. I couldn't just live my life with my old friends, I couldn't just go near Mystic Falls or Elena or…."

"What about me?" Stefan looked away guiltily and Buffy let him go. "You're my brother, Stefan. You made a promise to me and you broke it."

"I had to move on. I didn't have a choice. I had to erase everything."

"Then why did you come back to check on me? If you don't care?" Buffy waited for an answer, but when Stefan couldn't provide one, she shoved him backwards and walked out of the house.

* * *

><p>*Today*<p>

Damon sat on the ground in the hallway, throwing a ball at the wall and catching it when it returned. Four months. It had been four months since coming to this mid-90s hell. He was going crazy. Sometimes he got dreams about his wife, but he wasn't always sure if what he heard and saw was actually what she really sounded like and really looked like.

He stopped throwing the ball and looked at it for a long moment before angrily throwing it down the hallway. Getting up, Damon walked into the room that Buffy had once called hers and turned on the light. It looked almost exactly as it had when Buffy had taken it over. She'd eventually changed the decor and then turned it into her personal closet when she'd moved into Damon's room.

He laid down on the bed and turned to look at where Buffy would've been lying next to him. A memory popped into his head and he could hear it being played out.

_Damon took her hand and led her over to the bed. "Tell me more about you."_

"_Why are you so interested in me?" Buffy asked as she climbed up onto the bed and curled up against the headboard._

_Damon laid down next to her and stretched out on his back, resting his head on his hands. "You're an enigma. I can't quite figure you out."_

"_Do you think you will?"_

_He looked over at her. "I hope I don't, actually."  
>"I'm good at surprising people."<em>

"_That I can believe."_

Damon felt tears sliding down his cheeks and he pressed his face into the pillow. His heart hurt. He missed Buffy more than he ever thought possible. And he was terrified that he was never going to get to see her again.

* * *

><p>*Today*<p>

Buffy sat in her car, sobbing. Enzo hadn't come out of the house yet. She hadn't been able to stand the sight of Stefan a moment longer. Once the car door had closed, she'd completely lost it. Stefan had been so cold. She'd never seen him that way. Even when he'd shut off his emotions, he'd still cared about his brother and about her.

Suddenly her cell phone started ringing. Without checking to see who it was, she answered it. "Hello?"

"Buffy? I was just calling to see how you were. Is everything all right?"

"Elijah…. Hi. No, everything is not all right."

"Is there anything I can do?"

Buffy let out a choked sob. "Remind Stefan what it means to be a good brother?"

"What has he done?"

"He gave up. He abandoned his home…. His friends…. His brother…. He lost hope."

Elijah let out a sigh. "I'm very sorry, Buffy. That's an unexpected turn of events from Stefan Salvatore."

"I don't know what to do. He says that there's no hope left for bringing Damon back."

"I believe that there is always hope. Never would I have believed that Klaus could truly care for anyone other than himself until you came along. You are constantly pulling off the impossible. I have faith that you will do it again."

Buffy nodded. "How is Klaus?"

"About as well as can be expected under the circumstances. He asks after you every now and then."

"Why hasn't he called?"

"Both of you are going through similar, painful experiences. Why haven't you called?"

Buffy nodded. "Touché."

"I'll see if I can get him to call you soon."

"It's ok. He doesn't have to." Buffy spotted Enzo walking out of the house. "Elijah, I have to go. I really appreciate you calling to check on me."

"You're one of the very few people I call a friend, Buffy. I want to make sure you're all right after the tragedy you've been through."

"Thank you."

"I will talk to you again soon."

"Good. I look forward to it. Bye, Elijah." Buffy hung up and closed her eyes, letting the tears slide down her face unobstructed.

Enzo opened the door and got into the car. "Oh, well that was a bit of a bust." He noticed that she was crying. "Hey, hey." Enzo gently grabbed her face and turned her to him. "I'll be right back."

"No, Enzo…" Buffy shook her head. She set her forehead against the steering wheel and closed her eyes. She knew she should go after him, but a part of her felt like Stefan deserved whatever punishment he got.

Inside the house, Stefan was leaning against the counter. Ivy walked into the room. "Hey, did your friend and sister leave?"

"Yeah." Stefan said. He turned around to find Enzo had Ivy by her neck with both his hands. "Let her go."

"Ok." Enzo snapped her neck, letting her body fall to the ground.

"No!" Stefan rushed at Enzo, but Enzo threw him back to the ground. "I've got a girl out there crying over you, because she cares so much. I'm over here trying to figure out why, because I can't see what's worth caring about. You know Damon once told me that he promised you an eternity of misery. And I remember thinking 'well what could his brother have ever done to inspire so much hatred?' But now I get it. You're not a brother to him. Or to her. Brothers don't give up. So every time I see you doing anything that looks like you've done so, every time you try to start over in a life that's nothing but a lie, I will make you pay. I will be the one to bring you the misery you deserve." Stefan growled and rushed at Enzo again, but he snapped Stefan's neck. "See? We're all still neck-people."

* * *

><p>*Today*<p>

Bonnie stood behind the stove mixing beans in a pot. She scooped out two bowls of it and walked over to the table. Damon was sitting down, staring at the fire in the fireplace. She set a bowl in front of him before sitting across from him. Damon unfolded his napkin and Bonnie handed him a spoon. He smiled at her as a thank you and looked down at his food. He didn't bring it to his lips though.

Bonnie looked up at his sad eyes and gave him a sympathetic look. He'd gotten more melancholy in the last few weeks. "I miss them too, you know."

Damon looked up at her and eventually nodded his agreement. Bonnie looked back at her food and began to eat. He grabbed the newspaper on the table and stared at it. "Look who got 27 across."

"I wish. 27 across is a rock I am pushing up an endless mountain."

"It's an old tongue twister Eddie turned top 40. Eddie Vedder…. Pearl Jam. Yellow Ledbetter." He set the newspaper down.

Bonnie grabbed the newspaper and looked at the puzzle. Sure enough, 27 across was filled in with YELLOW LEDBETTER. "Are you messing with me?"

"No. You messing with me?"

"I didn't finish this."

"Well, neither did I."

Bonnie set the newspaper down and looked around. "There's someone else here."


	110. Chapter 108

_**A/N Sorry it took so long! Hope you guys enjoy!**_

Chapter 108

Buffy sat in her living room sipping at a mug of blood. She stared into the fireplace as Enzo poked at the fire. It was actually hot outside, but he knew that Buffy liked a good fire for comfort. He turned around and sat down across from her.

"How are you, love?"

"Hurt." Buffy said. "Pissed off." She placed her face in her hand. "God, I wish Damon was here."

"We need to figure out what's our next move to get him back."

She looked up at him, moving her hand down her face to rest on her cheek. "I don't even know where to start. If Stefan's right…."

"He's not right. Don't you lose hope, too. I won't allow it."

"I'm not…. I would never give up on Damon because he would never give up on me. I just don't know where to go from here. All those leads didn't pan out."

"We'll figure something out." Enzo patted her knee and stood up. "I'm going to go clean up. Meet me for breakfast in a couple of hours at the diner."

"Yeah, ok." Buffy continued to stare at the flames, sipping at her blood, as Enzo walked out of the apartment. Outside the window, the sun was just beginning its ascent into the sky.

Alaric's bedroom door opened and he poked his head out. "You're back." He came out to join her in the living room, sitting down next to her. "That was fast."

"We didn't go to Oregon." Buffy said. "We found Stefan."

"I thought you knew where he was."

"Well, I thought he was travelling and following the leads you'd been sending him, but nope. For the last two months or more he's been living his own, normal life…. Dating some girl named Liv…. Working at an auto repair shop…. Pretending to be human. He really did give up."

"That doesn't sound like Stefan at all."

"He said he didn't want anything to do with his old life. That he had to erase everything."

"Then why did he come here and stay with you? If he was trying to cut ties with his life here…. Why?" Alaric asked.

"He wouldn't answer me."

Alaric reached over and took her hand. "I'm sorry, Buffy. What are we going to do now?"

"I don't know." She moved over and curled up against Alaric. He wrapped his arm around her and kissed the top of her head. "My family fell apart and I don't know how to fix it."

"We'll figure something out, Buff. We will. For now…. We just need to go back to plan A. We take it one day at a time. I'll keep hunting for leads and maybe we can get Willow to look harder into a way to bring him back." Buffy stayed silent, but her suddenly stiff body told Alaric that he shouldn't have mentioned Willow. Buffy was still upset at what Willow had done to her over the last four months. "She meant well."

"I know that. It doesn't make it any easier or me any less upset. She should've told me about it. No, she should've asked my permission."  
>"I completely agree, but she's your best friend. You should at least talk to her."<p>

"Rick, can I just spend the morning sulking until I have to go meet Enzo? I don't want to talk about all the problems I've had going on since my husband died."

He sighed. "Sure. You can sulk. But at some point, you're going to have to deal with Willow."

"In the words of Scarlett O'Hara, 'I can't think about that today. I'll think about it tomorrow.'" Buffy smiled slightly and sat up. "Did you know that was one of Damon's favorite movies? Gone With the Wind?"

Alaric smiled slightly. Buffy talking about Damon without completely breaking down was a new thing. "I didn't know that. I would never have pegged him for an epic romance movie type of guy."

"I once told him that I was good at surprising people, but he was the one constantly surprising me." She looked down at her wedding and engagement rings, fiddling with them. He spotted the tears fall from her face down onto her fingers. "Rick…. What if I never get him back? What am I supposed to do?"

"I don't have an answer for that, Buff. I wish I did, but I don't."

Buffy nodded and stood up. "I'm going to go take a shower and get changed." She walked into her bedroom and shut the door behind her.

* * *

><p>*1994 Bizarro World*<p>

Damon leaned against a shopping cart, pushing it down the aisle, with Bonnie walking beside him. They were strolling through the aisles of the deserted grocery store shopping for their daily supplies. It was a real pain in the ass when the world around them reset and the food they'd collected disappeared.

"Did you and Buffy ever grocery shop together?" Bonnie asked.

Damon looked over at her incredulously. "Of course we did."

"I was just asking. I never saw you two leave the house for groceries."

"Well, we did. Not very often because Stefan liked to be Susie Homemaker, but every now and then Buffy and I would enjoy a trip to the store."

"Did you let her push the cart or were you just as stubborn about sharing?"

"We both pushed it."

Bonnie chuckled. "You know, for a married vampire couple with one of you being a hybrid Vampire Slayer vampire, you two were weirdly normal."

"Ha!" Damon pointed out a doorway between two of the cold display cases. "We snuck back there once and…."

"Ok…. What have I told you about talking to me about sex stories with your wife?"

He shrugged. "One day, Bon-Bon, you're going to have a husband and all you'll want to do is have sex and be happy and tell the world how happy you are. But for all that magic to happen, you need to get us out of here!"

"I'm working on it." Bonnie reached into the cart and picked up a small piece of paper. "We need strawberries." Damon made a noise in his throat. "Eggs, milk and…. ooh candles." She picked up one and set it in the cart.

"I know it's been awhile, but you couldn't do magic as an anchor, so I'm curious what momentary lapse of reason makes you think you can do it now?"

"You know, when all this started, you sucked at making pancakes but now they're somewhat edible. Milk."

"My wife loves my pancakes." Damon stopped the cart, opened one of the refrigerator doors, and grabbed a carton of milk, setting it in the cart.

"That's because she loves you. And there's no reason to be Peter Pessimist. We have proof we're not alone."

"First of all. Don't nickname, that's my thing. And this proof…. This mysteriously filled in crossword, could very easily have been you."

"I didn't fill it in."

"No. You don't know you filled it in. You also don't know that you talk in your sleep. Eggs."

Bonnie opened the fridge beside them and grabbed the eggs. "What are you saying? Are you saying I sleep crossword?"

"I'm saying it makes more sense than the alternative." He snatched the eggs and slammed them in the cart.

"I get what you're doing."

"What am I doing?"

"You refuse to have hope that you'll see Buffy again so you don't have to be disappointed."

"Actually, I don't refuse to have hope. I hope, but it's hope that my wife and her best friend…. The all powerful witch that brought Buffy back to life…. Are working on finding a way out. My hope lies with them. Not you and your non-magic-y self!"

"Pork rinds."

"Not on the list and ew."

"No, Damon, there were pork rinds on this shelf. There have been pork rinds here on every shopping trip we've had for the past 4 months." Suddenly, the music from the carousel outside started playing. "You hear that?" She hurried out of the store and Damon followed. Sure enough, the little carousel outside was going in circles and playing its music. "Hmm, you hear that, Damon? That's what hope sounds like."

Damon opened the switch box of the horse carousel and plucked at the wires. "It's gotta be a short, faulty wiring, something."

"Or someone put a quarter in it and turned it on." Bonnie said.

"You know I'm a little confused with all this misplaced hope. All right, let's just say there's someone here. How do you know we're gonna get out?"

"Well, you say that this is your hell right? If there's someone else here, that means it's not your hell, and if it's not your hell that means Grams put us here, and if Grams put us here there's a way out."

"That's a hell of a logic knot you've tied for yourself."

"Thank you. So now that we have properly placed our hope, let's play a game. When we get out, what's the first thing you're gonna tell Buffy?"

"I killed Bonnie, but you'll understand that she was the most annoying person in the world." Damon stood up and walked towards the parking lot. "She wouldn't shut up. She just kept talking. I mean, it's a wonder I made it as long as I did, but here's the thing, I think it's better this way because she didn't have magic, and she was pretty much useless."

"Damon."

"What?"

"I don't know…. You still think I'm useless?" She pointed to a very familiar car sitting in a parking spot. It was Damon's blue convertible.

Damon checked the plates and smiled brightly. "That's my car. That's my car!" He opened the top and hopped in the driver's seat. "Oh, you beautiful thing you!" He grabbed the wheel and started making car sounds with his mouth, pretending that he was driving fast down an open road.

"How much longer are we gonna listen…."

"Shh, shh, shh, shh! This sound is the opposite sound of your voice and I so enjoy it."

"How did it even get here, Damon? Did you leave it here in 1994?"

"I don't know, Bonnie. It was 18 years ago. Had a lot going on that day."

"Ok. So you admit that it's pretty unlikely that you did."

"Very unlikely."

"Which would stand to reason that…."

"Someone may have put it here, Bonnie. Yes, I admit that." He glanced over at the passenger's seat and sighed. He had a sudden flash of Buffy's face looking at him with worry as he sped towards The Grill. "I'm gonna tell Buffy how much I love her." Bonnie smiled. "And then I'm gonna apologize for killing you."

"Wait. Did you just see that?"

Damon turned around just in time to see a figure running behind a parked car. "I did that time. Let's go meet our little friend."

* * *

><p>Buffy sighed. "Elena, I really don't want to go to a party." She looked at Enzo grinning at her across the table and threw a spoon at him.<p>

"It would do you some good." Elena said. "You need some fun."

"I don't need fun. I need to stay focused on what I'm doing."

"What _are_ you doing?"

"Working on finding a way to bring Damon and Bonnie back. Something no one else seems to be interested in except Enzo."

"I'm interested. You know that I am, but you need to take a minute and recharge. Come have a little bit of fun. And besides, Stefan will be there."

"I don't want to speak to that prick."

"He wants to apologize."

"Yes, I've gotten and deleted every one of his messages. I'm not interested in an apology."

"He's your brother, Buffy."

"Only by marriage."

"You love him. He's your family."

"And just because he's family doesn't mean that I have to like him. Cause I don't."

"Will you at least consider coming to the party?"

"No."

"Jeremy is coming."

"He's actually venturing out of his bubble?"

"Yeah! You should come say hi. Check on him. Talk to him."

Buffy sighed and looked at Enzo. "Do you want to go?"

"To a college party?" Enzo asked. "Could be fun. Will Caroline be there?"

"Probably. Why?"

"Then, yes. I want to go."

"Enzo and I will stop by later for a little bit. But do me a favor? Keep Stefan away from me."

"I'm not making any promises." Elena said. "See ya later!" She hung up before Buffy could say anything else.

Buffy rolled her eyes and looked at Enzo. "Why did you ask if Caroline would be there?"

"I like her. She's feisty." Enzo got up to go pay the check and Buffy spotted a red spot on his shirt.

"Blood or pie?" She asked, gesturing at the spot.

He dabbed his finger on the spot and tasted it. "That would be Shirley…. A special off the menu item. This little diner is surprisingly well stocked."

"Enzo, seriously? Did you at least snatch, eat, and erase?"

"Funny thing about that…. You do the first two properly, the third isn't necessary."

"Enzo!"

"Oh, don't act all shocked."

"I'm not shocked. I'm annoyed. You can't go around killing people. It leads to official investigations."

"I'm terrified. I already have three warnings. One more is a fine."

"Maybe for you, but I don't have the time or the patience to deal with all of that."

Enzo leaned down and kissed Buffy's cheek. "So don't."

He walked off and Buffy groaned, burying her face in her hands. "Damon, I seriously need you right now."

* * *

><p>Buffy walked to the clearing that Elena had asked to meet her in and found the tall brunette dialing a number on her phone. She glanced over Elena's shoulder and saw that she was calling Stefan. "Oh good, he's not here." Buffy said.<p>

Elena startled and whipped around to stare at Buffy. "God! Make a noise when you're sneaking up on people."

"I wasn't sneaking." She walked around to sit down next to Elena. "Where is that betraying brother of mine? I'd like to not be here when he is."

"He said he was here to apologize."

"Lying is one of his new things."

Caroline walked up to the clearing. "I'm here. Where is everyone? Buffy!" She plopped down next to Buffy and gave her a hug. "It is so great to see you out and about and socializing."

"I'm not staying."

"You have to!" Elena said. "You're already here."

"And I really don't want to be."

Tyler and Matt walked up to the clearing next. "Buffy." Matt said. "Hey!"

"Where's Jeremy?" Buffy asked him. "Didn't he come with you?"

"No. He came with that girl Sarah."

"What girl Sarah?"

"The one that you bit outside of town and Caroline compelled to forget."

"Why is he with her?"

"Beats me."

"Hey. Have you guys seen Stefan?" Elena asked.

"I didn't even know he was back."

"So you want to fill us in on what we're doing here?" Tyler asked.

"You don't remember this place?" Elena said. "We used to sneak off here and get wasted while our parents were outside grilling. Granted, we all have a few less parents, and my legal guardian is here now, but we can still have fun." She reached into a bag and offered them all Jell-O shots.

Tyler stepped back. "Actually, I can't. I'm working on my rage issues, and this wouldn't help."

"My buddy's wasted, and I've got to train in the morning, so…." Matt said.

"Ok. Well, I don't want to sound like an alcoholic, but I do want a shot, so will someone do one with me?"

Caroline raised her hand. "Done!"

"Buffy?"

Buffy shook her head. "No thanks. Never was one for Jell-O shots."

Elena handed a shot to Caroline. "Bottoms up."

"Mmm!" Caroline said after the two girls threw back the shots. "Well…. Here we are, having fun. I'm having fun. Aren't we having fun? This is really fun."

"Nice sarcasm." Buffy said.

"Ok. Clearly, this was a big mistake." Elena said. "I just wanted to spend one afternoon where we pretend for just one second like we're not all drifting apart."

"Well, that's the problem, Elena. Not all of us are ok with pretending." Caroline said. "Some of us prefer to face our problems head-on."

"I think we should go." Tyler said.

"Yeah." Matt agreed. The two of them waved at Buffy and left.

Elena looked at Caroline. "What's going on?"

"I'm just lonely, ok? And Bonnie's gone…. Stefan's gone. Buffy's busy dealing with her grief."

"I'm still here, Car."

"Yeah. You're still here." Caroline sighed and walked off.

Elena looked at Buffy. Buffy sighed. "Welcome to life after high school, Elena. Your friends start to find their niche in the world and you feel like you're being left behind."

"But what was that comment about facing our problems head on?"

"I think she means that you're not dealing with what Stefan's done. You should be pretty damn angry at him."

"He lost his brother. He was trying to deal with it."

"No, Elena. He was running away from it. He stopped caring about the people in his life because thinking about Damon hurt him too much. He's not dealing with it at all." Buffy stood up. "I'll see you later." She headed off to head back to her apartment, but just before she opened the door to the building, she turned and headed down a couple of streets over.

* * *

><p>*1994 Bizarro World*<p>

"It was behind the pickup." Bonnie insisted.

"No. It was in the front." Damon argued.

"Are you sure?"

"Yes. Absolutely I'm sure. It was right there." He turned towards the back of the truck where a tarp was flapping in the wind. "It was a tarp. We saw a tarp." Suddenly the horse carousel turned on and music started playing. "And that…. that is on a timer. That turned on by itself."

"But your car."

"I left it here in '94."

"And the crossword?"

"You filled it out, Bonnie. Which means we're alone in my own hell with no Grams escape hatch."

"Give me your ring."

"What?"

"Give me your ring." Bonnie grabbed his hand and tried to snatch it, but Damon resisted her. "If this is your hell, if it's so bad, why don't you just end it? Hope is the only thing keeping me going, Damon, so if you're really done, then be done because this isn't helping."

Damon watched her walk away and turned to head back into the store. "I have hope. Just not in you. I know that my wife is out there…. Somewhere…. And she's going to find a way to bring me back." He headed to the aisle of liquor and picked up a bottle of bourbon. A sound nearby drew his attention away and he put the bottle back. When he moved a little further down the aisle, he spotted a man lounging on a patio chair munching on the missing pork rinds.

"Rough day, huh, Damon? Sorry. Manners. I'm Kai. Nice to meet you. Pork rind?"

Damon stared at the newcomer, but the chomping on the pork rinds was getting annoying. "That is gonna have to stop."

"Oh, you think this is annoying? Hmm. Try listening to you and Bonnie bicker every 5 minutes."

"So you've been following us."

"Of course I have. You two are the closest thing I have a to a TV. I mean, you're no _Baywatch_, but…. Remember _Baywatch_?"

"No, I do not."

"Oh. Oh, man, you gotta watch it. You like lifeguards, like…. Hot ones?"

"This has been a monumentally bad day in a sea of bad days, so I'm gonna need to know who you are, what you're doing here, and how it relates to me, or I'm gonna rip your throat out."

"Temper's gonna get you in trouble, Damon. It's already driven Bonnie away how many times? Oh, oh, oh, wait. I know. Thirteen."

"You think my temper's bad with her? I like her. You not so much." Damon rushed Kai and grabbed him up by his collar.

"Ok. Ok. Sorry. Seriously, I'm just kind of rusty on the face-to-face type human interactions."

Damon dropped him. "Answers now."

"Maybe you should have a drink. That usually calms you down."

"Thanks." Damon made his way back over to his bottle of bourbon.

"Then makes you angry, then sad, then calm again. It's a weird cycle, and look, if you really want to know the reason I'm following you, it's because I want to kill you." Kai watched as Damon took a swig of the bourbon and began coughing it back out. "Vervain in your bourbon. Who didn't see that one coming?" Damon collapsed to his knees, his mouth burning from the vervain. "Who buys patio furniture from a grocery store? I mean, somebody must. Otherwise, it…. it wouldn't be here," Kai picked up a beach umbrella and broke it's wooden end into two piece. "But now I'm a little unfamiliar with vampires, but from what I've gathered, a stake in the heart should do it, right?" Damon reached out to grab Kai, but Kai stabbed him through his hand. "You can always fight dirty, Damon. Like that time you and Bonnie played monopoly and you stole from the bank. Not cool."

Damon managed to free his hand and stood up. "I'm gonna rip your head off."

"No. You're not." Kai smashed all of the bottles on the shelf and the liquid from them burned Damon's skin where it splashed him. He fell to the floor again. "I didn't know which bottle you'd take, so I vervained them all." He raised the other half of the umbrella to stab Damon.

"Stay away from him." Bonnie said, appearing behind Damon.

"The useless one is here. Thank God. I've watched you try to do magic for months now. What are you gonna do, fail at me? It's embarrassing. I'm embarrassed for you." Bonnie looked at Damon for a moment before turning to look at a candle on a side shelf. Much to everyone's amazement, it lit up.

"Uh-oh." Kai said.

"Run." Bonnie said to Damon. He used his vampire speed and got out of the aisle. "Phesmatos Incendia." Fire lit up the alcohol on the floor around Kai.

He held up his hands. "Ok. Ok. Ok."

"Giving up so soon? I'm embarrassed for you."

Damon appeared behind Kai and knocked him out. He looked over at Bonnie. "Sorry I called you the most annoying person in the world. I hadn't met him yet."

* * *

><p>Buffy knocked on Willow's door and waited. A few moments later, the red head opened the door. Her face lit up, but then sobered quickly. "Hey, Buffy."<p>

"Hey."

"Tara told me about Stefan. I'm really sorry."

"Yeah. Me too. Can I…." Buffy gestured past Willow.

"Oh, yeah! I forgot you haven't been here." Willow stepped out of the way. "Come in." Buffy stepped over the threshold and Willow shut the door behind her. "Buffy, I'm really sorry about what I did."

"I know you are." Buffy turned around and looked Willow in the eyes. "Why didn't you ask me if it was ok?"

"To be honest, I don't know. I just…. I hated seeing you so sad. I wanted to give you a little bit of happy."

"It wasn't real, though. And because of it, I almost killed a girl. If Caroline hadn't showed up, I would have."

"I didn't know that would happen. I never would have done it if I'd known."

"You never should have done it in the first place." Buffy sat down. "I thought he was real. I thought I was somehow connecting with my dead husband and when I found out…. It was like losing him all over again."

"I'm sorry."

"I know. I know you are. And I'm working on forgiving you. I kind of have a lot going on right now. My emotional cup run-eth over."

"What can I do to help?"

"I need you to find a way to bring Damon back. You did it for me. There has to be another way."

"I don't know of any other way, Buffy. And he didn't die by any supernatural means…."

"But _he_ was supernatural."

"So was Tara when she died, but I couldn't raise her back from the dead because she was killed by human means."

"Damon was killed under a mystical bubble as he blew up a bunch of Travelers."

"You're reaching."

"Maybe! But at least I'm trying!"

Willow sighed and sat down. "I have a theory."

"A theory?"

"It's not really one that's panned out, but…. What if, when the Other Side collapsed, Damon didn't move on to whatever is beyond that?"

"What do you mean?"

"I mean, what if he's…. somewhere else?"

"Where else would he be?"

"I don't know. That's the part that I'm still…. Panning."

Before Buffy could say anything, her cell phone started ringing. It was Enzo. "What?"

"I have a bit of a problem, love."

"Don't we all?"

"I just killed a vampire hunter."

"Those still exist around here?"

"I'm in the woods near the party."

Buffy groaned. "Fine. I'm on my way." She stood up.

"Do you need some help?" Willow asked hopefully.

"Not for this. Just…. Keep panning on that theory. Bring my husband back." Buffy turned and rushed out. She used her super speed and listened for Enzo's voice.

"You've got to be bloody kidding me. I just saved your life." Enzo was saying.

"So you can give me a lifetime full of misery." She heard Stefan say. He was standing in front of Enzo pointing a gun at him. "Well, that's fine. I'm just gonna shorten the lifetime."

Buffy suddenly appeared between the two vampires. "Stefan."

"Good news, Buffy." Enzo said. "I thwarted a vampire hunter. Bad news…. Stefan has become a vampire hunter."

"What the hell do you think you're doing?" Buffy asked Stefan, ignoring Enzo.

"Why don't you ask him?" Stefan lowered the gun and walked away.

Buffy sighed and turned to Enzo. "Ok, what did you do?"

"He's probably pissed off that I killed his little girlfriend."

"Enzo!"

"What?! You can't tell me you didn't want to hurt him."

"Not by killing some random bystander! It wasn't her fault that Stefan was using her to hide behind." Buffy turned and started to walk away.

"Where are you going?"

"To find Stefan and apologize for your rash decisions. It's like dealing with Damon when I first met him!"

"Aren't you going to help get rid of the body?"

"It's your mess. You clean it up." She finally caught up with Stefan and rushed in front of him. "I didn't know about Ivy. I am sorry that he killed her. But you have to admit…."

"What? That I was fooling myself? I was using her as an escape? Yeah, I know what you think, Buffy."

"Yes, that is what I think. I was going to say 'but killing Enzo won't bring her back'."

"No, but it will stop him from reminding me of my brother. I kill him, I can leave this place, and I can start over again."

Buffy shook her head. That wasn't what she'd expected to hear. "Move on? So why did you leave all those messages on my phone promising me apologies? Why did you visit Elena and come to this party? To kill Enzo and start over?"

"Yep."

"You're a terrible liar, Stefan. You should've just stuck with the silent treatment. Or are you ready to answer my question?"

"Which one? You've asked so many."

"Don't get sarcastic with me. I'm on the verge of snapping your neck and pulling a Silas. My question that you never answered was: Why did you come back to check on me all those times? And the answer is: Part of you misses this place and your friends. I know that being back here reminds you of how much we need you." Buffy felt the angry tears start to slide down her cheeks. "How much I need my brother…." She wiped the tears away. "But if I'm wrong, then leave. Just go. Start over. I'll mourn both Salvatore brothers alone! But if just a little part of you came back to check on Elena, who's missed you for four months and begged me for updates on you every day…. Or Alaric who just came back from the dead…. Then stay." Stefan waited for a moment but then turned and vanished suddenly. Buffy started to cry and the closest tree was kicked over in her anger. Elena, who had been making her way towards the sound of Buffy's angered voice, walked up and hugged Buffy tightly.

* * *

><p>*1994 Bizarro World*<p>

Kai, who was now tied to a chair in front of the fireplace at Damon's house, was slowly regaining consciousness. Damon and Bonnie stood in front of him. They'd argued about Damon torturing Kai, but Damon tried never to lose an argument.

"You're awake. Good." Damon said. "Now for the Q&A portion of the evening."

"Let me guess." Kai said. "I answer right, I get a pork rind. Wrong, I get a poker."

"What? No, no, no. These are for me." Damon held up the pork rinds and smiled. "You just get the poker."

"Yeah. You don't have to do that."

"No?"

"We're on the same team."

"Really?" Bonnie asked. "Do you always try and kill your teammates?"

"The important thing is that you have your magic back. It worked." Damon and Bonnie looked at each other dubiously. "What, you…. you didn't really think I'd kill Damon, did you? In what universe does that make sense? Who would kill 1/3 of our population? I'm not a monster. I knew Bonnie would show up. She always comes back, all thirteen times, and I knew with the right motivation she'd be able to access her magic. Although I…. I did get a little worried with all your bickering that Damon's life wouldn't be enough motivation, but turns out it was. I guess that's just how you two show your love."

"So you did all that just to make sure I would have my magic?"

"Of course I did. Because your magic is the key to getting the hell out of here." Kai gave them a smirk.

* * *

><p>Buffy and Elena walked back towards Buffy's car. Jeremy spotted them and walked over. "Have you guys seen Sarah?"<p>

"No. Why?" Elena asked.

"There's no ice."

"I think you'll live, Jer."

Jeremy pointed at a girl walking away from the cooler. "Caroline compelled that girl to go get ice. She didn't."

Caroline, who was already making her way over to Buffy and Elena, heard the comment and rushed over. "Well, why not? Is she on vervain?"

"No. She had to go into Mystic Falls to get it. She had to cross the border."

"Compulsion is magic." Buffy said.

"Which means that every memory Caroline compelled away came back. So Sarah, the girl you attacked," Jeremy looked at Buffy. "And you compelled…." He looked at Caroline.

"Knows what I am." Buffy said. "Well, this day couldn't get any worse."


	111. Chapter 109

Chapter 109

Jeremy sat between Buffy and Alaric in the hospital waiting room. Buffy didn't look too happy as she as Jeremy leaned down and vomited into a vomit bag. Alaric shook his head and patted his back. "Atta boy. Get her all out."

Matt, who was on the other line of Buffy's phone, said, "Is he seriously still wasted?"

"Yes. Yes, he is. He showed up on our doorstep at four this the morning beyond drunk. Pretty sure there's not even a word for how drunk he was. What happened to you two looking for Sarah together?"

"I did my part." Jeremy groaned. "She is definitely not hiding in the Salvatore liquor cabinet."

"You are in major trouble if you've destroyed my husband's liquor collection." Buffy smacked Jeremy on the back of the head, causing him to retch. "Matt, what about your vampire-hating neighborhood watch guy? If Sarah goes to him for help, that's a problem."

"I'm on my way to Tripp's office now. I think I can get him to trust me and tell me what he knows."

"Ok. Be safe." Buffy hung up as she spotted Jo walking down the hall.

"Hello, Buffy." Jo said. She saved a smile for Alaric. "Hi Alaric."

"Hi." Alaric stood up.

"Who do we have here?"

"This is Jeremy." Buffy said, hauled Jeremy up on his feet. "Jeremy Gilbert. He's a little…."

"Underage?"

"Pretty much."

"Yeah, I can see that."

"We were hoping you could give him one of those, uh, rapid-rehydration hangover-cure-type things." Alaric said.

"Oh, yeah. You mean, the ones we reserve for professional athletes and starving children in third-world countries? Yeah. I think we'll start with a full workup…." Jo held up an empty urine cup up and handed it to Jeremy. "Physical, blood, toxicology…."

"Hey, can you throw in an STD screening while you're at it?" Buffy asked cheerfully.

Jeremy took the cup and rolled his eyes at Buffy. "Really?"

"Oh yeah!"

Jo stepped out of the way and gestured at Jeremy. "Down the hall to the right." Jeremy groaned and walked away. Jo turned back to Alaric and Buffy. "Do I want to know?"

"It's just another day in the wacky life of a legal guardian to a hormonal, angsty teenage boy and an occult studies professor." Buffy said.

"Well, if that entails supervising drunk morons, then we have a lot more in common than I thought!" Alaric laughed as Jo handed Buffy a clipboard. "Oh, what beautiful rings!"

"Thank you." Buffy smiled slightly, trying to stifle the sadness that hit her when she looked at her wedding ring and engagement ring.

"Your husband has good taste."

"I like to think so."

"Will I ever get to meet him? Every time I see you, you're with Alaric, here."

"Oh, Damon is…. Away."

"On business." Alaric added. "He's away on business and Buffy's living with me until he gets back."

"Oh. What does he do?" Jo asked.

"He's…."

"A travel guide writer." Buffy finished. "He writes travel guides."

"Exotic." Jo said.

"I usually travel with him, but with Elena in college and Jeremy acting like…. Well, Jeremy…. I decided to stay here this time. Alaric was kind enough to open his spare bedroom up for me while Damon's…. away."

Jo smiled up at Alaric. "You're so sweet."

Buffy glanced between them and stepped back. "I'm just going to go fill this out now." She gave a quick wink at Alaric and walked over to sit back down.

* * *

><p>Jo joined Buffy and Alaric in the waiting room again. They'd been there for a couple of hours making plans for what they were going to do with Jeremy. "Quite a boozer, that kid." Jo announced. "Put him on a saline drip. He's lucky I didn't pump his stomach."<p>

"Yeah, you know, he's had a rough couple months." Alaric said.

"Did you bring him in here to put a Band-Aid on it and make some more excuses?"

"Oh, I like her." Buffy said.

Alaric blushed. "No, actually…."

"He really wanted to see you." Alaric gave Buffy a death glare, but she wasn't fazed. "I was really hoping for the stomach pump for Jeremy, but since that's a no go, the next step is a swift kick in the ass."

"Well, if he's anything like his sister, I'm sure he'll be fine." Jo said. "It's nothing I don't treat every single night on campus or didn't do myself when I was a student."

"Ok." Alaric said.

"What about you two? Born party animals?"

"Not really." Buffy said. "Mom died when I was young, so I ended up taking care of my teenage sister. Then I traveled the world a bit and met my husband and we ended up taking on Elena and Jeremy when their aunt…. Who was their legal guardian and one of my cousins…. Died."

"You didn't miss much."

"So I hear."

"What about you Alaric? Did you have any wild tendencies?"

"Oh, yeah, yeah…. I used to get kicked out of the library all the time, you know. Because it was closing." Alaric said.

"Right. Head in a Wiccan bible?" Buffy noticed Alaric's face and realized that there was a boy with blood on his face next to them. He had smelled the blood and was now trying not to show his vampire face. He wasn't paying attention to Jo at all. Jo noticed Alaric's attention wasn't with her either. "Ok, one more piece of professional advice: When a successful, sexy, and only moderately insecure doctor is flirting with you, give her your undivided attention." She turned and marched off.

"Why can't I control that?" Alaric hissed at Buffy.

"It takes time."

"You were among people after two weeks."

"You're among people just fine. Hospitals are different." Buffy gently gripped Alaric's bicep and pulled him away from the bleeding boy. "My first time in a hospital wasn't pleasant. I had to run out. You're doing good, Rick. I promise."

Alaric sighed and sat down. "I don't feel like it."

"Well, I could ask Elijah to come help you again. He knows what it's like to go through the exact same thing as you. I'm just a cheap copy."

"Ok, one…. You're not a cheap copy. You're unique and amazing. And two…. I don't want any of the Originals here again."

"Don't be so mean. Elijah was a big help when he was here."

"He was a big help _to you_. He didn't like me very much. And don't even get me started on Klaus."

"He liked you just fine. Elijah was just worried about me. And you didn't even interact with Klaus that much. He was hurting too bad." Alaric snorted. "Don't. He lost his daughter. For him to even come all the way here hurting as bad as he did…. It just shows how much he actually does care about people other than himself."

Alaric shook. "It amazes me sometimes that you can see the good in them."

"Because they're not all bad." Buffy wrapped her arms around Alaric's arm and laid her head on his bicep. "Rick, it's just like your relationship with Damon. You hated Damon when you first knew him, but now he's your best friend. It's the same thing with Elijah and Klaus for me."

He sighed. "I'll take your word for it."

"They're my friends. And they could be yours, too, if you'd give them a chance."

"Lucky for me, they live in New Orleans now."

Buffy released his arm and shook her head. "I'll never understand why I'm the only one willing to give them a chance. You went psycho and tried to kill us all, but I'm not holding that against you." She stood up. "I'm going to go check on Jeremy."

* * *

><p>Buffy sat on the ground, leaning against a tree, and watched Alaric and Jeremy spar. She was texting Enzo to see where he was, but getting no answer. It wasn't like him to just disappear on her with no warning. At least not since Damon had died.<p>

"You call this a fair fight?" Jeremy complained. "You're basically an Original Vampire."

"You've killed an Original before." Alaric said.

"Jeremy, quit whining and keep your head in the fight." Buffy said.

"And maybe keep it out of the bottle."

Jeremy threw Alaric to the ground. "Happy?"

Buffy was suddenly pinning Jeremy to a tree across the clearing. "We're trying to help you pull yourself together, Jeremy. Now what is your problem?"

"My problem is that everyone thinks I shouldn't have one." Buffy released him and stepped back. "I have the right to be myself right now. Bonnie is dead. She knew it was gonna happen and she said goodbye over the phone! Just so you…." He trailed off.

"Keep going. So what? So we could come back to life, right?"

"You two, Elena, Stefan, Tyler, Enzo…. She saved everybody but herself!"

"Did you miss the part where my husband is dead too?"

"But you got to say goodbye!"

"It doesn't matter!" Buffy took a deep breath to calm herself. "It doesn't matter that I got to say goodbye, Jeremy, because it still hurts. My husband is still gone. I'm still left to walk eternity without the man I love unless I can find some miracle to bring him and Bonnie back. So if you want to talk about resentment, then be my guest, but you're barking up the wrong trees with Alaric and I."

"But…."

"My wife ran away," Alaric snapped. "Because she would rather be a vampire than be married to me. Came to find out it was Damon who turned her. And then she died. And then Jenna…. she died. And then I died. And then the guy who killed my wife died. And I actually kinda miss him. And now I can't even talk to a girl without fantasizing biting into her neck. I mean, Jeremy, I have resentment for years. _Years_!"

Buffy nodded at Alaric and turned back to Jeremy. "We get it. We do, Jer. But we've got to find a way to keep going."

"I don't want to keep going."

"Neither do I. Not without Damon. But do you honestly think that Damon or Bonnie would want us to just stop existing?"

"What if you don't find a way to bring them back?"

"That's not an option for me."

"But what if…."

"Jeremy, I am standing in front of you and I was in my coffin for three months. If there was a way to bring me back, then there is a way to bring them back. But until then…. You need to take it one day at a time." She lightly punched Jeremy's shoulder. "And stay out of my liquor cabinet. Damon's going to be pissed when he gets back and finds out you drank it all."

* * *

><p>Buffy sat in the Salvatore crypt where she'd last seen Damon. Jeremy was sleeping on the couch at her and Alaric's apartment after a long day of training and getting the booze completely out of his system. He swore that he wasn't going to drink anymore. Buffy had decided that the crypt was the place to go when she wanted to talk to Damon. It was the last place she'd seen him. The place he'd been when the Other Side had collapsed. So she figured that if he could hear her from wherever he was, this was the place he would be able to hear her.<p>

As she sat there in the quiet dark, her cell phone started vibrating. She pulled it out and answered it. "Klaus."

"My parents are alive." Klaus said with no greeting.

"What?"

"My father is back from the dead. My mother is possessing a local witch."

"Well, good news? No one can get to the white oak stake. It's locked up in my house where no supernatural creature can get to it. And compulsion doesn't work in Mystic Falls, so that's a major plus."

"I'm asking for your help, Buffy."

"How am I supposed to help?"

"I was hoping you would come to New Orleans with Willow and see what she can do."

"Willow would never help you, you know that."

"But she would help you. Buffy, you know exactly what my mother and father both planned for me individually. Now that they're both back at the same time…."

"I get how bad it is, Klaus. They manage to kill you, I die too. There's no need to tell me."

"Then convince Willow of it. I need your assistance. Elijah and I both do."

Buffy sighed and looked around the crypt. This would put a hold on her efforts in searching for a way to bring Damon back. But then again, Esther had actually liked Buffy. Maybe she would help her bring Damon back. "I'll talk to her. I don't know if I can convince her, though. She's pretty anti-Klaus."

"Does that mean you're coming to New Orleans?"

"It means yes. I'm going to come help you. There's not much going on here that I can do. Give me a day or so to let me talk to Alaric about taking care of Jeremy and getting my things packed and…. I'll come down there."

"You have no idea what this means to me, Buffy."

"Yeah, well it's not an affirmation of love. I'm still looking for a way to bring my husband back from the dead. I'm just coming down to help a couple of friends who were there for me when I needed them."

"I'll see you soon, love."

"See you soon." Buffy hung up and looked around the crypt. "Please don't be mad at me for this, Damon. Maybe a trip to New Orleans will dig up something new to bring you back. I promise that I am _not_ giving up on you. I love you." She stood up and headed out of the crypt.


	112. Chapter 110

_**A/N Sometimes things never go according to plan...**_

Chapter 110

Buffy walked around her apartment in a pair of shorts and her bra and talking on the phone as she gathered odds and ends to throw in her suitcase. She'd spoken with Alaric that morning and he wasn't happy with what she was doing. They'd argued about it, but in the end Alaric finally admitted that making sure Klaus wasn't killed so none of his friends would die was a smart idea. Now she was trying to convince Willow of the same thing.

"I can't, Buffy." Willow said. "I've got classes and Tara…."

"Tara can come, too." Buffy insisted, grabbing her shampoo and conditioner from the shower and drying it on her towel. "Alaric can compel your teachers to believe you were there. This is important."

"So is bringing Damon back. I've been working on that…."

"What would be the point in bringing him back if the sire of our bloodline is killed and all of us with him?" Willow was quiet for a long moment. "You didn't hang up. I can hear you breathing."

"I'm thinking."

"What's there to think about, Willow? We go to New Orleans, we save Klaus and a good portion of our friends, and maybe get some help from Esther who has managed to come back from the dead all on her own!" There was a knock on the door and Buffy growled. "Hold on, Willow." She walked over to the door and opened it. Stefan was standing on the other side of threshold with a large black trunk in tow. "Stefan? What the hell do you want?"

Stefan pushed past her into the apartment. "I need a favor." He dropped the trunk on the floor.

"I don't think so." Stefan was moving around the room closing the curtains. "What are you doing? Get away from my curtains. And what's with the trunk?" She leaned down to open it.

"Hang on." Stefan managed to get the last curtain closed as the trunk lid opened and Ivy popped out of the chest.

"Where am I?" Ivy asked. She glared at Stefan. "What did you do?"

"Ivy…." Buffy looked between Stefan and a newly turned Ivy. "She's a vampire! How did this happen?"

"Uh, Enzo turned her." Stefan said.

"Then Stefan broke my neck and I woke up in a trunk." Ivy said.

"Right. So, I need a little bit of help."

"No." Buffy shook her head. "A _thousand_ times no."

"Just watch her for a little bit while I get Willow to make her a daylight ring. Show her the ropes, teach her some control."

"Ok, one: Willow and I are going out of town for a few days. And two: This is not my mess. This is _your_ mess. Therefore _you_ get to clean it up."

"This is a mess that wouldn't have happened if you had just left me alone."

"Excuse me?"

"Um, I can hear you, you know?" Ivy said. "I can hear everything, like, perfectly."

Buffy ignored her. "Do I need to remind you that there is a vampire hunter lurking around?"

"He's not here. He's in Savannah, which is why we're not."

Ivy plopped herself down on the couch. "You know the real tragedy in all this? I read _He's Just Not That Into You_, and…."

"Shut up!" Buffy and Stefan snapped at her.

Stefan grabbed Buffy's arm and pulled her a few steps away. "Look, Tripp Cooke has somehow decided to become the eastern seaboard's self-proclaimed vampire hunter. None of us are safe if we can't control ourselves. If anybody can teach her, it's you."

"Caroline is better at it. Dump this on her. I've got a friend to save."

"What friend?"

"None of your business."

"Can it wait just a couple of hours? Then you'll never have to deal with me again."

"As tempting as that offer is, my answer is no. My problems trump your problems. Deal with your newbie vamp girlfriend yourself." Stefan looked at her for a moment and then disappeared out the open doorway. Buffy rushed over to go after him, but realized she would be leaving a newbie vamp with no training alone in her apartment. "Oh, damn it!"

Ivy grinned at her when she turned around. "When do we eat?"

"Buffy?" Willow's voice came from the phone.

Buffy moved the phone to her ear. "Hey."

"What's going on?"

"Stefan just dumped his newly turned girlfriend on me and ran away."

"Are you serious?"

"He said he was going to have you make her a daylight ring." Buffy glanced at Ivy and then shut the front door and walked into her bedroom. She started opening and shutting drawers as she finished getting dressed. "If he shows up…."

"Oh, I'm not making a daylight ring for a vampire I don't know."

"Good." Buffy stuck her head out of her bedroom door. "Just sit tight, Ivy. I'll be with you in a minute."

"Hey, if you want to go on your trip, don't let me stop you." Ivy said. "I can come too."

"Uh, yeah…. No. Not happening. Too important and you're too new." Buffy tossed Ivy a shirt and a pair of yoga pants. "Here, change into those. You're covered in blood." She went back into her bedroom and said to Willow, "We're still going, it just may not be until later tonight."

"I still haven't agreed to go." Willow said.

"Willow, be reasonable. Just because you don't like Klaus doesn't mean that you can't help him. You hated Cordelia and you helped her a lot."

"Cordelia wasn't a psycho serial killer trying to get between you and the love of your life." Willow paused. "Ok, well she wasn't at first." Buffy stayed silent, letting Willow work out her own issues. "Fine. I'll go. But only because I feel like I owe you big time for the whole hallucinating-your-husband-without-your-permission thing. Tara and I will start getting packed."

"Thank you, Willow. I'll call you when I manage to dump Stefan's mess back in his lap." Buffy hung up and put her phone on the nightstand next to the picture of her and Damon's wedding picture.

Ivy walked into the room dressed in the yoga pants and shirt Buffy had given her. "Oh, is that Stefan's brother? He's a hottie."

"He's married."

"Yeah, I know. To you. Don't worry. I'm not a homewrecker. Just a hungry vampire."

"There're bloodbags in the fridge. They taste better if you heat them up in a mug."

"Why?"

"Because it tastes closer to straight-from-the-vein."

"Will you teach me that?"

"What part of 'I'm going out of town' is everyone missing?"

"Well, why can't I come with you?"

"Because it's dangerous and you're a new vampire. Not to mention I would like to leave sooner rather than later and you don't have a daylight ring." Buffy picked up her phone again and dialed Stefan's number. It rang twice and went to voicemail. "It's not nice to ignore my calls, Stefan. I really don't have time for this." She hung up and stuck her phone in her pocket.

"What's so dangerous about it?"

"It's dealing with vampires that are way more powerful than you could ever dream of being. Vampires like myself. And hybrids and werewolves and witches and a lot of really angry people in all of those categories. It's not exactly a situation I want to be joining, but because I've got friends there that need me and if one of those really powerful vampires dies, then I die. And Stefan dies. And Elena and Caroline and Damon…. If I manage to get him back…."

"Whoa."

"Yeah. He's the sire of our bloodline. If he dies, then everyone he ever sired and everyone they ever sired and so on and so on dies. I'd like to avoid that."

"So go. I'll be fine here."

"I can't. Sorry, but I just don't trust you. You seemed like a nice girl when you were alive, but now that you're a vampire, your emotions are heightened and people change after they…. Change. Who's to say you're not bipolar and your crazy side is the side that chooses to be permanent for all eternity?"

"I'm not going to tear your place apart. I'll leave as soon as it gets dark."

"And let you roam about in the unsuspecting public with your bloodlust _not_ under control?" Buffy sighed. "And this is exactly why Stefan came to me. Jerk." She glanced at the clock and made a decision. "Ok, you're going to go to Caroline if Stefan doesn't come back for you by dark. Which he better. Until then, I'm going to teach you some of the ins and outs of being a vampire. Better me teaching you than Stefan anyway."

"Why?"

"Because Stefan has a problem controlling himself sometimes." Buffy gestured back to the living room. "Sit on the couch and try to keep up."

* * *

><p>Buffy and Ivy made their way through the people at the Corn Maze Party. Elena had said that Caroline was supposed to be there. Stefan still hadn't shown up, so Buffy was going to give Ivy to Caroline.<p>

"Can I practice that snatch, eat, erase thing on one of these people?" Ivy asked again.

"No." Buffy said. "And the answer will be no every time you ask."

"Buffy?" Alaric asked, appearing with Jo a few feet ahead of her. "I thought you were leaving for New Orleans this afternoon."

"Well, my wonderful brother in law left me to babysit his girlfriend." Buffy said.

"Why would she need a babysitter?" Jo asked.

"It's a long story." Alaric said. "Excuse me for just a second, Jo." He walked a few feet away and Buffy pulled Ivy along to follow. "Why did you bring her here?"

"I'm looking for Caroline. Stefan ran out on me and I've left him numerous messages, but he's not answering me. So I was going to hand her off to Caroline to teach her some control. I don't have the patience for control what with Klaus being in danger of death and all."

"I saw Caroline a little bit ago. She and Elena were with some guy that Elena has been talking to."

"Elena has a boyfriend?"

"I don't think they're actually dating, but she can't wait for Stefan forever." Alaric glanced at Ivy and then looked back at Buffy. "Stefan came by to see me earlier."

"What did he want?"

"He wanted me to compel her to control herself and to move on with her life."

"That's not a half bad idea."

"I wouldn't do it for him."

"Would you do it for me so I can go keep the sire of my vampire bloodline alive?"

"Yeah. I'll do it for you." He turned to Ivy and caught her gaze.

Suddenly people started yelling and Buffy and Alaric looked up to see what was happening. A large truck was plowing through the corn maze. People were dodging out of the way as it sped past them. Buffy grabbed Ivy and jumped out of the way just before the truck hit them. She groaned as she realized a large piece of wood from one of the shattered posts in the field was now sticking out of her leg. She pulled on it and growled. The thing was pretty deep in her thigh. With a final yelp, she managed to pull it out and watched as the wound closed.

Alaric had landed near Jo and he had part of a broken wooden post protruding from his torso. He ripped it out and looked over at Buffy. Buffy looked around and realized that Ivy was gone. She decided to grab a stray piece of fabric and tied it around her thigh. It would be hard to explain to civilians why her jeans were torn and bloody with no wound.

"You're bleeding." Jo said to Alaric.

"I'm fine." Alaric said.

"No, you're not. Let me see." She raised his shirt and saw that there was no wound. "Wait, how the hell…."

"I don't think it's his blood." Buffy said, coming over before Alaric accidentally revealed his vamp face to Jo.

Jo's arm was cut and bleeding. "Oh. Ok. That's gonna make things more difficult."

"I really think I should get you out of here." Alaric said.

"No. That's not an option." Jo looked at Buffy and realized she'd injured her thigh. "Your leg…."

Buffy waved her away. "It was only a scratch. I'm not very happy about my jeans being torn." She grabbed a random strip of material that was fluttering off one of the broken posts. "Here, for your arm.

"Thank you." Jo wrapped her arm in it and noticed Alaric's strained face. "You look pale. Does blood make you squeamish?"

Alaric exchanged glances with Buffy. "Yeah. Something like that."

"Don't worry. You'll get used to it. Buffy, where's your friend?"

"Oh…. She must've run off when I wasn't looking. She was really freaked out."

"Ok. Alaric, you call 911 and catch up. Buffy, you follow me." Jo stood up and started to walk.

"We'll both catch up." Buffy said to Jo. "I just want to make sure Alaric doesn't faint or anything." She turned to Alaric and pretended to help him up. "Ivy is gone."

"I noticed." Alaric said.  
>"If you're having trouble controlling your cravings around all this blood, think how bad it is for someone who doesn't really know what's going on."<p>

"You're better at controlling your cravings. You go help Jo, I'll look for Ivy."

"Are you sure? Weren't you on a date?"

"Does it really matter if I was now?"

Buffy looked around at the destruction. "Guess not. Ok, call me if you find her. She's probably not too far." Alaric nodded and pulled out his phone. "I'll let Stefan know what's happening. Maybe he'll come look for her." She pulled out her own cell phone, pleased to see that it hadn't been crushed, and dialed her brother-in-law's number as she went to find Jo. It went to voicemail. "Stefan, I'd just like to let you know that your little she-vamp has run off in the midst of a serious crisis at the corn maze party. There are a lot of people hurt…. Which means blood…. Which means that she's not going to be able to control herself. Alaric and I are looking for her, but just to let you know, every dead college kid tonight is officially on you. Call me back, jerk!" Buffy found Jo tying a cloth around a severely bleeding leg. "Rick is calling the ambulance now."

"Good." Jo said. "Get over here, I need your hands." She grabbed Buffy's hands and placed them on the wound. "Put your fingers right there. That should stop the bleeding while I get a look at the rest of them." Jo looked at Buffy. "How are you doing? Are you ok?"

"Yeah, I'm fine."

"Just keep your finger on that femoral artery."

"Ok."

"His pulse is still dropping."

"Have you seen this kind of action before?"

"I was in the army right out of med school. Family stuff. Just had to get away. You seem pretty cool-headed about all of this. What's your story?"

"Oh, uh…. Well, like I said, I travel a lot…. With my husband. We spent some time in some war torn countries."

Blood suddenly spurted from the wound Buffy was pressing on and she and Jo jumped back. Buffy got back in there and put pressure on the wound as Jo tightened the tourniquet. She would've given the man some of her blood to heal him, but Jo would definitely notice that.

Elena suddenly ran up to them with her cell phone at her ear. "Dr. Laughlin, my friend Tyler, he's in trouble, and its sounds really bad, and…. I don't know where he is."

"Call me Jo." Jo said. "Put him on speaker."

"Ok." Elena held the phone out.

"Tyler can you hear me?"

"I-I don't know what to do. I think he's losing consciousness." Tyler said over the line.

"Need you to answer my questions as accurately as you can. Is there blood?"

"Tons." Apparently Liv was with Tyler as she was the one who answered Jo.

"Is it still flowing? Is he bleeding now?"

"No." Tyler said. "No. I…. it looks like it stopped."

"Is there any coming out of his nose, or his mouth?"

"Yes."

"What color is it? Is it red, or is it black?"

"It's black." Liv said. "It's really freaking black. What do we do?"

"Take his hand."

"Now what?"

"Just try and keep him comfortable…. Won't be long now."

Alaric walked up to Buffy. "I can't find Ivy."

"That's ok. Help Jo. I'm going to go with Elena." Buffy stood up.

"Buffy…."

"Alaric, you'll be fine. Just take shallow breaths and stay calm." Buffy squeezed his arm before walking off with Elena.

"What are you doing here?" Elena asked her. "Alaric said you were going to New Orleans to help Klaus and Elijah."

"Stefan stopped by this afternoon and left me with his newly turned girlfriend."

"What?!"

"Enzo turned Ivy. Stefan dumped her on me. I was here to see if Caroline would help, but we got caught up in this mess and Ivy disappeared. Was Tyler in that truck?"

"Yeah. He said there were some college kids playing in the road on his way to the party and he swerved to miss them."  
>"If any of these people die…."<p>

"Yeah."  
>"I hope for his sake that no one dies."<p>

"I'm trying my best to make that happen."

"Elena, be careful. With a vampire hunter on the loose…."

"I know. I'm being careful. I need to get back to Liam."

"Liam? Boyfriend?"

"Uh…. Maybe."

"Will I get to meet him?"

Elena smirked slightly. "Maybe." She started to head off.

"I promise I won't embarrass you!" Buffy called after her.

Elena waved at her and disappeared into the throng of people. Buffy decided to head back to her apartment and get changed. Hopefully she'd find Ivy on the way, but if not she'd get Willow to do a locater spell. When she got closer to her apartment, Stefan dislodged himself from the shadows.

"Where the hell have you been!?" Buffy snapped at him.

"You lost her?" Stefan asked.

"Oh, so you finally decided to listen to your messages? No, I didn't lose her. She ran away after Tyler lost control of his truck and plowed through the corn maze party and everyone in it."

"Why would you take her to the corn maze party?"

"To see if Caroline would take over. I really need to leave. What the hell took you so long?"

"I got caught up."

"Caught up doing what?"

"Driving halfway out of town."

"You were leaving?"

"I slid Ivy's daylight right under…."

"No! I don't care about a stupid ring, Stefan! Wait, where did you even get one?"

"Luke."

"What an idiot!" She shook her head and got back on track. "Were you really going to dump your vampire girlfriend in my lap and then just skip town?"

"Yes."

"Who the hell are you right now?"

"I'm someone who's trying to start over, and then suddenly you and Enzo show up and now I have hunters on my trail and a brand new vampire who wants to kill me and everyone else in her path! And that's not how someone starts over, Buffy!"

Buffy slapped Stefan hard across the face. She took a deep breath to try and calm herself. "Do you know what the worst part about all of this is? I don't just want to bring my husband back for me because I feel incomplete without him. I also want to bring him back for you because I knew that if he came back, then you would too. That maybe you'd be Stefan again. But right now, all I want is for you to just leave. Just get in your car and get the hell out of my life!" Buffy turned and headed into her apartment. When she was putting on a new shirt, her cell phone started ringing. It was Ivy. Buffy answered it. "Where are you?"

"I did a really bad thing."  
>"Yeah, I figured you probably had. Tell me where you are and then don't move. I'll come get you." Buffy grabbed her jacket and headed out to where her car was parked.<br>"I'm on the road not too far from the corn maze. I found some kids and I…. I tried to snatch, eat, and erase, but I couldn't figure out the erase part and then I was just so hungry…."

"Just…. Calm down. And stay out of sight." Buffy sighed as she got in her car. "I'll show you how to hide a body." She hung up and stuck her key in the ignition. When she came up on the road where Ivy said she was, there was a large van parked on the road. As she drove up beside it, she saw Ivy turn and rush forward to bite the man from the van, but Buffy heard the tranquilizer gun go off and Ivy fell limp into the man's arms. He drug her toward his van and dumped her inside.

Buffy decided to keep going instead of stopping. She felt bad, but Ivy wasn't her problem. She'd call Stefan and let him know what happened, but this was the end of her involvement. Realizing how close she was to the Salvatore crypt, she decided to head there and grab her bottle of bourbon she'd hidden inside. The day had been a disaster and it was all her brother-in-law's fault.

She was going to have to call Klaus and let him know she was running late. Sitting down on the bench inside the crypt, she pulled out her cell phone and grabbed the bottle of bourbon under the bench. She tipped it back while she waited for him to answer. It ended up going to voicemail. "Hey, it's me. I haven't had a chance to leave yet. Stefan dumped a major problem on me today and as I was trying to get rid of it, I ended up caught in the middle of a Halloween disaster. I'll call you again when I'm on my way. See you soon." She hung up the phone and sighed when she felt Stefan's presence in the doorway behind her.

"Buffy…." He started.

Buffy didn't turn around as she put her cell phone back in her jacket pocket. "What more could you possibly want, Stefan? How much more grief can you pile on me that you haven't already? And what part of 'get out of my life' did you not understand?"

"I'm sorry."

"Yeah? Well, you've got a lot to be sorry for." She took a long sip and glanced up at Stefan as he walked around to stand in front of her.

"I miss my brother. I'm not doing so great without him. I keep trying to start over, but I can't get anywhere. Because I'm lost without him, Buffy."

Buffy stared at him for a long moment. A thousand different snide comments ran through her brain. She had a lot of anger towards Stefan. Finally she settled on, "Answer my question."

Stefan turned and sat down beside her. "I tried to leave you behind, too, but…. I just couldn't. You're a piece of him. He loved you so much and…. I just couldn't let that piece go. No matter how hard I tried to walk away…. I needed to connect with him somehow."

The tears that fell down Stefan's cheeks opened up a floodgate in Buffy she'd been holding onto tightly the last few weeks. She stood up furiously and turned on him. "You told Elena to make sure that I kept my head above water! To make sure that I didn't completely lose myself to this misery I've felt for _four months_! And I tried. I tried so hard because you promised you wouldn't give up! You promised you would find a way to bring him back! But you broke that promise, Stefan!" She started to sob. "I'm your connection to Damon? Well, you're mine! You're his brother! I needed you and you left me alone!"

"I'm sorry." Stefan stood up. "I'm so very sorry, Buffy."

Buffy back up a couple of steps to get away from his arms trying to pull her into an embrace. "You left me, Stefan! Sorry doesn't cut it!" She flung the bottle of bourbon behind her, but it didn't crash. Stefan's eyes widened as he stared at something behind her. The look on his face and the sudden familiar presence in the room made Buffy too scared to turn around.

"So, what, I'm gone for a couple of months and you think it's ok to waste a perfectly good bottle of bourbon?" Damon's voice said behind her. "Baby, I know I taught you better than that. What the hell have you been doing to her, Stef?"

"Damon?" Stefan said.

"Yup. In the flesh."

"How am I seeing you right now?"

"Cause I'm not dead, Stefan. I mean, I know this stuff is good, but it's not I-see-dead-people good."

Buffy had stopped breathing as she felt Damon move closer to her. She could still see Stefan's shocked face in her vision. Closing her eyes, she turned around and tilted her face up to exactly where she knew Damon's gaze would be watching her. When she opened them, his amazing blue eyes were staring back at her with tears shining in them. She took a halting breath and said, "Damon?" Her voice cracked and more tears began to slide down her face.

"It's a hell of a long story, baby, but…. I'm back. I'm back."

"You're…. You're real?" Buffy's hands were shaking as she reached out to run them up Damon's chest. Her heart stopped when her palms touched solid flesh. "Damon…." His arms came around her, one hand wove its fingers tightly in her hair, and his lips pressed to hers and she felt whole again. The place in her heart that had been ripped away with his death was returned to her. She couldn't stop the sobs that escaped her as she buried her face in his chest, breathing in his scent and holding him to her like a life raft. He held her tightly, relishing in the feel of her body against his for a long moment.

"God I dreamed about this!" Damon said into her hair. Buffy let out a strained laugh, wanting to tell him about the dreams she'd had, but her voice just wouldn't come to her. Instead, it came out in steady sobs of joy and relief. Stefan was still standing there behind her with his mouth agape. "Hey brother." Damon held his hand out and pulled Stefan into the embrace and the Salvatore family was restored as all three of them cried from sheer joy.


	113. Chapter 111

Chapter 111

Damon released Stefan and his brother stepped back, leaving Buffy in her husband's arms. "I missed you too, buddy." He said to his brother, kissing Buffy's hair.

"I can't believe it. We thought you were gone."

"Well, you didn't think I was gone-gone? I promised you an eternity of misery."

"_You_ thought he was gone, Stefan." Buffy said. "I never did."

"What do you mean?" Damon asked her.

"It's a very long story. One I will tell you later. What happened to you? How did you get back?"

"Bonnie."

"Bonnie? You were with Bonnie? Did she come back, too?"

"No. She, uh…. She sacrificed herself so I could come back, but I don't want anyone to know. No sense making this harder than it already is."

"What are we going to tell people?" Stefan asked.

"That she wasn't with me over there."

"Over where?"

"You are never going to believe this." Damon walked over to the bench with Buffy still tucked in his arm. "Bonnie's grandma managed to send us to some pocket dimension that this coven of witches created as a prison for this psycho named Kai. And to make it _that _much more fun, we were repeating the same day in Mystic Falls in 1994."

"Mystic Falls?" Stefan asked disbelievingly. "1994?"

"I know. A bunch of witches were going to get together and create some space time purgatory you'd think they'd pick a better year than the one Kurt Cobain killed himself in. The whole thing was just very depressing."

"How did you get back?"

"Long story, big flash of light, two decades worth of jet lag…. I will explain all of my adventures in that flannel hellscape, but first…." Damon looked down at Buffy sitting tightly pressed against his side. "I have been waiting five months to get back to you. We have a lot of time to make up for."

Stefan nodded. "Yeah. You two go ahead. I'll…. Tell everyone you're back."

"Thank you, brother." Damon watched Stefan walk out of the crypt before turning back to his wife. Now that they were alone together, everything they'd both been feeling in the last five months hit them all at once. He clung to her as she climbed in his lap and wrapped her legs around his waist to be closer to him, holding onto him just as tightly as they both cried. "I was so lost without you." He finally said into her neck.

"I barely moved from my bed for four months. If it hadn't been for Rick, I would've wasted away." Buffy sobbed between kisses. "Damon…. Damon…. I missed you so much."

"Let's go home. I don't want to make love to my wife for the first time in five months in a crypt."

Buffy laughed slightly. "We're going to run Alaric out."

"Alaric lives with us?"

"Well, Alaric and I live together. We have an apartment near Whitmore."

"Why?"

"Oh…. I forgot…. Uh, Mystic Falls is still magic free."

"Hasn't anyone been working on fixing that?"

"Well, Willow and Caroline were, but…. Willow switched over to looking for a way to bring you back after I found out about her little scheme."

"Willow had a scheme? I can't imagine her having a scheme."

"She was using some witchy drugs in a spell to make me hallucinate you in my dreams. One of the many reasons I never got out of bed for so long. The dreams were so real…. I thought somehow you'd found a way to come back to me…."

Damon kissed her deeply for a long, breathless moment. "Baby, I am so sorry."

"But now you are back. And she can start looking again for a way to get us home."

Damon ran his fingers through her hair and kissed his way up and down her neck. "We need to go."

"Yes we do." Buffy stood up and Damon followed suit, sweeping her up in his arms.

"Point me in the right direction." He said as he rushed out of the crypt.

Buffy directed him to the apartment, completely forgetting that she'd parked her car near the cemetery. She desperately tried to get the door open as Damon pressed against her, kissing her neck and running his fingers up and down her ribs under her shirt. He was being so distracting that she ended up just breaking the lock and shoving the door open. Damon kicked it shut behind him as he followed her to her bedroom. Alaric wasn't home yet, so he must be with Jo still.

Damon took just a moment to look around and appreciate the decorating before he turned back to Buffy and brought her lips to his again. They fell back into her bed, clothes flying everywhere and lips kissing every inch of skin they could find. The two of them completely lost track of time as they reacquainted themselves with each other. It wasn't until Alaric's voice coming from the living room that they came back to themselves. They scrambled to put some clothes on before he burst in on them.

"Buffy! Buffy?" Alaric called. "Are you ok? The front door's broken and…." He trailed off as Buffy opened her bedroom door wearing a man's button up jean shirt that was straight out of the 90s. But that's not what shocked Alaric. It was the person standing behind her. "Oh my god…. Damon?"

"Got room for one more to live here, Rick?" Damon asked. "I hear we can't go home just yet and I'd really like to stay with my wife."

Alaric looked at Buffy. "Is he real or is Willow messing with all of us now?"

Buffy smiled brightly. "Oh, he's real."

Damon kissed her hair before walking over and meeting Alaric half way. The two friends embraced tightly before Damon went back to wrap his arms around Buffy's shoulders. "How did this happen?" Alaric asked. "Did Willow…."

"I have no idea." Buffy lied. "He just…. Appeared."

"Lucky I've still got my reflexes." Damon said. "She almost wasted a bottle of bourbon."

"How are you back?" Alaric asked.

"I wished really hard."

"This is seriously not the time to joke."

"Seriously, I don't really know. There was a flash of light and then I was catching a flying bottle of bourbon and holding my wife again."

"Where were you? What happened to you?"

"Rick, as excited as I am for you to have your BFF back…." Buffy said. "I've got my _husband_ back. After five months. Do you mind if we ask all the questions tomorrow?"

Alaric smiled. "It is tomorrow."

"Is it? Well, then we'll see you later. Get some sleep."

"I doubt I'll be able to. You two aren't exactly subtle."

"Ha ha. Good night, Rick." Buffy turned to shut the door.

"Oh, Buffy, uh…. I tried to compel Jo to forget our date and it didn't take."

"What do you mean?"

"Well, either she's on vervain or there's some other reason, but she can't be compelled."

"Elena has a shift at the hospital later today. Let her know. Maybe she can find out why."

"Yeah. Ok." Alaric smiled. "Tell you what…. I'll let you guys have the apartment to yourselves. My office has a comfy couch."

"Thanks, Rick." Damon said.

"Don't think I won't want answers." Alaric headed for the front door. Once it shut behind him, Damon grabbed Buffy around the waist and threw her back into the bed.

* * *

><p>Buffy opened her eyes to the sounds of the birds outside and the sun shining through her window. The memories of the events of the previous night came back to her and she started to panic that it was just another dream. But familiar arms wrapped around her and pulled her against a familiar body.<p>

"I missed this so much." He said against the back of her ear. "Waking up to your hair surrounding my face and your heavenly smell invading my senses. The feel of your body against mine…."

She smiled and wiggled tighter against him. "I was worried last night was just another witchy dream."

Damon nibbled on her ear and she laughed. "This is definitely not a dream." She turned around to face him and he reached a hand up to gently stroke her face, staring into her eyes. "God, I love you so much."

"I love you."

"So, I know that it's…." Damon lifted his head to look past her at the clock. "Three in the afternoon, but I'm going to make you breakfast in bed."

Buffy laughed and tightened her arms around him. "I don't want you to leave this bed."

He smiled. "I don't really want to either, but I said if I ever got back to you, I was going to make you breakfast in bed every day." Damon kissed the tip of her nose. "One of the things that kept me sane…. Ish…. Was making pancakes every morning. I thought of it as practice."

"Well, if you're leaving the bed, I'm coming with you."

"That defeats the purpose of breakfast in bed."

"No it doesn't. We can get back into bed with the food when it's done."

He smiled. "All right. But only because I don't want to be away from you for another second." Buffy kept her arms around him as she rolled out of bed and they both ended up on their feet still holding each other. Damon laughed. "Smooth."

"The perks of being married to a Vampire Slayer vampire." She let him go and grabbed his jean shirt again, buttoning it up as he put his jeans back on. "You know, we've got to get you a new wardrobe or have Jeremy bring yours from the house."

"Acid wash not my thing?" He joked.

"Not in the least bit." She leaned into him and kissed him before following him out to the kitchen.

"Ok!" Damon clapped his hands together. "I have no idea where anything is in this kitchen."

Buffy laughed and sat down at the counter, directing Damon to where everything was located. While he was working on the pancake batter, Buffy's phone rang. She wasn't quite sure where she'd dropped it at, so she had to go search for it. Finally she found it where it had skittered under the couch.

Buffy returned to the counter as she answered it, "Hello?"

"Is everything all right, love?" Klaus asked on the other line.

"Oh, Klaus, I completely forgot!" Damon turned around at Buffy's mention of Klaus.

"How could you 'completely forget' your promise to come save your vampiric bloodline?"

"Well," Buffy looked up at Damon's back. He was trying desperately to act nonchalant as he worked on breakfast. "Something major came up."

"What could possibly be more major than Mikael and Esther come back from the dead to kill Elijah and myself?"

"Damon's back."

Klaus was quiet for a very long moment. "How?"

"I don't know. I was having yet another argument with Stefan and Damon just appeared out of thin air. We've been a little…. Busy since."

"Of course you have. Well, if anything happens to me, at least you'll have some lovely final moments with your beloved husband."

"Klaus…." He had already hung up though. Buffy shook her head and called Klaus back. He didn't answer, of course. "Oh, grow up." She said to his voicemail before she hung up and set her phone down. Damon was _really_ focused on the pancakes. "Mikael and Esther are alive."

That got his attention. Damon turned around and looked at her with wide eyes. "Seriously?"

"He called me two days ago to let me know. Willow and I were going to go to New Orleans yesterday to keep Klaus alive, but pretty much everything that could go wrong, did go wrong."

"Like what?" Buffy watched Damon for a long moment as he took the pancakes off the griddle and added the bacon and eggs to the plates. He set the plates down and walked around the counter to sit next to her. "Buff?"

"I just got you back. I don't want to talk about all the horrible things that have happened. At least not for a while."

"We can't ignore it forever. Let's talk about it over our meal, hit the sheets again, and then continue the conversation."

Buffy laughed slightly. "Are you sure? Things haven't exactly been the greatest."

"Of course I'm sure." He took her hand and kissed her palm. "Talk to me. I've been waiting five months just to hear your voice. Good, bad, terrifying…. I want you to talk to me."

She sighed. "Ok. I'll tell you everything that's happened in the last five months."

* * *

><p>Damon shook his head and pulled Buffy tighter against him. They'd moved over to the couch and curled up there together. He had one arm around her waist and his free hand was fiddling with her wedding ring on her finger. He thought he'd had it rough stuck in his 90s hell, but Buffy had been here dealing with witchy hallucinations, everyone but Enzo giving up on bringing Damon and Bonnie back, and Stefan acting like a complete douche all while being kept out of her home by the no-magic bubble.<p>

"I'm sorry, baby." Damon finally said. "I am so very, very sorry." He kissed the side of her head.

"You don't have anything to be sorry for." Buffy said. "You don't have any control over how stupid your brother can be."

"I know I don't, but it doesn't make it any better. I've played that night over and over in my head for the last five months and if I had just left Liz, I would've made it back in time and never left you."

"She might've died without you."

"I don't think she would've. Even if she had…."

"You never would've left her. Even knowing what you do now." Buffy heard footsteps coming up the stairs outside. She stood up and walked over to the door, opening it before Jeremy could reach for the doorknob.

Jeremy pushed past Buffy into the apartment and went over to confront Damon. "Why didn't Bonnie come back?" Damon didn't answer him. "Why didn't she come back?"

Finally Damon said, "Because she wasn't there. It was just me."

Buffy walked over and touched Jeremy's arm. He sighed and sat down on the nearest chair. "You know I paid her cell bill so I could call her phone and hear her say the same six words every day?"

Damon glanced at Buffy and she shrugged. "Sounds good. I'll give it a call."

Jeremy looked up at him with suspicious eyes. "Why? She hated you."

"Bonnie wasn't there with me Jeremy because she found peace. She's in a better place."

"How did you get back?"

"I don't know. One minute I was standing in my own personal hell, the next I was holding my wife."

Jeremy looked at Buffy and she sat down on the armrest of his chair, wrapping an arm around his shoulder. "I know that you miss her, Jer, but if she found peace…. It would be selfish to bring her back. Trust me when I say: It's a horrible ordeal to go through."

"What do I do now?"

She smoothed back his hair and watched his eyes for a moment. "You figure out a way to keep going."

"Sorry I bothered you guys." Jeremy said, standing up.

"It's ok, Jer. I was just catching Damon up on everything he's missed."

"I'll let you get back to it. I know you've got a lot of catching up to do." He headed for the door.

"Jeremy…." Buffy shook her head as he closed the door behind him. She turned to her husband. "We need to tell Willow everything you know about that pocket dimension. Maybe we can get Bonnie back."

Damon nodded. "I was planning on it."

Before Buffy could say anything, her phone started ringing again. It was Matt. "Kinda busy, Donovan."

"I know. I'm sorry, but…. It's about Enzo." Matt said.

"What about Enzo?"

"Stefan gave him to Tripp."

"What?! Is that where he's been?"

"Yes. I told Caroline and Stefan and they went to rescue him, but now he's not there."

Buffy looked at Damon. "It's official. I'm killing your brother."

"It gets worse, Buffy."

"How could it be worse?"

"Tripp has Ivy's phone."

"So what? That's not that big of a deal. He did kill her. I doubt stealing is beneath him."

"Yeah, but your name is at the top of the recent dialed list."

"Are you kidding me?"

"I don't know if he knows where to find you, though. Just…. Watch your back."

"Yeah. Thanks, Matt." Buffy hung up and turned to Damon. "Seriously, Stefan is a dead vampire. I may turn his ass into Tripp."

"Who's Tripp?"

"Forgot to mention him. He's the new resident vampire hunter. He figured out that Mystic Falls is a no magic zone and he's been driving vampires across the border. Stefan apparently gave Enzo to Tripp."

"Because Enzo turned his girlfriend?" Damon shook his head. "I've done worse. _He's_ done worse!"

"Welcome to the wacky world of New Stefan." Buffy sat down. "We've got to save Enzo."

"This is so weird. You hated him five months ago."

Buffy laughed slightly. "He grew on me."

Damon stood over her. "Told you so." He leaned down to kiss her.

She enjoyed the kiss for a long moment, lingering in his arms even after it was over. "Ok…. I think I've got a plan."

"I know that tone of voice." He pulled back slightly to look down at her. "I'm not going to like it, am I?"

"Well, it's something you would come up with…. I think."

"Then I'm definitely not going to like it."

* * *

><p>Damon carried the bags of clothing back to Buffy's car and put them in the trunk. Buffy was still inside the store compelling the store clerks. They'd been going around town compelling themselves a new wardrobe and leaving a trail of bitten people with Buffy's address for Tripp to find. Buffy wanted to get caught by the wannabe Hunter so she could save Enzo. Sheriff Forbes was going to shut down Route 13 while Caroline, Tara, and Elena were going to block Old Miller Road and Alaric, Willow, and Stefan were going to go to the main road out of Mystic Falls and cover it.<p>

He smiled at his beautiful wife and he suddenly felt a pang of guilt. Bonnie had sacrificed herself so he could have this moment. Before he realized what he was doing, he'd pulled out his cell phone (which Buffy had saved and kept on) and dialed Bonnie's number. "It's Bonnie. Leave me a message." The recording said.

"That's it?" Damon asked the machine. "That's your outgoing message. Really? I mean, the onetime I'm actively seeking the sound of your voice, that's all I get. Perfect. Anyway, I'm sitting outside of a store watching my amazingly gorgeous wife buy clothes for us after spending the most incredible night and day with her and I just wanted to say that…. I got to do all of that and more because of what you did for me. So thank you and I'm sorry. Other than that, I don't know what to say or what I'm supposed to say except that, defying all possible global scenarios, I might miss you a little bit. And Buffy says hi." Damon hung up as Buffy opened the door and came out into the sunshine wearing a new pair of Ray Ban Wayfarer sunglasses and wiping the trace of blood off her lips.

"Anyone exciting?" She asked, gesturing at the phone. He looked away, embarrassed, and Buffy smiled. She walked up to him and kissed him gently. "Don't be embarrassed, Damon. You spent five months with her and she sacrificed herself to send you back here. I owe her so much." She took his phone and dialed the last number. When the recording finished, Buffy said, "Thank you, Bonnie. Thank you so, so very much for giving me my husband back. I wish I could tell you this in person, but since I can't…. Then I will cherish every second of every day with Damon and before I close my eyes at night, I will thank you again for this amazing gift you gave me." She ended the call and handed Damon back his phone.

Damon smiled and pulled her to him, holding her tightly against his chest. After a long moment, they pulled away simultaneously and got into the car. He drove them back to their apartment and when they got out, they spotted Tripp standing in the main entrance doorway.

"That was quick." Damon said, gesturing at the man.

"He must've been in town already looking." Buffy undid her seatbelt. "Ready to get captured?"

"As I'll ever be." He reached over and kissed her before getting out of the car.

Buffy followed suit and took Damon's hand as they walked up to the doorway. "Hey, aren't you Matt's friend?" She asked Tripp.

Instead of saying anything, Tripp held up a tranquilizer gun. Damon vamped out and Tripp pulled the trigger. Buffy caught the vervain dart in between her fingers and threw it back at Tripp, hitting him in the knee. Tripp groaned and tried to throw a stake at them, but Damon caught it and rushed at Tripp. As he held the man by the neck with the stake against his jaw, four shots rang out. Two guys had come out of the alley beside the apartment building and shot Buffy and Damon with two vervain darts each. Damon wasn't used to vervain and it actually knocked him out. Buffy was still drinking vervain on a regular basis, so it just burned a little. She pretended to go down, though. The plan wouldn't work unless they got taken to Enzo. And Damon sure as hell wasn't going alone.

Buffy kept her eyes closed as they cuffed her and threw her and Damon in the back of a van. The men were in the back of the van with them and Buffy assumed that Tripp was driving. It took about twenty minutes to get where they were going. When they did, Buffy could feel that the sun was setting around them. They grabbed her and Damon and carried them to a larger van. Buffy kept her eyes closed, but slitted them enough to see through her eyelashes. In the back of the larger van, Enzo was chained up. He looked panicked when he saw her and then his eyes widened in shock.

"Damon?" Enzo asked. He growled at the men and Tripp. "What have you done to them?"

"You know these two?" Tripp asked as the men chained Buffy and Damon up. "Oh well, you had the chance to save yourself and give them up, but now you'll have friends to die with when we cross the border." He slammed the doors and left the three vampires alone in the back of the van.

When the engine started, Buffy opened her eyes. Enzo sighed in relief. "Oh please. Like their little vervain darts would actually do anything to me." She smiled at him. "We're here to rescue you."

Enzo smiled and shook his head. "I see you found a way to bring him back."

"Actually, I didn't. He did." She pulled on the chains and discovered that they were reinforced, but they wouldn't be a problem for her to snap.

"When did he come back?"

"Last night. I had a really bad day and I went to the crypt to hide for a little while. Stefan interrupted me and we got into it and then Damon appeared out of thin air."

"Have a happy reunion did you?"

"Of course…. Until we found out that Stefan had turned you into the vampire execution squad."

"Sorry to interrupt."

"Shut up. You know I'd have come for you sooner if I'd known. My brother-in-law has been kind of a douche lately."

"I noticed." Enzo looked at his chains. "So, what's the plan, love?"

Buffy glanced at the front of the van where Tripp was driving. She lowered her voice and said, "We've got roadblocks at every road into Mystic Falls. They'll stop Tripp and we'll get out of the van. And put a stop to this nonsense once and for all."

"He's probably on vervain."

"Probably, but when has that ever stopped any of us?"

Damon started to wake up and spotted Enzo first. "Morning, sunshine." Enzo said.

"Hey…." Enzo Damon looked down to see the chains on his wrists. "Well this brings back memories."

"I'm glad to see you found a way back, mate."

Damon looked at Buffy and smiled. "Me too."

"So, don't you two think we're cutting it a bit close? We're almost to Mystic Falls…. Which is known for it's bridges; quaint, small town charm; and a really big vampire bug zapper."

"We'll be fine." Buffy said.

"Famous last words, love."

The van slowed down and Buffy could hear Alaric's voice outside. "Evening. My girlfriend and I were headed out for date night and our car just stopped. You think you can help us out?"

"Oh I don't know anything about cars." Tripp said.

"Yeah, oh well, maybe you could give us a ride then?"

"Sorry, in a bit of a hurry."

"Yeah. So are we." Alaric punched through the glass of the window. It shattered and knocked Tripp back. Buffy used the distraction to break the chains holding her. She went to break Damon's chains, but the van suddenly lurched forward. Alaric could be heard yelling and Buffy got a glimpse of him being dragged with the van. They were speeding towards the border of Mystic Falls. She yanked on Damon's chains, snapping them just as Tripp's van crashed into Alaric's car.

The van began to flip over, flying through the air and crashing over the Mystic Falls sign. It landed upside down and Buffy groaned as she felt the no-magic start to drain her vampire power away. Damon groaned as his fatal gunshot wound appeared. His shirt started to soak with blood. Enzo began coughing and choking on his blood.

Buffy yanked on Enzo's chains, but they wouldn't budge. She was just a regular Slayer being quickly drained of any magic. "Consumption, wasn't much fun the first time around either." Enzo said.

"Buffy, go!" Damon said, pushing on her.

"You're coming, too." Buffy pulled on him.

"Enzo…."

"Come back for me." Enzo choked.

Suddenly Willow and Stefan appeared. Stefan had a crowbar that he'd used to break into the back of Tripp's van. Buffy helped Damon to his feet and pointed at Enzo. "Free him." She ordered Stefan as she and Damon struggled out of the van with Willow's help.

Stefan used the crowbar to get Enzo loose from the chains. Buffy caught a glimpse of Tripp as he lurched out of the front of his vehicle, blood gushing from his head. Instead of facing off with them, he ran away. Damon and Buffy made it across the border and turned around to see Stefan and Enzo following them. Willow rushed over to help both of them get across the border.

"Rick!" Buffy cried, getting ready to run over to him.

"No!" Damon held onto her. "Your neck was snapped, Buff. You go over there and you won't come back.

"Rick!" Buffy cried. Alaric was laying on the ground with Jo working over him. "Where did she come from?"

"I don't know." Willow said.

"What's happening?" Alaric gasped.

"You still with me?" Jo asked. "While I'm sealing this wound I want you to think about how you tried to compel one of the smartest women on campus to forget about her date with you." She applied gauze to his bloody chest. "The date where I single handedly saved dozens of lives without smearing my makeup. Alaric? Hang on! Stay with me. Come on!" She started pumping on his chest. "Gonna get that heart pumping. You don't get to have the last word with me. Alaric!" Alaric stopped moving. "Alaric!"

"Damon, we have to get him across the border!" Buffy pleaded. "We can't let him die!"

Jo continued pumping Alaric's chest, refusing to give up. "Stay with me! Come on!"

Suddenly Alaric's head snapped up. He looked around in confusion. "So-so-something's wrong."

"Don't move." Jo said.

"No, something's wrong. I'm not supposed to be alive."

"There's no reason you shouldn't be. I sealed the wound we just have to get you to the hospital."

"He's alive?" Buffy asked.

"He's alive." Jo confirmed over her shoulder. "We need to get him to the hospital."

"I'll call Sheriff Forbes." Stefan offered.

* * *

><p>Buffy paced the living room of her and Alaric's apartment. Damon sat on the couch and watched her. Alaric had been her best friend the last five months. They'd leaned on each other for support. If he had died….<p>

"This was my fault." Buffy said.

"What?" Damon asked.

"This was my plan. Rick…."

Damon was suddenly in front of her, stopping her pacing. "Is alive…. And human. From the way you described his last five months…. He didn't like being a vampire. This is only a good thing."

"He could've died. I could've killed him."

"Buff, you need to calm down. Rick is alive and well. He's not a vampire anymore. He's probably leaping for joy." Buffy's phone began ringing and Damon grabbed it off the table. It was Alaric's cell. "Hey Rick. Just the person I needed to call right now."

"Is she freaking out?" Alaric asked.

"It's like you know her."

"Let me speak to her."

Damon handed the phone to Buffy. "I am so sorry, Rick. I…."

"Buffy, calm down." Alaric said forcefully. "I'm fine."

"You could've died and it was all my fault."

"But I didn't die. I'm alive. _Completely_ alive."

"No thanks to me."

"Buff, you can't beat yourself up. I'm happy that I'm not a vampire anymore. You know how much I hated it."

"I know, but…."

"No buts. I'm going to be ok. Jo is having me transferred to Whitmore to keep a better eye on me. She says the Mystic Falls Hospital sucks."

"Well, it does."

"Listen, I'm going to be fine. You and Damon just relax and be together. You've been apart for five months. One day isn't enough to catch up on all of that."

"Rick…."

"I'll talk to you guys later." He hung up before Buffy could say anything else.

Buffy looked at her phone and realized that she had messages from Klaus. The first two were apologies and asking her to please come down and help him. The third was from a number she didn't recognize. "Hi Buffy, this is Hayley. I got your number from Klaus's phone. Listen…. I know that Damon is back…. I overheard Klaus talking to you…. And I really do hate to interrupt your reunion, but Elijah is missing. It's a very long story and I will catch you up on it when you get here."

Buffy ended the voicemail and looked at Damon. "Feel like a road trip?"

"To where?"

"New Orleans." The look on Damon's face told her he wasn't happy about it. "Elijah's missing, Mikael and Esther are back, we've got nothing going on here right now…."

Damon sighed. "Well, if Klaus is in danger of being killed, then that means we're in danger. Yeah. Let's go to New Orleans."

"I'm going to need the white oak stake."

"Ok, you call Jeremy and get him to bring it. I'll get us packed."

"Hopefully Willow is still willing to go, too." Buffy said, picking her phone back up.


	114. Chapter 112

**_A/N It's a long one. Hope you guys like it._**

Chapter 112

Buffy, Damon, Willow, and Tara pulled into the Quarter and looked around at everything. Klaus's house was only a few more blocks. The place seemed completely different from the last time she'd been here. Things felt more…. Charged. And there seemed to be a werewolf on every corner.

"This place seems…. Scary." Tara said.

"You sense it too?" Willow asked. Tara nodded and Willow took her hand. "Hopefully we won't be here long."

"It's sad that it's scary. I've always wanted to visit New Orleans."

"It wasn't always like this." Damon said.

"Klaus and Elijah told me that the werewolves took over the quarter and kicked all the vampires out." Buffy said, pulling into a parking space. "They tried to get rid of Klaus, Elijah, and Hayley, but they messed with the wrong vampires." The four of them got out and walked into the garden entrance of the massive house. "Klaus? Hayley?" She called.

Hayley appeared at the top of the stairs. "Took you long enough."

"Sorry. I brought some witches that are on our side." Buffy said. "Where's Klaus?"

"I don't know. He's not answering my phone calls."

"This her?" Marcel asked, walking out from the shadows behind Hayley. He was sizing Buffy up as he ventured down the stairs.

"Nice to meet you, too, Marcel." Buffy said to him.

"How do you know me?"

"I was with Elijah and Klaus when they first came back here. Elijah told me who you are."

"I never thought either of them would be spending time with a Vampire Slayer let alone a Vampire Slayer hanging out with vampires."

"Well, I was never a normal Vampire Slayer." Buffy turned to Willow and Tara. "Guys, that's Hayley and Marcel."

"I remember Hayley." Willow said. "She was the werewolf that helped Katherine kill Jeremy."

"I didn't know she was going to do that." Hayley insisted.

"Let's not rehash old wounds, ok?" Buffy said. "That's a can of worms that will take way too long to deal with. Do you guys have any idea where Elijah could be?"

"No. He and one of my wolves named Oliver were attacked by a pack of wolves being led by Esther."

"Have you been to where he was attacked?" Damon asked.

"Yes. There's blood everywhere…. werewolf and vampire. There was a trail, but I couldn't track it."

"Ok, is this place safe?" Buffy asked. "If Willow and Tara stay here and work on locating Elijah, will anyone come in and try to hurt them?"

"No one comes here."

"We'll be ok, Buffy." Willow said, taking Tara's hand. "We'll put up protection wards."

"Ok." Buffy nodded. "Then we need to try and track Klaus while they locate Elijah." She turned back to Willow and Tara. "Don't go after Elijah if you find him before we get back."

"I won't let her." Tara said.

"Good." Buffy turned to Hayley. "They're going to need some of Elijah's belongings. Would you mind showing them to his room?"

"Sure." Hayley waited for Willow and Tara to catch up and they disappeared inside the upstairs.

Buffy pulled out her phone and dialed Klaus's number. "Uh, I'm a tad busy." He answered after a few rings.

"Then why did you even answer?"

"Buffy?"

"I'm kind of offended. I drive all the way down here to help you out and you're not even home to greet me."

"You're in New Orleans?"

"I promised you I would come help, didn't I?"

"I thought you were going to ignore me to spend time with your beloved husband."

"He's here with me. Where are you? Do you even know that your brother is missing?"

"Elijah's missing?"

"Yes. I've got Willow and Tara trying to locate him. So where are you?"

"I'm hunting Mikael."

"By yourself? What, are looking to get killed?"

"He doesn't have the white oak stake."

"I'm pretty sure your father hates you enough to keep you prisoner until he can find a way to get it."

"Do you have it with you?"

"Of course I have it with me. How else am I supposed to kill your father?"

"You should've left it in Mystic Falls where it was safe."

"So, what? You wanted me to come down here and talk him into not killing you? He's not exactly Mr. Reasonable." Buffy sighed. "Would you just tell me where you are and I'll come help you find and kill him?"

"He has a friend of mine. I need to hurry."

"You have friends?"

"You're hysterical."

"Are you going to tell me where you are or am I going to have to get some magical assistance?"

"I'm in the bayou near a cabin. Are you with Marcel?"

"Yeah, he's here."

"Tell him that the cabin belongs to Davina's family. He should know where to find it. Track me from there. I'm going to keep searching for Cami and get her back. And then, we're going to end this. Either Mikael or I will be ash by day's end."

"It better damn well not be you."

"Then hurry up." Klaus hung up and Buffy rolled her eyes.

"What a drama queen." She turned to Marcel. "Davina's family cabin? You know it?"

"Yeah. Is that where he is?" Marcel asked.

"No. He's hunting Mikael because Mikael has some girl named Cami."

"He has Cami? Let's go." Marcel marched past her and Damon and headed for the exit.

Buffy glanced at Damon and then looked at Hayley as they followed Marcel. "Who's Cami?"

"She's a human that Klaus is fond of." Hayley said.

"Weird." Damon said.

"Very." Hayley looked at Buffy for a moment. "But then again, you might see why he's fond of her."

They followed Marcel out of the city and into the bayou. As soon as they neared the cabin, Buffy caught Klaus's trail. She told Damon to follow it and she would see him when they caught up. He kissed her quickly and let go of her hand. The trail ended at some old warehouse on the outskirts of the city.

She heard Klaus say, "Not as weak as you remember, am I?"

Buffy rushed in just as Mikael threw a wicked looked blade at a woman who had to be Cami. Cami let out a yelp when Buffy's hand appeared in front of her face, catching the blade before it stabbed her in the face. Mikael turned around and Klaus grinned.

"Hi Mikael." Buffy said, holding the blade.

"Miss Summers." Mikael said.

"You do realize I can't let you kill him?"

"Do you think you can stop me?"

Buffy pulled the white oak stake from inside her jacket and flipped it expertly in her hand a couple of times. "Pretty sure I've got the means."

"You're just a Slayer. You're no match for me."

"Boy, am I going to love proving you wrong."

Buffy threw the stake at Mikael's head. He caught it and in that split second, Buffy was suddenly in front of him. She grabbed the stake back and kicked Mikael in the chest, sending him flying back. He looked shocked at her speed, but quickly had to defend himself against her onslaught. More than once he went after the white oak stake, but Buffy kept it out of his reach.

"Eventually you'll tire, girl." Mikael threatened. "You may be a Slayer, but you're still just a human at the core."

Buffy elbowed him in the face and grabbed his neck, hauling him off his feet. Her eyes changed and her fangs dropped. "I doubt it." She closed her fingers and ripped the front half of Mikael's throat off. He began to desiccate and Buffy tossed his body aside, dropping the piece of his neck in her hand. She turned to Klaus, who was checking on Cami. "Hey, stranger."

"In the nick time, love." Klaus said. "You look lovely. Much better than the last time we saw each other."

"Thanks. I can't say the same about you." She plucked at his torn shirt and he grinned.

"Who are you?" Cami asked.

"Terribly sorry." Klaus said. "Cami, this is, Buffy. Buffy, this is Cami."

"Hi." Buffy looked at her bloodied hand. "I'll shake your hand later."

"Thanks." Cami said. "How do you know Klaus?"

"Oh, he spent a lot of time trying to torture and kill me and my family."

"And your friends."

"And my friends."

"I succeeded a few times." Buffy gave him an annoyed glare. "I'd apologize, but…."

"You don't do apologies."

Klaus looked offended. "I apologized to you on a number of occasions."

"They weren't exactly great apologies. More like 'hey Buffy, I'm sorry you're mad at me for whatever crappy thing I've done this time, but I'm me, so you should just expect it.'"

Cami looked at Klaus. "She's got you pegged."

Klaus grinned again. "Oh, how I miss your company." He reached out and embraced Buffy tightly. "Where's your resurrected husband?"

"He's on his way here with Marcel and Hayley." Buffy said.

Before anyone else could speak, Mikael grabbed Buffy around the waist and threw her backwards, taking the white oak stake from her in the process. She landed hard and rolled a few feet. Klaus tried to defend Cami, but Mikael anticipated it and was there with the stake, shoving it in Klaus's chest.

"Klaus!" Cami screamed.

Buffy rushed at Mikael, but he backhanded her in the face. He kicked Cami away from a desiccating Klaus. As Buffy got back up, she noticed that Klaus wasn't catching on fire. She heard voices from another room in the warehouse and realized that someone was doing a spell.

"Why aren't you burning?" Mikael yelled at Klaus. "If you were dead, it would burn. BURN!"

Buffy glanced in the direction of the witches, but Mikael was already on his way to intervene. She dove over to where Cami was trying to pull the stake out and grabbed it. When she yanked it out of his chest, Klaus's color started to return to his skin.

"Oh, that was close." Buffy breathed.

"What do you think you're doing?" Mikael asked behind them.

Buffy stood up and placed herself between Mikael and Klaus. "I think I'm going to kill you, now."

Mikael's eyes changed and he was about to attack, but Damon appeared and pulled him away. He started hitting Mikael over and over so quickly that he was too disoriented to fight back right away. Mikael eventually knocked Damon down and grabbed a broken piece of wood. He started to drive it home, but Buffy kicked Mikael away from her husband. Marcel appeared and punched him in the face before kicking him backwards.

"Enough! This night has been a long parade of fools. I'll enjoy killing every last one of you." Mikael roared.

Klaus suddenly woke up with a loud gasp. Buffy helped Damon to his feet and the two of them with Marcel formed a barrier in front of Klaus. Suddenly, Hayley arrived and threw a chain around Mikael's neck, yanking on it so hard it knocked him off of his feet.

"Yeah, I wouldn't bet on it." She said before hitting him in the face with the chain. Klaus got to his feet and joined Buffy, Damon, and Marcel. Hayley rushed over to them and stood off against Mikael. Even the little witch from the other room joined them.

"It's over, Mikael." Klaus said. "You're outnumbered. Are you going to beg for your miserable life?"

"You think having people makes you strong? It proves how weak you are. Come find me when you don't have fools, women, and children fighting your battles." He threw the scrap of wood at them and rushed away.

Buffy let out a short laugh that startled everyone. "Sorry. He's kind of an idiot."

"Why do you say that?" Marcel asked, glancing at the little witch as she slipped into the other room she'd come from.

"Because having people does make you strong. I'm living proof of that." Buffy took Damon's hand and he smiled at her.

Marcel nodded and headed after the little witch. Klaus turned to Cami and checked her bite wound. She looked pale and weak. Damon noticed that the wound in Klaus's chest hadn't healed. "Klaus, why aren't you healing?" Damon asked.

"The white oak stake was shoved into my heart. I desiccated. I need blood." Klaus said. He looked at Buffy. "You pulled the stake out in the nick of time. A moment longer and I would have been done for."

"I wasn't just saving you." Buffy said.

"You know, in a thousand years, I think it's the first time I've seen him run."

"He was still weak." Cami said.

"And he knew he was outmatched." Hayley said as she and Marcel joined them.

"We checked the perimeter and he's definitely gone." Marcel said.

"I appreciate your assistance." Klaus said.

"Well, hey! You die, I die. Just call me selfish."

"You die, a lot of people die." Buffy said.

"But, Klaus…. we have another problem." Hayley said.

"Right." Klaus nodded. "My brother."

"Willow and Tara are working on locating him." Buffy said.

"I suspect that my mother has him. She won't be easily found. I need to draw her out." Klaus started to leave, but Buffy grabbed his arm.

"Klaus, stop. There's no need to go and put yourself in more danger until we know what Willow and Tara find."

"They may have some trouble breaking through any wards she puts up."

"Pretty sure your mother has never actually gone up against someone that's just as powerful as she is." Buffy released his arm and put her hands on her hips. "We're going to go back to your house and see what Willow and Tara have come up with. And if we need to, _then_ we can go with your half-assed plan to draw her out."

"It's not half-assed." Buffy raised an eyebrow at Klaus. "Don't look at me like that." He turned and walked off.

Cami looked at Buffy incredulously. "I've never seen him allow anyone to talk to him like that."

"Neither have I…. Not without killing them afterwards." Marcel agreed.

"He's in love with her." Damon said at the same time Buffy said, "I'm the closest thing he has to a best friend."

Buffy smiled slightly at her husband. "It's a little of both?"

"Sure." Damon said unconvincingly.

She gave his hand a squeeze. "We better catch up to him before he decides to go through with whatever plan he's trying to cook up."

* * *

><p>Buffy followed Klaus to the plantation house he had once called home before it had been burned down recently. Damon held tightly to her hand, still not loving the fact that they were with Klaus. Willow and Tara had located a general location where Elijah could be, but Esther had put up multiple and complicated wards to keep other witches out. It was taking longer to break through each one. Klaus had been happy that he could go through with his plan.<p>

"So, we're digging up your mother's body and then what?" Buffy asked, still trying to figure out what Klaus's plan was exactly.

"I'm going to burn it." Klaus said, holding up the full gas can he was carrying.

"Ok, then what?"

"Do you have no faith that I know what I'm doing?"

"Nope. None. You're hot headed and you pretty much always go into these things half-cocked. You've never once really thought a plan out all the way. It's why I managed to spoil about ninety-eight percent of your plans."

"You sound like my younger sister."

"Hey, that's a great way to think of her!" Damon said.

Buffy laughed and gave his hand a squeeze. "We're here." Klaus announced, stopping in front of a small headstone that said simply _Esther, Our Beloved Mother_.

"That's actually pretty funny." Buffy said.

"At one time she was our beloved mother."

"Now she's 'our psycho mother who's bent on destroying us for what she did to us.' But I see why you went with 'beloved mother'. The other is just way too long for this headstone."

Klaus smiled, laughing slightly, and disappeared for a second. When he returned, he was holding shovels for them. "Let's start digging, shall we?"

Buffy and Damon exchanged glances before taking the shovels from Klaus. The three of them got to work and began digging. Using their vampire speed, they were able to get to the coffin in no time. Damon helped Klaus pull it from the ground and set it down.

Klaus turned and glared at the starlings chirping in the trees nearby as he began to douse the coffin in gasoline. "Are you watching this, mother? Nothing says 'I loathe you' quite like desecrating a corpse!" He pulled out a lighter and lit it, but before he could throw it on the coffin, a familiar voice called out behind them.

"Niklaus!" They turned to see Elijah on the other side of the yard walking toward the house.

Klaus exchanged confused glances with Buffy and Damon. He was suspicious, but followed Elijah anyway. Inside, Elijah was tapping the keys of the burnt piano as Klaus slowly approached him. Buffy and Damon stayed back and flanked Klaus, just in case.

"I didn't know you would be bringing friends." Elijah said. "Hello, Buffy. Damon."

"You're not Elijah." Buffy said. Klaus turned to look at her. "Elijah would be a lot more curious about why Damon is standing here."

Klaus turned back to the fake Elijah. "That's right. I never got the chance to tell him about Damon's little resurrection. Enough with the petty illusions, Esther! Where is Elijah?"

A dark skinned woman appeared behind them from outside saying, "He's preoccupied at the moment. I'm helping him find his way. But, not to worry, I'll return him to you. All I ask is that you hear me out."

"You expect me to sit through a sermon of your lies?"

"I have lied in the past, to my shame. But, I'm going to tell you the truth. I'm in the process of making Elijah into the man he was meant to be. And, I intend to do the same for you." The woman turned to Buffy and Damon. "Buffy, it is lovely to see you again. I never got to congratulate you and Damon on your marriage. The last time I saw you, you two were newly engaged."

"And the last time we saw you, you were dead…. And blonde." Buffy retorted.

"We all change."

"Yeah, we've heard that Kol and Finn are back, too, but in different bodies like yourself. Isn't that a little weird?"

"I love my children no matter what body they're in."

"I find that hard to believe." Damon said. "The last time we met, you were hell bent on killing them all. Pretty sure that's not how you're supposed to show love to your children."

"I was trying to save them. As I'm trying to do now. Niklaus." She turned her attention to Klaus. "This plantation…. Ruined by fire…. How sad, not to mention symbolic. After all, you never intended to build a true home here. Even as Hayley carried your child, as Rebekah and Elijah sought to defend you, your thoughts were focused on only your conquest of the Quarter. Tell me, how did that go?"

"I'm sorry." Klaus said. "Is this some sort of motherly critique? Please feel free to choke on it."

"I mention your failures only to make a point, my dear. You've endured several lifetimes of misery, never mind the suffering you've caused others, even to your own blood. You yourself remain trapped in a perpetual state of despair. I have come to offer you a means to escape that cycle."

"And that's about all the hypocrisy I can take. I suggest you give me my brother before I get angry."

"Such hatred. It breaks my heart to see you like this. The boy I loved."

"Your love was a curse, an affect you feigned. The truth is, you're no better than Mikael and like him you seem to have crawled back from the grave simply to ruin your children." Esther's eyes widened in shock. Apparently, Mikael's return to the living was news to her. "Oh! You didn't know! Yes, the Destroyer has risen, brought back to kill me by the witch Davina. Surely Kol has revealed everything to you? Or, is Mother's loyal little boot-licker not quite so loyal, after all?"

"If Mikael has returned, we will need to deal with him."

"We? Is that a joke? Am I to forego centuries of hatred for my evil mother in order to join her in besting the very demon she herself allowed to raise me? I don't think so." Klaus gestured at Buffy standing next to him. "That's why _this_ beautiful creature is here."

Esther sighed. "I am grateful that Buffy is here to help you, but you must understand: I am not evil, Niklaus. I am your salvation. And Mikael? He was not always a demon. Long ago, he loved his children with all his heart. He doted on your brother Finn, but it was our first-born, Freya, who was the apple of his eye."

"You really think that saccharine recollections of ancient history will have any effect on me at all?"

"What I think is that you have gone mad from centuries of hating your parents. But, if you join me now, I can grant you peace. And, should Mikael return with the intent to harm you, I will strike him down myself."

"That's quite an offer. But, you know, got all the help I need." Klaus put his hand on Buffy's shoulder and she reached up to grip it in approval.

"You reject me out of hatred, but I have something stronger. I have the truth about your father…. Not Mikael, you're real father." Esther turned and headed outside.

Klaus looked at Buffy and Damon. They both shrugged in unison. Buffy pushed on Klaus's arm. "Go after her. You wanted to draw her out…."

Klaus sighed and followed Esther outside. She was stopped by her grave staring into the hole. "A thousand years ago, in a fit of rage, you wrapped your bare hands around my neck and squeezed until I died. Do you even remember why?"

"Let's see…. You turned us all into monsters. You cursed me, denied me of my hybrid nature…. You lied to me about my father…."

"It's that one above all. You killed me because I kept you from ever knowing your true father."

"My hatred for you runs so deep, it's difficult to pinpoint its origin. Maybe I hate that I'm the product of a whore's lechery?"

Esther slapped Klaus across the face. "Watch your mouth! You will do well to remember that you are still my son!"

"You judge me evil, yet it was your lust that made me what I am."

"And not once have I ever regretted the love I had for your father. And, you have never known the truth of how that love came to be, or what happened in the months after Mikael and I lost your sister Freya to the plague. There are no words for the loss of a child, as you well know."

"Damon, I…." Buffy started.

He shook his head, understanding. "Go."

She was suddenly standing beside Klaus, taking his hand to comfort him. He looked down at her, grateful for her support. Damon joined them a moment later and gently squeezed Klaus's shoulder. His eyes glistened slightly with tears and he turned his head away to hide them.

Buffy glared at Esther and when she spoke, her voice was like ice. "You better have a point to this story. You're the reason he lost his daughter. You and your little witches." As Esther opened her mouth, Buffy added, "And don't think I won't kill you and make sure you never come back. Did you forget who my best friend is?"

Esther nodded and looked at Klaus. "After Freya died, Mikael was inconsolable. Compelled by his grief, we were forced to pack our things and set across the seas. Eventually, his despair would drive us apart, and that's when I saw him for the first time…. Your father. I'd never seen a man like him. Powerful, yet wise, but loved by his people. And because Mikael had chosen to leave me alone in his grief, shunning me from his life…. I found myself drawn to another."

"Spare me the sordid details of my origin." Klaus snapped.

"I only speak the truth."

"Then tell me this, Mother: Why did your Adonis abandon his son? Why did he allow me to be raised by a monster who hated me? Why not claim me for himself, raise me among the wolves? Or, was he as ashamed of his bastard as you were?"

"No, no, no. He loved you. It was I who forbade it. I knew if Mikael had learned of my infidelity, he would've destroyed us in his rage. I had no choice. When I learned I was with child, I went back to Mikael. I told him I was having his baby. He showed no joy, but neither did he suspect the truth. When you were born, it renewed his spirits. We had Kol, Rebekah, Henrik…. Because of you, we were a family again!"

"A family built on secrets and lies."

"Oh, you were my secret joy! And, to protect your secret, I denied you a life with your father. But, what if I could make up for all that? By curing you of this sickness that's infected your soul? Whereas I put Kol and Finn into the bodies of a witch, you I shall place into the body of a werewolf! So you can live out your days as what you were always meant to be!"

"What could possibly make you think I would agree to such a thing?"

"With mortality, you could start over. You could have a family of your own. Happiness, peace, all the things you have long been denied?"

Esther moved toward Klaus, but Buffy stepped between them and blocked her from Klaus. "Does your husband realize that you love my son?"

"Nice try, Esther, but I'm not in love with Klaus and Damon knows it. Your son is my friend. I care about him. And you're not going to continue to hurt him anymore. It's too bad you didn't spend any time with my mother on the Other Side. You would've learned what it was like to be a good mother. Now tell us where Elijah is and go back hell."

Esther sighed. "I had hoped your influence on my son would've opened his eyes to a part of him that yearned for an end to his vicious ways. To yearn to be more like you. Loyal, loving, and willing to do anything for his family."

"In case you didn't notice, he _is_ all of those things. He just had a couple of really bad examples for a very long time on how to properly show it."

Esther threw out her hand and sent Klaus and Damon flying backwards. Buffy didn't move since she was still wearing Willow's magical protection. Damon hadn't had a chance to get his back, yet. "Damon!" Buffy rushed over to her husband and helped him to his feet.

Klaus was trying to attack Esther, but she was holding him off magically. "If you are determined to perpetuate the cycles of the violence to which you have become accustomed, then I'll have to accommodate you." She made her outstretched hand into a fist and twisted it in the air. Klaus's neck snapped and he fell to the ground, unconscious.

"Why did you do that?" Buffy demanded.

"It's the only thing he understands."

"No, it's not. He can be reasoned with if the reasoning isn't batshit crazy."

Esther smiled. "It's nice that he has someone that believes in him. It's almost a shame that you chose Damon over him." She looked at Damon. "Maybe my son would be more like you had he been given Buffy's affections." She shook her head. "No matter. When he wakes, tell him that Elijah is sleeping. Chained to the wall of a tomb in Lafayette Cemetery. I'll lift the spell that hides him. You are free to take him home. Now, his own mind will work out his choice for him. When he wakes, he'll make his own decision. Every single thing I've said to Niklaus tonight is the truth. Whether he chooses to believe it is up to him." She turned and walked off, disappearing into the trees.

Damon shook his head. "Batshit crazy is the perfect description for her."

Buffy chuckled as she kneeled down and set Klaus's head right. "She's definitely got some serious issues." Her cell phone started ringing and she grabbed it. "Hey."

"Where have you been?" Willow demanded. "I've been trying to get a hold of you for the last hour."

Buffy pulled her phone away from her ear to see that she had perfect reception. "Must've been some witchy interference. We just had a run in with Esther. Everything ok?"

"We found Elijah. It took some serious doing, but we finally managed to pinpoint him at…."

"Lafayette Cemetery. Yeah, Esther told us."

"Oh. Well, now I feel useless."

"You may not be. She said something that makes me think she's done something to him. As soon as Klaus wakes up, we're going to go rescue Elijah. Where are Hayley and Marcel?"

"They're off rescuing one of her wolves that Esther has sentenced to death."

"She's been busy. Ok, Will, just sit tight. We'll be back as soon as we can."

"Ok. See you soon."

Buffy hung up and looked up at Damon. "When we get back, we're going to have to have Willow put the protection spell on you again."

"I completely forgot about it until the bitch threw me across the yard." Damon said, rubbing his neck.

"Are you ok?" She reached up and placed her hand on his cheek.

He rubbed his face against her palm. "Nothing a kiss from my beautiful wife can't heal."

Buffy smiled. "I think I can provide that." She folded herself in his arms and lost herself in his kiss.

"I can't get enough of this." He said against her lips.

When they finally came up for air, Buffy laid her head against his chest and inhaled his scent. "Five months without it was far too long."

Damon glanced down at Klaus. "So, you and Klaus…. What's going on between you two? What did I miss in my absence?"

Buffy sat down next to Klaus and pulled Damon down with her. She curled up under his arm and played with the fingers of his free hand. "Klaus came not long after you…. Left. He was in so much pain after losing his daughter…. Nothing happened, if that's what you're wondering. Neither of us was in any kind of shape for anything beyond lying in bed and wanting to not exist. We barely said three words to each other the whole time. And you know that I've thought of him as a friend for a while now, but after that visit…." She shook her head. "I care about him, Damon. He and Elijah became like family to me the last few months. Elijah calls me constantly to make sure I'm ok. He called me more than Stefan did. He was the first person to get me to say more than five words in a row. Klaus and I, though, we understood what it meant to lose something so dear to us. To have a piece of us ripped away. We didn't have to talk to understand each other." She looked up at Damon. "And if you haven't noticed, he hasn't hit on me once. Klaus and I understand each other a lot better now. We know where we stand with the other. I hate that it took loosing people so precious to us for it to happen, but…. You don't have to worry about Klaus."

"So, you're my girl?"

"I've always been your girl." Buffy rested her head on his shoulder and he kissed the top of her head, tightening his arm around her.

When Klaus finally woke up, the sun had set and darkness was surrounding them. He gasped awake, looking around a bit panicked. "Where…."

"Are you ok?" Buffy asked, helping him to stand.

"I was remembering the day I found out who my real father was. Only that was after Mikael slaughtered him."

"I'm sorry."  
>"Where did my mother disappear to?"<p>

"No telling, but she told us we could have Elijah."

"You know where he is?"

"According to her, he's chained to a wall in a tomb in Lafayette Cemetery. And Willow confirmed that's where he is. But your mother said something else."

"What?"

"'His own mind will work out his choice for him.' Coming from your mother…. That worries me."

"As it does me, but we don't have time to worry just yet. Let's go rescue my brother, shall we?"

* * *

><p>Buffy, Damon, and Klaus made their way through Lafayette Cemetery. They heard the sounds of fighting nearby and Klaus went to investigate. Buffy rolled her eyes and grabbed his arm. "Klaus, it's a werewolf fight. If Damon and I go in there…."<p>

"Yes." Klaus nodded. "Go after Elijah. If I don't catch up with you here, I'll meet you back at my home."

"Ok. Be safe. If Mikael shows up…."

"You keep the stake. It's safer in your hands. I'll call for you if I need you." Klaus turned to leave, but stopped. "Buffy…. If my mother shows up…."

"I will make her regret it."

"Thank you." He turned and rushed off for the fight.

Buffy and Damon kept moving. They finally came to the crypt that Willow had pinpointed after Esther's wards had been removed. When they walked in, they found Elijah hanging from his arms and chained to the walls. He was on his knees and covered in blood.

"Elijah!" Buffy rushed over to him and yanked on the chains. Damon came to help, but they wouldn't budge. She spotted the little figure hanging by its arms. "Damon…." He looked at where she was gesturing and grabbed the figure, tearing it down. Buffy yanked on the chains again and they snapped easily this time. Elijah collapsed into her arms and she cradled him against her. She bit into her wrist and tried to feed him her blood. "He's not waking up."

"Whatever Esther did to him, I don't think blood will heal it." Damon said, crouching down to check Elijah for any wounds.

"Should we wait for Klaus?"

Damon walked over to the doorway and stuck his head out. He could still hear fighting and it was closer than he was comfortable with. "No. If that fight gets too close to us, we'll be in even more danger trying to carry him." He came over and the two of them lifted Elijah up by his arms, dragging his feet as they left the cemetery.

* * *

><p>Willow looked down at Elijah sleeping in his bed with Tara standing just behind her. He hadn't moved or made any sounds since Buffy and Damon had found him. He was breathing erratically and was covered in a thin sheen of sweat. His muscles were tense and every now and then he would squeeze tightly on Buffy's hand as she sat next to him on the bed, making her wince slightly. Damon was pacing the floor and trying to get a hold of Klaus.<p>

"It's definitely mystical." Willow said, examining Elijah's eyes and neck. "There's a rash here on his neck that shouldn't be there."

"Can you wake him up?" Buffy asked.

"I can try." Willow went around to the other side of the bed and sat down. She placed her fingertips on Elijah's temples and closed her eyes.

"He's still not answering." Damon said, joining Tara standing by Buffy.

"I hope he's ok." Buffy said.

"Worry no more, love." Klaus said, walking into the room. "How is he?"

"He's still sleeping."

"Willow?" Tara asked worriedly.

Klaus rushed over and gently pulled Willow away from Elijah. Her nose had begun to bleed and her eyes had turned black. "It's Esther's spell." Klaus said.

"Elijah's mind is in such chaos." Willow said, actually grateful to Klaus for holding her up. Tara came over and held Willow's hand. "I got snippets of whatever he's dreaming and it's…. scary. But there's something else blocking his mind. It's really dark magic."

"Klaus, you're his brother." Damon said. "Do you think you can get in his mind? You know it better than we do."

Klaus made sure Willow was going to be able to stand before he reached over and touched Elijah's temple with one hand and his chest with the other. "I know you are locked in battle, however deep in your mind our mother has set the stage. Hear my voice. Our mother thinks she will win because she has left you alone, but you are not alone. Let me in." Elijah's body went rigid and he began to seize. "Let me help end whatever torment she has forced upon you." Klaus's nose began to bleed and he groaned in pain.

"Klaus, stop!" Buffy grabbed his wrists and pulled him away. He blinked rapidly and looked up at her. "Are you ok?"

"Esther has blocked us out."

"Maybe you'll know the spell she used." Buffy moved Elijah's head to the side and showed Klaus the weird looking rash on his neck.

"I haven't seen this since I was a child." Klaus said, leaning over to inspect the rash. "Mikael would return home from battle more blindly temperamental than usual, and our mother would use the petals of a rare merlock orchid to put him to sleep. She would mend his mind with a spell, and then wake him with the roots of the same plant. If she has access to it now, then maybe it also grows in the Bayou." He looked over at Willow. "If I can find it, will you help with the spell to reverse this affliction my mother has placed on my brother?"

"Yeah. Of course." Willow said.

Klaus stood up and started to leave. Buffy followed him out onto the balcony overlooking the courtyard. "What happened to you?" She asked. "Back at the cemetery, I mean. You took your sweet time getting back."

"Esther brought my father back from the dead. My true father."

"Geez, it's nice of her to keep handing out those 'get of dead free' cards. Coulda used one of those about five months ago." Buffy looked up at Klaus. "Did you speak to him?"

"Nothing of consequence. He is just a ploy my mother is using to try and woo me into her web of deceit."

"But he's alive?"

"Yes."

"And he's out there."

"What are you getting at?"

"Aren't you the least bit curious about him?"

"No." Klaus began walking again and Buffy continued to follow him.

"Oh, come on! Don't lie to me. Klaus, you've spent a thousand years knowing that you had a real father who wasn't out to murder you and now he's here and you can talk to him…."

"He's just a pawn in mother's game!"

"He's still your father and she kept him from you! He's got to have some resentment there. Use that. Turn him against her. You're great at manipulating people."

Klaus stopped suddenly and looked down at her. "Are you coming with me?"

Buffy realized that she'd actually followed him all the way to the end of the block and they were about to cross the street. "Apparently I am." She brought out her phone and called Damon as she and Klaus continued walking.

"Where did you go?" He asked by way of answering.

"Sorry, I was getting on Klaus's case and ended up following him out. I'll be back later."

"Do you want me to come with you?"

"I would love that, but we're kind of far away now and I couldn't tell you how we got here. Stay with Willow and help her get that spell ready."

"Be careful, babe."

"I will. I love you."

"I love you." Damon hung up and Buffy put her phone back in her pocket.

Klaus looked down at her. "Thank you."

"For what?" Buffy asked.

"For coming down here to help despite you having just gotten Damon back from the dead. I know you'd rather be with him."

"You're welcome."

"You're rather like family now, are you not?"

She nudged him playfully with her elbow. "Hey, you're the one that called me your little sister."

Klaus chuckled slightly. "I will admit, I do still want you to be mine, I doubt that will change, but I acknowledge that it's just not my time and I'm content to have you in my life as my friend until that time comes." He took her hand and kissed her knuckles very formally.

Buffy shook her head. "You have seriously done some growing up here in New Orleans."

"Don't tell anyone."

"Oh, I won't. I wouldn't want anyone to actually like you." Buffy squeezed Klaus's hand before letting it go and then looked around. "Do you have any idea where we're going to find this stuff?"

"None. But I assume it's closer to the cemetery since that's where mother has decided to set up camp."

"Ok, then…. I guess since I have no idea what this flower looks like, I'm just keeping you company while we search."

"I'm not going to complain. I've finally got you in New Orleans. Tell me everything that's been going on with you."

* * *

><p>A few hours later, they were still searching the bayou for the orchids. The two of them had kept up a steady stream of easy conversation. Buffy really wished that he would let more people see this side of him. Then she and Elijah wouldn't be the only ones to know that Klaus was a good person inside.<p>

For the last thirty minutes, Buffy had been tracking a man that had been following them with a knife in his hand. He thought he was being sneaky, but she could hear the man's breathing and the beating of his heart. Klaus had to have heard it too, but he gave no outward notion of it until he suddenly rushed over to the man and pinned him against a tree.

"Stop following me." He growled. "I have no intention of taking Esther's bargain, and no desire to be remade a mortal being. Now, kindly piss off. I'm in a hurry to help my real family."

"You seek the merlock orchid." The man called after Klaus as he stomped back to Buffy.

"How did you know that?"

"I saw your friends carry Elijah home last night. Who do you think used to find the orchid for your mother to put Mikael to sleep? Without my help, you could search forever."

"Is that your dad?" Buffy asked Klaus.

"My name is Ansel." The man said to Buffy, holding out his hand for her to shake.

Buffy pushed Klaus's restraining hands away from her and shook Ansel's hand. "I'm…."

"Buffy Summers. Yes. You have been a good influence on my son. Perhaps you could help him to actually speak with me."

Klaus pulled Buffy away from Ansel. "My mother brought you back from the dead. My sense of strategy tells me that it wasn't to play a father-son game of hide and seek."

"You can storm off in a fit of stubbornness if you like, but I suggest you do so toward the west."

"You know where the flowers are?" Buffy asked. Ansel gestured to his right and Buffy turned to look at Klaus. He sighed and changed directions, pulling Buffy along by her arm.

Buffy allowed it for a few minutes knowing that Ansel was behind them. "Ok, Klaus…." She pulled her arm out of his grasp. "Running away isn't going to solve anything."

Klaus glared at her for a moment and then continued walking. "A thousand years estranged, and you choose to walk in silence?" Ansel asked. "Surely you have questions for me."

"Just one: is there a way to cure Elijah without having to listen to the pointless ramblings of an old man?" Klaus snapped.

"I'm afraid the price of my expertise is conversation." Ansel patted Klaus on the back and slipped past him so he could take the lead.

Buffy smiled at Klaus when he looked down at her. "It's not an unreasonable request."

"I don't want to talk to him."

"Oh please! Of course you do." She took a breath and then gripped Klaus's upper arms. "It's ok to be curious. It's ok to want to talk to him."

"Stop being so bloody reasonable!" Buffy shook her head at him and hugged him quickly. He sighed and they followed after Ansel. After a few minutes, Klaus finally said, "You know, I used to tell myself that my real father must have had no idea I existed. Otherwise, he'd never leave me to suffer under Mikael."

"Esther forbade me from seeing you." Ansel said. "So, I waited, knowing that one day, you would trigger your curse and need your real father. When that happened, Mikael found me first. I fought him for you."

"Yes, well, your grand declaration is just a few years too late."

"Now, you joke, but I know you've always felt a void in your life. I've watched you from beyond for centuries. You've traveled all corners of the world, seen monuments erected, feasted on the blood of the history's most extraordinary men, but you've never found true peace. The only moments of joy in your life, however fleeting, have been simple pleasures. As you climbed the Himalayas, as you tended to your horses. Quiet days, teaching that boy Shakespeare…."

"Stop."

"I watched you paint. I watched you learn to be a better man through your love for this woman." Ansel gestured at Buffy. "I watched you feel your unborn daughter's kick…."

Klaus suddenly grabbed Ansel in a choke-hold. "Klaus!" Buffy cried.

"I said, stop!" Klaus snapped. Buffy managed to pull him off of Ansel and hold onto his arm. "A millennium of observing me…. Were your eyes closed as I slaughtered whole villages? Fed my way through thousands of innocents? Because, let's face it…. I have a tendency to play with my food. Have I made you proud, Father?" Klaus yanked his arm away from Buffy's grip and stormed off.

Buffy turned to Ansel. "Are you working for Esther?"

"No, I'm not. She brought me back, yes, but I am not under her influence. I just want to talk to my son."

"That's what I thought."  
>"You have great influence over him, Buffy. He truly does care deeply for you. Will you help me?"<p>

"I'll do what I can. If you've been watching him all this time, then you know that he's a stubborn ass about ninety-eight percent of the time."

Ansel chuckled. "He comes by it honestly."

Buffy's phone began ringing and she answered it, still chuckling at Ansel's retort. "How's it going?" Damon asked.  
>"Well, I met Klaus's biological father and he seems like a pretty decent guy. He's leading us to where Esther has hidden the orchids. How's Willow coming with the spell?"<p>

"She's got everything she needs. We're just waiting on the orchid."

"With Ansel's help, we should be back soon enough. I'll call you when we're on our way back. How is Elijah? Any change?"

"None. He's still out cold. He jerks and talks a little, but that's it. No waking up. Maybe if the orchid doesn't wake him up, we should start looking for his one true love. I hear that wakes people up from mystical sleeps."

Buffy laughed. "Well, if I ever end up in one, I sure am glad to have you around."

"You saying I'm your one true love?"

"Maybe. Or maybe I'm just saying that you're pretty decent at kissing."

"Maybe I'm both."

"Maybe."

"I love you."

"I love you."

"I'll see you soon."

"Bye." Buffy hung up and stuck her phone back in her pocket.

"How is my brother?" Klaus asked, falling back to walk next to Buffy and letting Ansel take the lead again.

"Still the same."

"We're almost there." Ansel said.

Sure enough, a few minutes later they came to a large tree where the merlock orchids were growing on the branches. Unfortunately, the tree was surrounded by dozens and dozens of purple-flowered herbs. "Vervain." Buffy said, stepping back from the plants.

"It's everywhere." Klaus growled. "My relentless mother has set a trap."

"I'll retrieve the merlock for you." Ansel said with a smile.

"At what cost?"

Ansel suddenly threw his knife into the ground and got in Klaus's face. "Why don't you use your vampire abilities to end your doubts? Search my mind. You'll see I'm not aligned with your mother."

"I have absolutely no interest in the inner-workings of your brain."

"I'm surprised at your cowardice."

"Oh?"

"While you stand here in fear of me, your brother suffers further."

Klaus actually looked hurt by Ansel's words. He finally relented. "Gather the orchids."

* * *

><p>A few more hours later, the sun had set and Ansel had set up a little camp to prepare the orchids for Willow's spell. He had made a small campfire and sat across from Buffy and Klaus. He was using a long knife to cut the merlock orchids as Klaus watched him. Buffy was texting Damon and not paying too much attention to Klaus and Ansel's conversation.<p>

"I've always seen a blade to have a very different use." Klaus said.

"Mikael taught you to kill, Klaus. But, you were born to create. Power lies in embracing your true nature." Ansel said.

"You think I should accept my mother's offer? Sacrifice my vampirism? And then what? Become a florist?"

"You wouldn't be sacrificing anything. As a wolf, you'll be king to an entire species. You would feel at true peace. And you'll be a better father."

"I am no longer a father." Klaus stood up angrily and walked away from the campfire.

Ansel didn't let up, though. "In our animal form, we feel everything more acutely. When you were a boy, after each full moon, I would wake closer to your village, having been drawn to you in the night. Since I've been back, each month when I turn, I wake further from New Orleans. I know the call of my own blood, Klaus." Klaus turned toward Ansel with a shocked face. Buffy's head shot up as she put two and two together just before Ansel said, "I know your child is still alive."

Klaus's eyes widened and he turned away. Buffy stood up and walked over to him. "Is that true?" He didn't answer her. "Klaus?" When his eyes met her, she saw the truth in them.

Ansel walked over to them and handed Klaus a handkerchief with the prepared orchids. "This will help Elijah." He turned away, but Klaus called out to him.

"Ansel. I'd be lying if I said your offer wasn't appealing. I've never known a parent to be a benevolent force. I think I would have liked to have been your son. But, a different path was chosen for me, and I have, for the past one thousand years, been the son of Mikael. Paranoid. Vengeful. And, powerful enough to protect my daughter."

Ansel clasped the back of Klaus' head affectionately. "I want to help you defend her."

"I believe you. But love is what Esther twists. She will take the best of your intentions and she will use them to get to my little girl." Klaus took Ansel's hand in his own and clasped it tightly. "You waited too long before you came to rescue me. I won't make the same mistake with Hope." Klaus suddenly picked up Ansel's blade and Ansel turned toward him, confused and hurt.

"No. No, Klaus. I know you. You are not capable of this."

"That's the first lie you've told me."

"Klaus don't!" Buffy cried just before Klaus slashed sliced open Ansel's chest. Ansel gasped, staggering forward, and Klaus looked horrified at what he'd just done. He stepped forward and caught his dying father in his arms, slowly lowering his body onto the ground. Ansel caressed Klaus's cheek with his hand before he died. Klaus began to cry, overwhelmed by all the new emotions, but he quickly steeled himself and stood up.

"Why did you do that?" Buffy asked.

"To protect my daughter." He moved towards her. "No one can know she's alive."

"Put the knife down, Klaus."

"I don't want to hurt you."

"Then don't."

"My daughter…."

"Do you honestly think that I would ever betray you like that? Do you think that I would ever hurt Hope in any way?"

"If someone threatened you…."

"Who's going to even try? I'm a Vampire Slayer vampire. I'm like you. And I have a witch that's just as powerful as your mother that would back me up one-hundred percent."

"I don't want to hurt you."

"So don't." Buffy placed her hands on either side of Klaus's face, trusting that he wouldn't actually go through with it, and looked him in the eyes. "I fought for Hope before she was even born. I wanted you to have her. I had to talk you into it. There is no way that I would ever in a million years do anything to hurt her. You know that."

Klaus let the knife drop from his hand and wrapped his arms around her. "I'm sorry."

"It's ok. I completely understand." Buffy gently stroked the back of his head as she held him. He began to cry and she held him tighter, letting him sob into her shoulder. They sank to the ground as Buffy comforted Klaus. When he finally quieted, Buffy asked, "Where is she?"

"She's with Rebekah." Klaus said, not leaving her arms. "We sent her away and told everyone that she had been killed to keep her safe."

"Do you ever talk to Rebekah?"

"She checks in periodically to give us updates on Hope." Klaus lifted his head and looked at Buffy. "I would give anything to see my daughter again. To hold her in my arms."

"But not until she's completely safe."

"Not a moment before."

She reached up and wiped away the tear tracks from his cheeks. "No one will ever find out from me that Hope is alive. I swear to you that I will kill anyone that is out to harm her."

Klaus took one of her hands and held it against his lips for a long moment. "I don't know how you've done it, but I completely trust you. I should never have threatened you."

"I would've done the same thing." She gave his hand a squeeze before standing up. "We need to get back to Elijah."

Klaus stood up as well and leaned in to kiss her cheek. "I am very grateful to have you in my life, Buffy."

* * *

><p>Buffy and Klaus headed straight for Elijah's room when they got back to the compound. Damon, Willow, and Tara were there waiting. They stood up, looking a bit surprised at their sudden entrance. Klaus handed Willow the handkerchief Ansel had given him. She headed out to the kitchen to finish her spell.<p>

Damon took Buffy's hand. "Are you ok? What happened out there?"

Buffy smiled up at Damon. "I met Klaus's real dad. He was a decent guy."

"Was?"

"Long story." She reached up and kissed Damon, letting her lips linger for a moment. As much as she wanted to tell Damon what she'd learned, she wouldn't betray Klaus and Hope like that. Not until Klaus said it was ok. If he had briefly thought about killing her when she'd found out, then he definitely wouldn't hesitate to kill Damon and she would never put her husband in danger like that.

"Got it." Willow announced, walking back in. She handed the poultice to Klaus and he walked over to Elijah.

"May I have some privacy with my brother?" Klaus asked.

"We'll be in the courtyard." Willow said, taking Tara's hand and leaving.

Damon held Buffy's hand as he walked out, but Klaus said, "Buffy, please stay? If he's feral from this spell, I might need some assistance restraining him."

Buffy looked up at Damon. "I'll meet you in the courtyard?"

"Of course." Damon looked at Klaus for a moment before kissing Buffy quickly and shutting the door behind him.

Buffy walked over to the bed and climbed up to sit next to Elijah, taking his hand in hers. "We were innocent once, Elijah." Klaus said as he rubbed the poultice on Elijah's neck. "This bloodlust was forced upon us by our parents, turning us from prey to predator. We're the demons lurking in shadow. We are the savage villains in fairy tales taught to children. But, not for my child. Not for Hope. In her stories, we are knights in shining armor. Without you by my side, I don't think I can survive my own love for my daughter. I need you. I need you, brother. The monster in me can only be challenged by the monster in you. Only together can we fight our demons and save our family."

Elijah woke up with a loud gasp and his grip on Buffy's hand tightened to a painful vice. His eyes focused on Klaus's smiling face first before resting on Buffy. "Buffy?"

"Hey Elijah." Buffy said gently.

"What are you doing here?"

"Klaus and Hayley called me when you went missing. I came as soon as I could."

"Let's let Elijah orient himself and freshen up." Klaus said, coming around the bed and helping Buffy down. "We'll return when you're ready." As soon as the door was shut, Klaus took Buffy down the hall to his room. Buffy walked over to the painting on the wall over the bed. It looked like the sky at dusk and one of the clouds was painted golden and seemed to be moving as if it was blonde hair being blown around by the wind. "I painted that not long after I moved here. It was inspired by you."

"It's beautiful."

"Buffy, I trust you implicitly with this secret. Damon…."

"I won't tell him unless you say it's ok. You killed your own father and nearly killed me. I'm not risking my husband like that."

"Thank you. One day I will have Hope back and then everyone shall know. But until that day…."

"Until that day, your secret is safe with me. I'll kill anyone who crosses my path looking for her." Buffy sighed when her phone began ringing. "Hey Rick. How are you feeling?"

"Well, I've been released from the hospital." Rick said. "How's it going down there in New Orleans?"

"Oh, the usual. Death, mayhem, a crazy Original Witch mother, and a psycho Original vampire father."

"Will you guys be home for Thanksgiving? Elena is planning a big party."

"I didn't realize it was almost Thanksgiving."

"Well, you've been a little busy."

"Let me talk to Damon and I'll call you back?"

"Sure."

Buffy hung up. "Who knew it was almost Thanksgiving?"

"I hadn't realized it myself." Klaus said. "You'll be leaving soon?"

"Probably. I'd like to see some kind of resolution to this before I leave, though."

"As would I." Klaus thought for a moment. "I have an errand to run. I'll return shortly."

Before Buffy could say anything, Klaus rushed out of the room. She shook her head and headed for the kitchen. She got herself a bag of blood and one for Elijah. As she waited for his to heat up, she drank hers and reflected on everything that had happened that day. The door to Elijah's room was cracked slightly, but she still knocked and waited for Elijah to invite her in. He was standing at his full length mirror looking at his unfinished tie.

"Hey." Buffy said, walking up to him.

"It was an unexpected surprise to find you here when I awoke." Elijah said, hugging her tightly.  
>"I thought you would be busy trying to find a way to bring Damon back."<p>

"Well, I stopped when he came back."

He pulled back and looked down at her. "Damon has returned?" She nodded, handing him the mug of blood. "Thank you. I knew you would find a way."

"I didn't…. Actually…. Bonnie did. She sent him back and now she's stuck in some alternate universe. She sacrificed herself so he could come back to me."

"I'm sure you'll find a way to save her." Elijah gave her a small smile, leaning over to kiss her forehead.

Buffy reached up and started tying Elijah's tie. "How do you feel?"

"The worst has past. Though, I suspect the nightmares are far from over. How long have you been here?"

"Couple of days. Hayley called me and told me you were missing. With your mother and father back among the living, I got worried."

"I'm sure Klaus was happy to see you."

"He's been very excited…. And very grown up."

"How so?"

"He hasn't hit on me once. He said that it was better to have me in his life as a friend instead of not at all. And he didn't kill me when I found out about Hope." Elijah became very still under her hands. "I'll let him tell you all about it because it's his story to tell, but Hope's secret is safe with me." She finished his tie and straightened it for him.

"How did you find out?"

"Like I said, I'll let Klaus tell you."

"And where is my brother?"  
>"No idea. He said he had an errand to run and he would be back."<p>

Elijah nodded. "Buffy, I can't stress to you…."

"How important it is to keep her safe."

"He's trusting you with this. Do you realize how important that is?"

"Of course I do. Especially after today."

"What happened today?"

"I spent the day with my father. My real father." Klaus said, walking into the room. "Esther brought him back from the dead, believing he could convince me to renounce vampirism. The thought of what I could be…. Had I been raised by him…. Had I been nurtured…. This was his." He handed Elijah a notebook and he opened it to find a sketch of a much younger Klaus inside. "He knew about Hope. I wanted to trust him more than anything in the world. I… I wanted to, but…. I couldn't be sure. And I would never forgive myself if something happened to her because of my selfish desire for a father. So, I killed him. Without hesitation. I killed him."

"You killed him for Hope." Buffy said, squeezing Klaus's hand.

Elijah approached them and handed Klaus the notebook. "And whatever innocence remains, we must protect at any cost." Elijah put a hand on the back of Klaus's head comfortingly and took Buffy's hand, connecting the three of them. "This family will make sure of that." Klaus began to cry and Buffy and Elijah wrapped their arms around him.

When he finally calmed down, Klaus stood up straight and wiped the tears from his cheeks. "Gather your strength. After the message I sent mother tonight, I expect hellfire to rain upon us imminently."

"We need to make a move before she strikes."

Marcel and Hayley appeared in the doorway. "Well, actually, moves were made while you were sleeping." Marcel said.

"It's good to see you vertical." Hayley said. "Marcel and I each left a gift for you in the ballroom. You're welcome?"

Buffy, Elijah, and Klaus exchanged looks and headed out of the room. Damon met Buffy at the foot of the stairs in the courtyard and took her hand. In the ballroom, Finn and Kol in their new bodies were suspended from the balcony by their wrists. Willow and Tara stood off to the side looking pleased with their handiwork. They had spelled the manacles so no one supernatural could break them, witch or otherwise.

"Kidnapping? That's a rather unpleasant way to begin a family reunion!" Kol said.

"Well, wait until you see how we end it!" Klaus announced.


	115. Chapter 113

Chapter 113

Buffy, Damon, Willow, Tara, Klaus, and Elijah sat around a beautifully arrayed dining table filled with breakfast foods. Kol and Finn were also sitting at the table, but they were chained up just out of reach of the food. They didn't look too happy about it, either.

"We arrive into this world as innocents." Klaus was saying. "Wide-eyed. Vulnerable. It is the job of our parents to nurture and protect us. Unfortunately, our own parents failed miserably at even the most basic of parental tasks. But, we are not beholden to the past they created for us. "Today, a new future awaits. Forget your animosity toward Elijah and myself. Instead, join us against she who truly deserves your ire: our mother." Kol rolled his eyes and Finn looked bored. "Do this and we will welcome you with open arms!"

"Well…." Kol reached for a plate of pastries with his shackled hands, but Klaus pulled it out of his way.

"But, if you continue to oppose us, a denial of pastries will be the least of your concerns."

"If all you wanted was my allegiance against Mother Dearest, you should have said so! Save me a night shackled to the wall."

"Yes, this was Niklaus." Elijah said. "My recommendation was to remove your limbs, one by one, until you comply."

"I seconded that motion." Damon said, popping a pastry into his mouth.

"We've no desire to torture you." Klaus said, standing up. He moved behind Kol and Finn and squeezed their shoulders. "Provided you vow to stand beside us!"

Finn shrugged out of Klaus's grip. "Brothers…. Does that word even apply to us? After all these centuries of betrayal? And has loyalty to you ever rewarded? If so, tell me, Niklaus, where is our sister, Rebekah? She was blindly loyal to you for a thousand years, and now? Nowhere to be found. Where did our sister go? And, how did she escape your vile machinations?"

Klaus laughed at him. "You think me vile? What, then, do you make of the one who cursed us?"

"She was trying to make you mortal again!" Elijah grabbed a knife off the table, clearly suspicious and annoyed by Finn's words. Buffy's hand fell on his wrist to stay him as Finn continued to talk. "And, you both refused her. It only proves how far you've fallen. But, I expect Rebekah will have a different response to her proposal. See, unlike the two of you, she always did cling to her humanity."

"Leave Rebekah out of this." Buffy said calmly. "You go after her, you'll pay for it. Heavily."

"And how did you come to be here, little Slayer?" Finn asked. "You hated my brother Niklaus. You became a vampire to fight him. You couldn't wait to be rid of him. You even worked with our mother to make it so."

"I changed my mind."

"And does your husband share the same sentiment?"

"Do not let him goad you, Buffy." Klaus said. "Neither he, nor Esther, will find Rebekah unless she wants to be found. And she does not."

"Esther is quite determined. She's been searching for Rebekah since the day she returned. I imagine it's only a matter of time."

Elijah suddenly lost his temper. He surged up and grabbed Finn by the collar, slamming him onto the table before tearing into his neck. Buffy and Klaus both grabbed Elijah and pulled him off. They pulled him into the opposite room and Klaus shoved him against a wall. Elijah put his hands up defensively and Klaus backed off. He tugged Elijah's handkerchief out of his jacket pocket and handed it to him so he could clean himself up.

"I enjoy a good blood-letting as much as anyone, but our brothers have power, as well as knowledge of Esther's plans." Klaus said. "We need them alive."

"Imagine what they would do to Rebekah. To Hope." Elijah whispered.

"Rebekah has been cloaked by powerful magic. Focus on the task at hand. We need to persuade our brothers."

"I'm through with persuasion."

"Has the earth shifted on its axis? You needing restraint from me?"

"Look, I can't blame you for wanting to rip them limb from limb." Buffy said. "I wouldn't mind killing them all over again, but Klaus is right. We have to play this right."

Elijah took a deep breath, but before they could head back into the dining room, his phone rang. "It's me." Rebekah said. "I have the baby and we're on the run. Esther found us. We're safe, for now. I've lost her bloody starlings, but I have no idea where to go."

"Tell her to head west." Klaus said. "I'll call Hayley."

"Do not tell Hayley! Esther's too smart for that. The only advantage that we have is that she thinks the baby died. Text me the plans."

Elijah hung up with a sigh. "Klaus, you go. I'll take care of Kol and Finn."

"Splendid. And, in your hands, I assume they'll be dead by nightfall." Klaus said.

"I will show restraint. Buffy will make sure of that. Hope needs her father."

"What she needs…. What we need are more allies to help us defeat our mother. Finn and Kol must be turned to our side. Without their help, there will be nowhere left for Hope to run."

"Niklaus, your child…."

"I have waited months to see my daughter. I can wait one more day." Klaus looked at Buffy. "You go with him. It will look as if you're going back home for Thanksgiving. Damon, Willow, and Tara will need to go on without you before you meet Hope."

"Are you sure?" Buffy asked.

The look on Klaus's face told her he wasn't, but he said, "Give my daughter a kiss from me when you see her. And do whatever it takes to keep her safe."

"Ok. Let's finish breakfast to make this look legit." The three of them walked back into the room. They sat back down and continued their breakfast as Buffy told Willow telepathically that they needed to leave and soon. "Oh, Klaus, remind me before we leave to get more of your werewolf venom cure from you. I'm running low after Katherine's little stunt a while back."

"Of course, love. I do wish you could stay longer. It's been a real pleasure to have you here. I told you that you would enjoy New Orleans."

"I never doubted you for a second. I wish we could stay longer to help out with Stupid and Stupider, here, but Elena is putting together a big Thanksgiving dinner. I can't miss it."

"This is your first Thanksgiving as husband and wife, is it not?" Elijah asked Buffy and Damon.

"It is." Damon said, going along with the flow of conversation. Willow had just told him what was going on telepathically. "If we could go home, I'm sure Buffy and I would be hosting it."

"We're working on it." Willow said. "The Travelers really knew what they were doing with this one spell. But, I guess they would since they were working on it for thousands of years."

"We'll figure it out." Tara said, taking Willow's hand. "We always do."

"What kind of spell?" Kol asked. "Maybe I could be of some assistance?"

"We don't need your assistance." Willow said.

"We should probably be hitting the road soon." Damon said. "Long drive ahead of us. But this was great. Thanks for the food."

"Well, I wanted to send you all off with a nice breakfast." Klaus said. "Hopefully the next time you come to visit, you'll be able to stay longer and actually enjoy New Orleans."

"Without all the annoyances," Buffy said pointedly at Kol and Finn. "I'm sure I'll love New Orleans even more."

Damon stood up from the table and pulled Buffy's chair out for her. Buffy looked at Elijah. "By the way, I've been meaning to ask you if you wouldn't mind coming up to Whitmore soon and helping Alaric out again? He's having a hell of a time getting his bloodlust under control and I don't know what to do with him at this point. Was it different for you guys when you first became vampires?"

"You should go with them, Elijah." Klaus said. "I can handle our brothers while you're gone."

"I mean, I can't blame you for wanting to rip out their throats, but maybe getting away for a couple of days will help you calm down." Damon said.

Elijah looked at Finn and Kol. "I suppose it couldn't hurt." He set down his napkin. "Very well, if Klaus is sure he can handle this, then I'll join you on your journey to Whitmore."

"Great!" Buffy smiled brightly. "We'll go get our things in the car and make room for you."

* * *

><p>Buffy and Elijah sat in a booth in a diner somewhere in North Carolina as the sun was setting. Damon, Willow, and Tara had gone on to Whitmore. It had taken some convincing, but they had finally relented. Elijah had almost had to compel Damon, but Buffy had talked him out of it. She now sat across from him shaking her head.<p>

"I've been apart from that man for five months. I hate having to do that." She said to Elijah.

"It was necessary." Elijah assured her. "The less people that know about Hope, the better."

"Oh, I know all that. He's going to demand some more explanations and I'm just not sure what to tell him."

"I doubt he thinks you're having an affair with me."

Buffy laughed. "I doubt that, too, but making him go on without me with an 'I promise I'll tell you about it when I can, but not right now because I said so' isn't going to satisfy him." Elijah's phone began ringing and he pulled it out of his jacket pocket. He smiled slightly to himself, but ignored the call. When he looked back up, he noticed a man sitting at the bar staring at him. Buffy glanced behind her at the man. "What's wrong?"

A waitress came by to refill their coffee cups and Elijah caught her gaze. "Tell me, has there been anyone out of the ordinary today?"

"Just you two." The waitress responded. Elijah smiled and nudged his mug toward her to top off his coffee. When she went to pour it, she accidentally spilled some on his wrist and the sleeve of his shirt and jacket. "Oh, I am so sorry, let me…."

"It's quite all right. Thank you." Elijah dabbed at the stain on his sleeve with a napkin as the waitress refilled Buffy's coffee and walked off.

Buffy watched Elijah closely for a long moment. He seemed to be lost in his own brain, but then his eyes cleared and he looked over at the waitress whispering to the suspicious man at the bar. Both of them were openly staring at Buffy and Elijah now.

"Ok, that's funky." Buffy said to Elijah.

"Yes, it is." He got to his feet and walked over to the man. Instead of compelling him, though, he just ripped into the man's neck.

"No!" Buffy rushed over and pulled Elijah away, but he fought her off. Something must've triggered in him. Something that Esther had put in him. She pulled out her cell phone to call Klaus, but Elijah attacked her again. He managed to get his hands around her neck and twisted. The world went black and Buffy fell to the ground.

* * *

><p>It was dark now and Elijah was sitting at his booth as the waitress walked past him. Rebekah walked into the restaurant with Hope in her baby carrier. Elijah immediately stood when he saw her and she smiled at him. When she made it to the booth, she set Hope's carrier on the table and Elijah smiled brightly as he gazed down at her. He wrapped his arms around Rebekah tightly.<p>

"Where's Buffy?" Rebekah asked. "Nic said she would be here."

"She'll join us shortly." Elijah lied. "She had to take care of something back home." Rebekah sat down while Elijah picked up Hope and held her. "Look at you. So big. So perfect. I can't imagine the joy of spending every day with her. It's…."

"Quite lovely. It feels so human."

"Yes…. some would argue the most human of experiences."

"I know I have to give her back to Hayley when the time is right, but she's made me realize how much I want that child of my own, that I know I can't have."

"It's a lovely dream. Unfortunately, it's one that's just beyond our reach, considering the curse of our existence."

"Seems Esther's attacking with her usual fervor."

"Yes, Mother tortured me for days with memories I thought I'd buried long ago. Then, she made an offer…. to make us all mortal again. You see, sister, Mother believes that by placing us in new bodies, we can then reclaim some kind of…. purity. We can begin families of our own again. And, I have to confess, Rebekah…. this invitation, however cruel in delivery, had a certain…. appeal." Rebekah looked at him sympathetically and stretched her arms across the table so she could take Elijah's free hand in her own. He continued to gaze at Hope, not noticing when Rebekah spotted a smear of blood on the sleeve of his shirt. Finally, he looked up and noticed her concern. "You needn't worry. We're safe."

Rebekah licked her lips and put on a fake smile before getting to her feet and grabbing Hope's blanket. "Looks like this little one needs her diaper changed!" Elijah stood so he could hand Hope back to her. "Here, my love." She headed toward the bathroom across the restaurant and noticed a smear of blood on the counter while she passed it.

There was another bloody smear on the door to the kitchen. The waitress was washing her hands at a nearby sink and seemed to have been compelled to ignore the blood. She seemed completely unbothered by it and didn't make a move to stop Rebekah when she opened the door to the kitchen. She gasped when she saw a dozen bloodied bodies strewn around the room. She turned Hope's face away and hid her with her blanket to keep her from seeing any of the carnage. Rebekah backed out and looked back at Elijah who was still standing near their table with his back to them, completely oblivious.

Hurrying into the restroom, Rebekah bolted the door shut and leaned against it. Before she could move, a groan from one of the stalls alerted her to the presence of someone else. "What the hell?" Buffy's voice sounded from the stall.

"Buffy?" Rebekah asked, opening the stall door to find Buffy crumpled on the floor. She took Buffy's hand and helped her to stand. "Are you all right? Elijah said you were dealing with something back home."

"Nope. Not dealing with anything back home. I was too busy being dead. Elijah broke my neck." Buffy stretched her neck out and brushed herself off. "He attacked some man and when I tried to stop him…." She mimed breaking a neck.

"He's done more than that. There's a kitchen full of dead bodies."

"We need to call Klaus and get away from this mess. I think Elijah's trying to call Esther here." Buffy looked down at Hope in Rebekah's arms and her face softened. "She looks just like Klaus."

Rebekah smiled slightly as she allowed Buffy to hold Hope. "I never thought that you and Klaus would be acting like family and your husband be ok with that."

Buffy chuckled. "He's still getting used to the idea." She kissed Hope's temple as she bounced her lightly and said, "And you are too precious, little one. Your daddy misses you very much."

"You're a natural at that."

"Oh, I love children, but I've never wanted any of my own. Too many issues to deal with." Buffy sighed. "We need to deal with Elijah and get out of here."

Rebekah held her hands out and Buffy handed Hope to her. "Let me change her and I'll go out and break Elijah's neck. You call Klaus and let him know what's going on."

"Ok." Buffy waited until Rebekah headed back out into the restaurant before she called Klaus. She didn't even let him talk. "We have a serious problem."

"What's wrong?" Klaus asked, instantly concerned.

"Elijah killed a bunch people here at the diner and he snapped my neck and lied to Rebekah about it. When has he ever killed when he could just compel? I think he's trying to get Esther's attention."

"Her torture must have affected him more deeply than I'd realized. Where is he now?"

"Rebekah just broke his neck. What do we do next?"

"Get in the car with Rebekah and tell her to go to where we dined the Christmas after we fled Mikael."

"Ok. Klaus…."  
>"What is it, love?"<p>

"I need Damon here. I don't know where we're going or when we'll be back and I can't do that to him. Not after we've both spent five months trying to get back to each other. Please, Klaus, I'm begging you. He will never hurt Hope in any way. I swear to you."

"If I say yes, then I'm trusting you to keep him in line."

"Of course I will. And if you want, you can compel him to keep his mouth shut about Hope."

Klaus sighed. "I'm trusting you, Buffy."

"And I know that's not something you do lightly. I swear to you, Damon will be behind me on this 100%." Buffy was getting ready to hang up, but she paused. "Klaus?"

"Yes?"

"Thank you."

"Don't make me regret it." Klaus hung up and Buffy took a deep breath.

She opened the bathroom door to find Rebekah putting Hope in her carrier and Elijah crumpled at her feet. "Did you speak with Nic?" Rebekah asked.  
>"Yeah. He said we need to go where you dined the Christmas after you ran from Mikael."<p>

"That's rather far away from here."

"I think that's the point. But we need to stop by my apartment in Whitmore, first."

"Clothing, right."

"And a husband."

"You can't tell Damon about Hope!"

"It's ok. Klaus gave me the go ahead. Rebekah, Damon was dead for the last five months. I just got him back a few days ago."

Rebekah sighed. "Fine. We'll pick him up on the way. We're putting Elijah in the back."

"If we hurry, we can get him in manacles that are unbreakable before he wakes up. I've got some at my apartment."

"I'm not even going to ask why." Rebekah shook her head and picked up Hope's carrier. "Let's go."

* * *

><p>Buffy walked up to her apartment and opened the front door. Rebekah was waiting in the car parked in the alley. Alaric wasn't home, thankfully, but Damon was sitting in the living room reading a book. He looked up and smiled brightly. "Hey babe." He set the book down and stood up. "That was fast."<p>

"Hey." Buffy kissed him quickly. "I need to find my anti-break manacles."

"Why?" Damon followed her into the bedroom and leaned against the doorframe as she started searching her closet.

"Elijah needs to be tied up. He broke my neck when I tried to stop him from killing someone. When I woke up in the bathroom, Rebekah was there and she said he'd killed a bunch of people for no reason at all."

"Are you ok?"

"I'm fine now. We're going to keep him restrained until we get where we're going." She pulled the manacles out of a box and shut the closet door.

"You're leaving again?"

"You're coming with me. We need to pack because I'm not sure when we're coming back."

Damon grabbed her arms, stopping her from moving. "Buffy, what's going on?"

Buffy sighed and set the manacles on the bed. "Ok, the real reason I made you guys leave Elijah and I behind at that diner is because we were meeting Rebekah and Hope."

"Who's Hope? Did Vampire Barbie make a new friend?" Buffy lifted her eyebrow at him and gave him a look that told him to _think_. "Klaus's daughter, Hope?"

"Yes."

"She's alive?"

"Yes. And you can't, under _any_ circumstances tell _anyone_. _Ever_. If you need Klaus to compel you to never be able to tell, then he gladly will."

"Who am I going to tell? The bad parent police?"  
>"Don't joke about this, Damon." Her serious tone wiped the joking smirk right off his face. "He killed his real father. He wanted so desperately to know him and he killed him to keep his daughter safe because he didn't know if Ansel could be trusted. He threatened to kill me, but he knew that I would never hurt Hope. I would kill to keep her safe. I fought for her from the very beginning…. I talked him into not killing Hayley and the baby…. And there is no way in hell anyone will ever hurt Hope if I can help it."<p>

Damon took a long moment to process what Buffy was telling him. "So, what? Elijah doesn't want to keep her safe?"

"More than anything, but whatever Esther did to him really messed with his mind." Buffy grabbed the suitcase from under the bed and started throwing clothes into it. "Rebekah and I can explain more to you in the car, but we need to go before he wakes up."

"Ok, but I need to show you something first." Damon went back out to the living room and came back a moment later carrying a stuffed teddy bear. "This was Bonnie's."

Buffy shook her head in confusion. "You stole that from her stuff?"

"No. She lost it when she was little and she found it in our little pocket hell dimension. She carried it pretty much everywhere with her while we were there."

"Why do you have it?" She started packing again and let Damon talk.

"I found it at the crypt last night. I went there to pay my respects and it was just sitting there."

"Bonnie's still alive?"

"That's the only thing I can think of that this bear means. She loved this thing."

"But why would she send the bear instead of herself?" Buffy zipped the suitcase up and picked up the manacles.

"Maybe she planned to, but Kai managed to stop her and she sent the bear to let us know she's alive. I told Willow about it. She's investigating this Gemini Coven that Kai belonged to."

"Alaric investigated them already. There was nothing there." Buffy paused and turned back around to look up at Damon. "No…. _Stefan_ said there was nothing there."

"Why did you say it like that?"

"Because your brother gave up looking for you, remember? Who's to say if he actually investigated it or not? Maybe if he had, he would've found you a lot sooner. The Gemini Coven lead was about a month after you…. Left."

"Ok, let's go protect this baby and we can figure out what to do about this." Damon held the bear up.

"You're bringing it with you?"

He looked down at it sheepishly. "We can pretend it's for the baby."

Buffy smiled slightly. "Her name is Hope."

Damon took her hand and stopped her from walking out. "Hey…."

"What's wrong?"

"Nothing. I just…. Thank you for coming back for me. It means a lot to me."

She leaned into Damon and reached up to kiss him. "I love you and we've been apart for a lot longer than I ever want to be. I'm not allowing it to happen again."

"I love you." He kissed her again, smiling against her mouth.


	116. Chapter 114

_**A/N Welcome to the lighter side of things. Hope you guys enjoy this. It's just a chapter full of a lot of happiness. **_

Chapter 113

Buffy bounced Hope in her arms, cooing and smiling at the gorgeous baby. Elijah was upstairs resting. He'd woken up not long after they'd driven out of Virginia and decided that he wanted to be left alone for a while. Damon sat on the couch and watched Buffy, a small smile playing on his lips. Every time she walked by, he would reach out a hand and touch her. Their eyes would meet and they would share a smile with each other, obviously incredibly happy.

Rebekah watched the husband and wife, happy for them and their reunion after such an unhappy time. She'd known about Damon's death after Elijah had called her about it. Despite their sordid history, Rebekah had wanted desperately to go and comfort her friend, but Hope was too important and she knew that Buffy would understand.

"You two should consider adoption." Rebekah said.

Buffy laughed. "I've got Elena and Jeremy. That's enough for me. Besides, I don't want kids."

"Look how good you are with Hope. She adores you."

"Buffy would make an amazing mother." Damon said. "I'm not sure I would make a good father."

Buffy looked at her husband. "We've had this discussion before. I think you would make a great father, Damon." She kissed Hope's temple and handed her to Damon. He held her to him like an expert, tenderly stroking his thumb on her head.

"Look at you two." Rebekah walked over to them. "How could neither of you want children?"

"Well, I was 15 years old when I became the Slayer. In this generation, 15 year olds don't actually think about kids in the sense of parenthood. They just think about how much money they can get babysitting them. By the time I got old enough to actually contemplate kids…." Buffy shook her head. "My life was never meant for children and I'm ok with that." She smiled down at Hope, laughing as the baby gripped her finger tightly. "I can live vicariously through Klaus now."

"Damon? You come from a different generation. Surely you've thought about it."

Damon smiled at Hope now chewing on Buffy's finger with her toothless gums. "I did want kids at one point in my life…. Back when I was human. But Katherine came into my world and the rest was history. I may have been cut out for parenting at one point, but now?" He looked up at Buffy. "My life wasn't meant for children and I'm ok with that."

"You know," Buffy said, changing the subject. "It'll be Thanksgiving in a couple of days. We should decorate and make a big dinner. Celebrate the happy reunion of parents and daughter."

Rebekah smiled. "I like that idea."

"Damon, you and I should go grocery shopping. We've got a while before Klaus and Hayley get here."

Damon stood up with Hope. "Sounds fun." He gently handed Hope over to Rebekah as she handed him her keys. "We'll be back in a little while."

"Don't forget sweet potatoes." Rebekah called after them.

* * *

><p>When Buffy and Damon returned an hour later with all of the groceries they'd bought, Rebekah was standing at the front door hanging a festive wreath. She walked over to them and helped them carry in the bags. Elijah was downstairs standing by the fireplace, staring into it. He glanced up at them carrying in the array of bags as Rebekah was saying, "I've already preheated the oven. We just need to get the turkey in there. Wherever did you find a turkey that was already dethawed?"<p>

"Believe it or not, the little grocery store had a few of them for us last minute stragglers. Hey, Elijah." Buffy said, smiling brightly at him as she set the bags down on the dining room table. "Happy Thanksgiving."

"Happy Thanksgiving." Elijah said.

"Isn't this place rather nice?" Rebekah picked up a bottle of wine and showed it to Buffy. "Nic must have compelled a wine-lover to keep it up, because I found a 2005 Bordeaux!" She held it out to Elijah, but he didn't seem at all excited. "Fancy a sip?"

"I appreciate the sentiment, but I do recognize when I'm being handled with kid gloves."

Rebekah sighed and set down the wine. "I'll go put the turkey in."

Buffy walked over to Elijah. "How are you feeling?"

"Patronized!" Elijah looked down at Hope in her playpen. "I am here to protect you."

"I know you didn't mean to, Elijah…."

"And yet, you and my sister found it necessary to render me unconscious and set me in manacles before bringing me here?"

"You weren't yourself! We needed to get us out of that diner and fast before Esther showed up. What exactly happened back there, anyway, Elijah?" Buffy asked.

"I don't know. Niklaus sent me to protect Hope. My job is to keep her safe." Elijah sat down and looked at Hope worriedly.

Buffy sat down next to him and leaned against him. "He sent both of us."

"And I attacked you. For that I am truly, very sorry."

"All's forgiven and forgotten."

Elijah looked up at Damon. "Rebekah says that Niklaus has allowed you to be here. I don't have to stress…."

"No. You don't." Damon said. "I get it. Hope is safe."

He nodded and stood up, helping Buffy to her feet. "I look forward to the dinner you're cooking. Your food is always a treat." Elijah kissed her knuckles and walked outside to the front porch.

Buffy sighed and looked at Damon. "I guess we should get to work." She picked Hope up and put her in her bouncy chair, carrying it into the kitchen and setting it on the table.

Rebekah was just shutting the oven door. "It'll be a couple of hours now." She walked over to Hope. "Hello, sweetheart!"

"Elijah is sulking."

"Yes, he's been that way since he came downstairs not long after you two left. If you have everything covered in here, I have an idea on how to cheer him up a bit."

"Yeah, sure. Damon and I got this."

"Great. Come on, little one." Rebekah picked Hope and her bouncy chair up and carried them outside.

Buffy looked over at Damon as he was pulling the sweet potatoes out of the bag and dumping them in the sink to wash them. She wrapped her arms around his waist and kissed his shoulder blade through his shirt. "Happy Thanksgiving, Mr. Salvatore."

Damon smiled and turned his head to kiss her forehead. "Happy Thanksgiving, Mrs. Salvatore."

"I am so glad that we don't have to spend it apart." Buffy's phone rang and she reached in her back pocket to answer it. "Hello, Elena."

"Where are you?" Elena asked. "And where's Damon?"

"I told Alaric to tell you. We're out of town for a few days."

"You guys can't miss Friendsgiving. I mean, Matt and Jeremy are already cleaning up the whole Tripp mess, and Caroline's mom has to work. We're already low on friends as it is."

"I'm sorry, Elena. We had something we needed to take care of."

"What's so important?"

Buffy glanced at Damon and spotted Bonnie's bear sitting in one of the chairs at the breakfast table. "We're following a lead on how to get Bonnie back."

"What do you mean?"

"Ok, I mean…. Bonnie's in the prison world where Damon was stuck. Damon found her teddy bear at the crypt where he came back. When I got back from New Orleans, we left again to go hunt down a lead."

"What do you mean Bonnie's in the prison world? Damon said that she wasn't there, that she found peace with…. Why didn't you guys tell me this?"

"Why wouldn't we consult you in a decision that might permanently change your life? Hmm." Damon asked. "I wonder."

"We didn't want to get your hopes up." Buffy said, smacking Damon's arm. "He thought Bonnie died trying to free him. If she sent her bear over, it could mean she's still…."

"Bonnie's still alive? Oh, my God!"

"Yeah. We're on our way to Portland soon to track down the Gemini coven that Stefan said he looked into, but I don't believe him."

"This is amazing. Oh, uh…. Hold on."

"You guys are looking for Bonnie?" Alaric's voice came over the receiver.

"Yeah. We're headed to Portland soon to…."

"Portland is where the Gemini coven lead was."

"That's what we're after."

"I've still got all the info on it. Do you guys want some help?"

"Oh, uh…. I don't know…."

"I can fly in and meet you guys there."

"That's up to you, but I'm not sure when we'll get there. I've still got some business with Klaus that I'm trying to wrap up, and…."

"That's fine. Just let me know when you guys will be there and I'll come help."

"Sure. Talk later?"

"Ok." Alaric hung up and Buffy put her phone back in her pocket.

"Looks like we're headed to Portland soon." Damon said.

"Looks like." Buffy shook her head. "Problem for another day. Let's get this stuff fixed."

* * *

><p>Damon walked out onto the front porch and looked out over the land. Buffy came up behind him wiping her hands on a dish rag. Everything was now cooking and the pumpkin cheesecake was setting up in the refrigerator. Dinner would be finished not long after Klaus and Hayley got here. Elijah was sitting on the porch in front of Hope in her bouncy chair. Rebekah was working on making a pile of wood for what looked like a bonfire.<p>

"It's alright, Elijah. She won't break." Rebekah said. "Everything you did was in the name of protecting her. I'm not worried."

Elijah relented and picked up Hope. "Hi, sweetheart." He said to her.

"What is the hell is your sister doing?" Damon asked.

"It's bonfire season!" Rebekah said cheerfully, walking over to them. "And I am reviving a family tradition! Especially since we're all going to be together."

"Only because we're fleeing from one of our deranged parents." Elijah said. "Another Mikaelson tradition. It's a peculiar thing: never to be tired, yet forever exhausted by the sameness of things. Why is our family always at war?"

"I don't know. But being away with her made me see things differently. We're not so bad. We're not the monsters that our parents think we are."

"No." Buffy said, joining Rebekah and Elijah with Damon holding her waist. "You're not. So what's with the bonfire?"

Before anyone could say anything, Klaus's black SUV sped down the driveway. Klaus barely had time to park before Hayley rushed out of the car and sprinted toward them. She stopped in her tracks as soon as she saw Hope. Klaus caught up with them and Elijah didn't waste any time handing a smiling Hope to Hayley.

"Hi!" Hayley hugged Hope tightly and breathed in a sigh of relief. Behind her, Klaus was near tears and too overwhelmed to move. Hayley turned so Klaus could see his daughter as well. Hope cooed happily as Klaus took her in his arms. He and Hayley both laughed as they smothered their baby girl with kisses.

Damon wrapped his arms tighter around Buffy's waist and kissed her neck. She leaned back into him and closed her eyes, completely content with it just being the two of them for the rest of eternity. When she opened her eyes, Klaus was handing Hope back to Hayley and making his way over to her and Damon.

"Hey." Buffy said, looking up at Klaus.

He reached up and gently cupped her cheek. "Thank you for keeping her safe."

She smiled slightly. "You're welcome."

Klaus dropped his hand and looked at Damon. "Do I need to compel you to keep quiet about all of this?"

Damon shook his head. "Trust me, you don't scare me half as much as my wife. She's made plenty of threats towards me about it. Hope's secret is safe with me."

"Thank you." He turned around to look at Rebekah and Elijah. "We have much to discuss."

"What did you get out of Kol and Finn?" Buffy asked.

As Rebekah piled on more wood to create the traditional bonfire shape and Buffy and Damon took turns checking on dinner, Klaus told them what he'd learned from Finn and Kol. Hayley played with her daughter, half listening since Klaus had already told her all of it in the car. "Curse on the first-born?" Rebekah asked. "What the bloody hell is that supposed to mean?"

"Well, according to Finn, our sister Freya didn't die of plague. She was taken as payment by our aunt Dahlia, who then cursed all Mikaelson first-borns for eternity." Klaus said.

"Is any of this true?" Buffy asked.

"It is if we are to believe Finn." Elijah said. "Who learned it from the bastion of truth, our mother."

"Well, no wonder Finn hates us." Rebekah said. "He lost the sister he adored and instead got a judgy pack of siblings who found him unbearably dull."

"Great." Hayley said. "So, is there any chance of us running into your loony aunt Dahlia any time soon?"

"The fable's over a thousand years old." Elijah said. "Dahlia is long dead."

"Like Esther?"

"No one's going to hurt Hope, because no one's going to find her." Klaus said. He looked at Rebekah. "There's enough wood, Rebekah. You'll burn down the whole bloody state of Arkansas."

"Well, we're just missing a key ingredient!" Rebekah said.

"No, we're not."

"Yes, we are, Nic! Back me up, Elijah!"

"I suspect Niklaus would rather choke on the ashes." Elijah said.

"What are you all talking about?" Hayley asked.

"Well, before we light it, we write down our wishes for each other to burn for luck!" Rebekah said. "It was Kol's favorite part when we were kids!"

"It's further evidence as to why we should ignore it!" Klaus said.

"I think it sounds fun." Buffy said.

"Hope's first bonfire season. I like it!" Hayley smiled. "We're doing it!" She headed inside to find paper and Rebekah, pleased with herself, turned to her brothers and smiled smugly.

"Can we do it after dinner, though?" Damon asked. "The turkey's about done and the rolls smell like they're getting ready to start burning."

* * *

><p>After dinner, Damon was doing the dishes while Buffy and Klaus sat at the table playing with Hope. Elijah was outside on the porch with Rebekah and Hayley was searching for paper to write wishes down on. The sun was just beginning to set outside and cast a pretty glow over everything in the house.<p>

"I can't believe how much she likes you." Klaus said, watching his daughter playing peek-a-boo with Buffy over his shoulder.

"Really? I could say the same for you." Buffy joked, poking Klaus in the ribs. He shot her a playful glare before chuckling. "I've been meaning to ask you, do you know anything about the Gemini coven?"

"I've heard the name before. Why?"

"Well, they're connected to the prison world that Damon was stuck in…. That Bonnie is still stuck in…. We were going to head to Portland and see if they've got an ascension thingy…."

"Ascendant." Damon corrected from the kitchen.

"Yeah, that thing…. To get Bonnie back."

"I've never heard of an ascendant." Klaus said.

Damon came in from the kitchen and sat across from Buffy and Klaus. "It's a little round metal thing that moves and sends people to and from a pocket prison universe when activated by Bennett blood."

"I've never heard of this ascendant, but the Gemini coven was in the news in the mid-90s."

"Yeah. One of the brothers went crazy and killed pretty much everyone in his family but one of his sisters. I met him. The prison where I was…. It was made for him by the remainder of his coven."

"How did you come to be there?"

"Bonnie's grandmother made a deal to save Bonnie by sending her to this prison that only her blood could open and I was with Bonnie when it all went down, so I ended up there too."

Hayley walked in just then with paper and pencils to write their wishes down on. "Here," She held out the supplies. Buffy and Damon each took a pencil and a couple of pieces of paper, but Klaus didn't move.

"I'm holding a small child, Hayley. This silly wish game will have to wait." Klaus said.

"You write, I'll hold." Hayley said.

"You do realize it is not I who is to be the husband you can boss around?"

"You do realize that I had to endure horrendous labor and actual death birthing the child that you're holding?"

Klaus chuckled and sighed as Hayley walked over and took Hope from him. "Fine." He picked up the pencil and started to narrate what he was writing. "'I wish Hayley would tell Elijah you're marrying your werewolf suitor, at which point I will pour him a scotch and congratulate him on the bullet he dodged.'" He ripped off the page and handed it out to Hayley, who just glared at him, not amused. She snatched the paper from his hands and crumpled it up in a ball before she tossed it on the ground and left the room. Klaus smirked, pleased with himself, until Buffy slapped him upside his head. "Ow!"

"That was rude!" Buffy scolded.

"She needs to tell him."

"Maybe so, but she'll do it in her own time. She may not be your wife, but she is the mother of your child and she did go through a lot to give you that baby. The least you could do is show her some respect."

"Yes, mother." Buffy pinched Klaus's arm. He pinched her back and they both laughed at each other. "What did you write?" He reached past her and grabbed her piece of paper. She didn't make a move to stop him. "'I wish for Klaus to finally find happiness in his life without waiting for the bad to happen.'" He looked over at her. "You mean this?"

"Every word."

Klaus looked at her for a moment before grabbing a piece of paper. He wrote down his wish and slid it over to Damon. Damon picked it up and read it aloud. "'I wish to never see my best friend that sad, lost, and hurt ever again.'"

"She suffered the true loss. You died. I still had hope of seeing my daughter." Klaus said to Damon. "It was unbearable to see Buffy in that much pain over losing you. Don't ever do it again."

Damon gave Klaus a small smile. "I'll try my hardest." And in that small moment, Buffy realized that Damon was completely over his jealousy towards Klaus and had accepted the friendship between them.

"What did you write, Damon?" Buffy asked him. Damon slid his paper to her and she read it aloud. "'I wish we could save Bonnie so I can properly thank her for what she did for me and the love of my life.'" Buffy reached across the table and took Damon's hand. "We'll save her."

Rebekah walked into the house. "Ok, you three, get your asses outside so we can light the bonfire."

Klaus rolled his eyes and stood up. Buffy and Damon followed him outside where Elijah and Hayley were standing. Hope was in Hayley's arms watching everything going on. Damon slipped his hand into Buffy's and she moved closer to him. He leaned down and said in her ear, "If you'd told me two years ago I'd be attending a Mikaelson family gathering and actually feeling like a part of the family, I'd have killed you for lying such a horrible lie."

Buffy laughed and laid her head on Damon's shoulder. "It's pretty surreal."

Klaus lit a match to light the bonfire and threw it in just as Rebekah came outside to join them. "Hey! Look what I found!" She held up a Polaroid camera. "I wonder if it'll work."

"Oh, bloody hell." Klaus said. The look on his face made Buffy laugh at him.

"Come on, let's try it! Hey, Nik, do you think you can cram us all into a selfie?"

"Oh, Niklaus is a virtuoso at cramming his siblings into confined spaces." Elijah said.

"Well, I'm just glad I traveled hundreds of miles to visit my mentally ill brother, only to have him insult me to my face!" Klaus shot back.

"Oh, just take the picture!" Buffy said, poking him in the arm.

Klaus sighed and held up the camera to take a picture of the seven of them together. The picture popped out of the camera and they all watched as the it slowly developed. "Aw, see? I wish that it could always be like this." Rebekah said.

"If wishes were horses…." Elijah said.

"Beggars would ride." Klaus finished. He let out a deep sigh. "You realize we'll have to burn it. You want me to make a wish for the family, Rebekah? I wish it didn't have to be like this. But, it does." He handed the photo to Hayley. "We can't risk it falling into the wrong hands." Hayley took a long look at the photo before reluctantly throwing it into the bonfire.

"No! This isn't right. We deserve this. We've earned this." Rebekah said angrily. "I won't let it slip away. I know what to do to stop Esther."

"Rebekah, no…." Elijah said.

"I'm going to take her deal. And, when I do, I'm taking her down with me." Rebekah nodded defiantly and walked into the house.

"Rebekah!" Klaus headed into the house after her. Elijah and Buffy exchanged looks and followed them.

Damon and Hayley looked at each other for a moment. "I need to feed Hope." Hayley said lamely.

"I guess I better follow the blondes." Damon said.

"I didn't get to tell you before…. Welcome back."

"Thanks."

"Sorry I dragged you guys into all of this."

"Don't worry about it. This is more fun than socializing with people I don't know or don't like."

"You don't like most of the people here."

Damon shrugged. "They're not so bad." He turned and headed into the house in search of his wife.

"It'll work." Rebekah was saying. "She'll be distracted during the spell. She'll be vulnerable."

"No. If we kill her, she body-jumps." Klaus said.

"Then stop her from jumping!"

"If I knew how to bloody stop her from jumping, don't you think I would have happily murdered her ages ago?"

"Well, ages ago, you didn't have a Harvest girl or a Mikaelson witch or even Willow bloody Rosenberg! Kol knows all of her tricks."

"Now, you're both insane." Elijah said.

"Hardly, Elijah. It was your idea! You're the one who said she needed a win, and if we get this right, then she'll have one."

"And if we get it wrong, you're no longer in your own body." Buffy said calmly.

"Would that be the worst thing?" Rebekah looked at Elijah. "You were ready to do it yourself."

Buffy and Klaus looked at Elijah with shocked expressions. "It was a foolish moment, and one that you sagely dissuaded me from."

"Hopefully, we'll get lucky and stop the spell before I jump."

"And, if we're not, you'll get what you always wanted." Klaus said. "I mean, that's what you're saying, isn't it? You're willing to lose."

"I'm willing to risk losing, yes."

"Well, we need to find someone for her to jump into. Someone anonymous. Someone who could disappear with Hope."

"Rebekah, we've been together for centuries." Elijah said. "If you were human…."

"When I'm old and wrinkly, you can dump me back into my old body. Nik already has a coffin he can store me in."

"But to trust Kol?" Buffy asked. "I don't know."

"It's not about trust. It's about finding the proper leverage."

"She's right." Klaus said. "Kol will do what's best for Kol. We just have to meet his price." Klaus pulled out his phone and dialed Marcel's number.

* * *

><p>Buffy sat on the couch in the living room holding a sleeping Hope and waited for Klaus. He and Rebekah were leaving for New Orleans soon while Hayley and Elijah were staying here with Hope. Buffy and Damon were going to go on to Portland to look into getting Bonnie back. Before they left, Buffy had had an idea she wanted to talk to Klaus about. She'd sent Damon on to get the rental car without her.<p>

"You look beautiful holding a baby." Klaus said, walking in the room to sit next to her.

Rebekah was with him and she stood behind Buffy to look down at Hope. "He's not lying." She said, reaching over Buffy's shoulder to stroke Hope's cheek.

"When will Damon be back?" Klaus asked.

"Soon." Buffy reached looked at both him and Rebekah. "You guys be careful, ok? And if you need me again, I'm only a phone call away."

Klaus took her hand and kissed her knuckles. "I'm going to miss your company."

"I think Hope is going to miss Buffy, too." Rebekah said.

"I'm going to miss all of you, too." Buffy looked at Hope for a moment before turning her gaze back to Klaus. "I had an idea."

"About what?"

"Your mother. How to prevent her from doing any more harm."

"I've thought of everything. There are no spells…."

"No. There aren't. The answer is actually quite simple and non-magical." Klaus gave her a confused look. "When you turn a witch into a vampire…. She's no longer a witch. She won't be like any of us…. Hybrids and Originals…. She'll be a run of the mill vampire, so she won't have any kind of power to go up against you or anyone else in this family. It'll also be payback for all the mental torture she's put Elijah through. Make her choose to become the thing she hates or not complete the transition and die for good. And bonus? There's no Other Side for her to lie in wait on anymore."

Klaus smiled brightly at her. "You diabolical genius."  
>Buffy chuckled. "I'm like a Bond villain."<p>

"I can find a way to slip her some of my blood." Rebekah said.

"And then we'll just have Mikael to deal with." Klaus said.

"Well, I've got the white oak stake with me." Buffy said. "It'll get locked back up in Mystic Falls when we get back. So, at least that's out of the equation." Headlights turned into the driveway and they all looked out the window.

"That'll be Damon, then." Rebekah said.

Buffy stood up with Hope and kissed her forehead gently. "Be safe, little one. I hope to see you soon." She set Hope carefully in her bouncy chair and turned to Rebekah. "And you…. Please be safe. Don't stick around if anything goes wrong."

Rebekah hugged Buffy tightly. "It was so good to see you, Buffy."

"You too, Beks." Buffy and Rebekah both chuckled at the nickname as Buffy turned to Klaus. "And you…."

"I know," Klaus said. He began ticking the list off on his fingers as he spoke. "Be careful. Don't be stupid. Play nice with my family. Call if I need you. Keep Hope safe no matter what. Did I miss anything?"

"Nope. You covered it." Buffy laughed as Klaus hugged her tightly.

He kissed the bend in her neck. "Be careful, Buffy. Don't do anything stupid that will cause me to mourn for you."

"I won't." She pulled back from the hug as Elijah walked into the room.

"Are you leaving?" He asked.

"Yes." Buffy walked over to him and hugged him tightly.

"It was lovely to see you. Don't be a stranger, Mrs. Salvatore." He kissed her forehead.

"It's going to be hard to stay away once Hope is allowed to come home. I think I'm in love."

"That's never what you want to hear when you walk in on your wife in another man's arms." Damon joked as he walked in the front door.

"I meant Hope, you fool." Buffy laughed.

Damon grabbed their bag and said his goodbyes to everyone and the two of them headed out to their rental car. As he drove them down the road, he said, "Rick is flying to Portland tomorrow night. We're going to meet him there."

"Ok." Buffy said, taking Damon's hand. "Let's go get Bonnie back."


	117. Chapter 115

Chapter 115

Buffy and Damon sat in the car looking out at Alaric and Stefan standing outside of the car. Alaric was on the phone with Elena. She was pissed that "everyone had abandoned Friendsgiving." Buffy was pissed that Alaric had brought Stefan with him. Stefan had spent the entire time saying that he'd already looked into this lead and there was nothing here in Portland.

"I don't need him here." Buffy said to Damon. "I don't know why he even came."

"He came because he wants to spend time with his brother." Damon insisted.

"Then why is he being Debbie Downer with every word he says? I'm going to punch him in the neck."

Damon laughed and leaned over to kiss her. "I'll punch him for you." They got out of the car to join Alaric.

"Well, if it's any consolation, our Thanksgiving was roadside chili." Alaric was saying to Elena.

"Not us." Damon said loudly. "We had a great Thanksgiving dinner."

"With the Mikaelsons." Stefan said, his tone of voice expressing that he wasn't impressed. Damon wrapped his arms around Buffy's waist before she could jump at Stefan. He kissed her neck and chuckled at his brother. "Hey. Were you guys invited to Friendsgiving?"

"Of course we were." Buffy said. "Caroline demanded we bring string beans."

"Why? Were you not invited?" Damon asked.

"Nope."

"Well, I wouldn't want a spoil sport at my Thanksgiving celebration either." Buffy said.

"Is that the reason Caroline assigned me the turkey and the cranberries." Alaric asked. "Stefan wasn't invited."

"See what you did?" Damon said to Stefan. "Now we're pulling your weight. I really hope you figure this out before Christmas."

"Yeah. Well, I'm glad you're all finding amusement in this."

"You've got a lot of making up to do with Elena after the crap you pulled over the last few months." Buffy said.

"Yes. I've got a lot of making up to do with a lot of people in my life. That's why I'm here to help."

"Really? Cause it sounds like you're just here to bring the party down."

Stefan didn't miss the looks being exchanged between Alaric and Damon. "I did explore this lead, Buffy. There was nothing here." He swept his arm across the large yard in front of them. "Behold the Gemini Coven exactly how it looked 4 months ago. Still nothing here."

"Did you even think to knock on the door?" Buffy asked.

"What door?"

"What do you mean 'what door'? The big grey door with the big window in it right in the middle of the big porch on the big white house!"

Stefan and Alaric looked at Buffy with confused looks. Even Damon looked confused. "Babe…. There's no house." Damon said. "It's just a really big field."

"I'm not crazy." Buffy waved her hands at the house she could see. "There's shrubs for god's sake!" She left Damon's arms and walked towards the house. When she turned around, Damon, Stefan, and Alaric were looking around in confusion and calling her name. She looked at the house. "It's a cloaking spell."

Damon and Stefan were now arguing about something and Damon was waving Ms. Cuddles, Bonnie's teddy bear, at Stefan. Stefan took the bear and kicked it away from them. Buffy reached up and caught it out of the air.

"There you are." Damon said, walking up to her. "Hey! And there's the house you could see."

Buffy looked at Stefan. "See!? Big grey door!"

"Buffy and Ms. Cuddles, one. Invisible creepy mansion, zero." Damon walked up the stairs to the door and rang the doorbell.

"Anybody want to take a stab at how Bonnie's teddy bear undid whatever was cloaking this place?" Stefan asked.

"He said without laughing."

"Jo told me she got rid of her magic by putting it away for safekeeping." Alaric said. "Maybe Bonnie put her magic away in this."

"Why would Bonnie put her magic in Ms. Cuddles?" Stefan asked.

"To keep Kai from using her to get out." Damon answered. He looked down at Buffy. "How could you see the house?"

"I don't know." Buffy said with a shrug. "I don't explain things. I just kill them."

"Touché." Damon opened the door, but he hadn't been invited in so the invisible barrier stopped him.

"Can't say I miss that." Alaric said.

"It's all yours, brother."

Alaric walked up the stairs of the porch and entered the house. While he was in, Buffy turned and stared at Stefan. He glanced at her, but tried to ignore her. Damon chuckled at his brother. "She's giving you her creepy stare. You'll break eventually, so you might as well give her what she wants."

Stefan sighed. "You were right. I shouldn't have given up on Damon. I shouldn't have run away from my life. And you were right about this place."

"And?" Buffy said.

"And I'm sorry."

"Thank you."

"You're welcome."

Alaric came back outside sifting through a handful of photographs. "Jo lived here." He said. "There's a drawer inside full of stuff…. Newspaper articles about Jo's medical clamp, pictures of her as a kid, pictures of her as a teenager…."

Damon grabbed a photo out of the stack. "Hold, please. Rewind. That's Kai from planet 1994."

"Wait…. Jo is his sister?" Buffy asked.

"Either that, or they both have a thing for Cosby sweaters."

A man appeared from behind the tree several feet away. "I didn't know I had guests. You've met Kai?"

"Met him? Watched him die, watched him come back to life. Why? You know him?"

"Yeah. He's my son. I'm Joshua Parker." The man held his hand out and Damon reached out to shake it.

"Damon Salvatore."

"Invisique."

"What the hell just happened?" Stefan asked behind them.

"I don't know." Alaric said.

"What's wrong with you guys?" Damon asked them.

"They can't see you anymore, Damon, which means they also can't see this." Joshua held up his hand toward their heads, but Damon didn't budge.

"Sorry to ruin your migraine, but we're protected." Buffy said.

"You shouldn't even be able to see me or this place."

"Yeah? I've always been a bit of a conundrum."

"Who are you?"

"Buffy Salvatore. Look, we're not here to hurt anyone or ruin your Thanksgiving or anything. We just need some answers."

"So do I."

"Why don't you invite us in and we can chat?" Damon asked.

Joshua glanced at the house and finally relented. "Very well. Come in." He led them into the house and shut the door behind them. "You said you were trapped with Kai. I need to know how you got out."

"Ohh…. Strangest months of my life. That whole repeating the same day thing, phew, disconcerting."

"Is Kai still there?"

"Yeah he is, with our friend Bonnie, which leads me to why we're here."

"Does Kai know how to escape?"

"Look, I'll tell you everything you want to know, but first, I need something from you. It's round, about yea big, a bunch of little gears and wheels and things. It's a lot harder to describe than I thought."

"The Ascendant."

"Yeah. You know it. Where is it?"

"Why would I give you the key to my son's prison?"

"Because I'll say please?"

"Do you have any idea what it feels like to come home and find 4 of your children dead, another one impaled, two running for their lives? Do you think that image has ever left my mind?" Joshua turned around and walked into the dining room.

"I can't imagine it ever will. The image of my mother lying dead on the couch when I came home has never left mine." Buffy said.

"Look, we don't want to let Kai out. We want to get our friend out and leave Kai there because he's nuts." Damon said.

"You don't know the half of it."

"I've met him. Pretty sure I know the whole of it."

"We locked him there to protect my family."

"Yeah, we've met Jo."

"Jo…. She's Kai's twin. And she's in the most danger from Kai. You see, in our coven twins merge their strength after their 22nd birthday. The stronger one wins, absorbing their twin's power, and that twin becomes the leader of our coven."

"So when you say merge, you don't actually mean merge, do you?"

"That's exactly what I mean. If Kai gets out, he'll head straight for Jo. His ability to siphon magic will overwhelm Jo, and she will die, and our coven will be left to the whims of a madman."

"Which is now moot thanks to Blond and Blonder, thank goodness. Look. Let's talk about this Ascendant."

"I won't let him out, Damon."

"All right. I wasn't gonna say anything because you're his dad and all, but if he gets out, I'll just kill him. It's that simple."

"I've watched Jo her whole life. She's done well on her own, survived war, become a doctor, but if Jo merges with Kai, she will cease to exist. Kai won't just be our coven's problem. He'll be everyone's problem." Joshua dropped a locket into a bowl he'd been preparing. "Phesmatos incendere ad pulvox."

"What the hell are you doing?" Buffy asked.

"If Kai has access to an Ascendant and is sharing his prison with the Bennett witch, he will eventually find his way out. At least, this will keep him from merging."

"You're going to kill your own daughter?"

"The coven comes before family."

"Nothing comes before family!"

Suddenly Stefan rushed into the house, holding a knife against Joshua's throat. Joshua held up his hand and Stefan fell to the ground in pain. He clapped his hands loudly and disappeared from the house. "Well, I guess the, uh, disappearing act's their shtick." Stefan said as Damon helped him to his feet.

"Yeah. Hey. Anybody hear from Jo?" Damon asked.

Buffy walked over and blew out the candles. She rushed into the kitchen and got a glass of water to dump on the melting metal of the locket in the bowl. Alaric walked in just as she crushed the bowl with her hands.

"Jo?" Buffy asked.

"Elena said she healed her with her blood." Alaric said.

"Good. Let's go home."

"All right." Damon said as they walked back to the car. "So let's just get this straight. We drove cross country in a rental car just so we could come out here, have a useless talk with papa Kai, who by the way can disappear into thin air…. Poof…. only to find Jo's rusty knife full of magic."

"And we learned that the Ascendant, i.e. the only reason we flew our asses out here in the first place, is actually with Jo at Whitmore, 5 minutes from where we started. Great." Stefan added.

"Jo said she kept it with her to ensure that Kai would never be released." Alaric said.

"Genius. Great." Damon said. "Then we go home." He looked at Buffy. "You and I are riding in the back. Come on."

"Guys, hey. We can't do this, ok? We need to find another way, and one that doesn't end up with my girlfriend dead."

"Girlfriend? You've been on, like, 3 dates."

"Nice, Damon." Stefan said.

"What? I'm just saying he barely knows her, and her literal evil twin is over there with Bonnie right now."

"Guys, I will do what I can to help, but we're not letting her brother out, all right?" Alaric said. "The Ascendant is off the table."

Damon walked over to Alaric. "Ok…."  
>"Damon, really?" Buffy asked.<p>

He shrugged and caught Alaric's gaze. "Get the Ascendant from Jo. Do whatever you got to do to get it, you understand?"

"I understand."

"What are you doing?" Stefan asked.

"What? You got a better idea?"

Stefan didn't say anything. He just got into the passenger's seat and shut the door. Damon grabbed his bag and got into the backseat. Buffy sighed and got in behind him. He gave her a grin and she just shook her head at him.

* * *

><p>Buffy and Damon sat on the couch in front of the fire back at their apartment in Whitemore. Damon had his arm wrapped around Buffy's shoulders as she was curled into his side. There was a knock on the door and a moment later, Elena walked in.<p>

"Hey." Buffy said.

"How was your trip?" Elena asked.

"It was…. Interesting. Esther is taken care of, but Mikael is still out there. Lucky for us, the white oak stake is back home in the safe thanks to Willow."

"I meant your trip to Portland."

"Well, as you know it was a bit of a bust."

"You should have brought me with you. Well, first, you should have told me that Bonnie was alive, and then you should have brought me with you."

"Rick had more frequent flyer miles." Damon said.

Buffy waved him away. "Elena, I couldn't bring you with me because I already had too much on my plate. But we're back on the right track to getting Bonnie back."

Elena sighed and looked at Damon. "So you and Bonnie spent the last 4 months together?"

"Yeah." Damon said.  
>"What did you do?"<p>

"Bicker, mostly. Cooked, ate…. We went through a Tetris phase, but I beat it, and she got mad. We talked. A lot. Apparently there are a lot of words in the English language, and Bonnie knows just about all of them."

"Yep. I know this is gonna sound pretty strange, but I'm really happy that the two of you had each other."

"She sacrificed herself so I could come back. Hmm…. Wow. Because when she wasn't talking, she was listening. She listened for hours and hours and hours, so when the opportunity presented itself for me to come back, she made sure I took it."

"What did you talk about?"

Damon looked down at Buffy. "What do you think?" Elena nodded and smiled slightly.

"So, how's it going with…. Liam?" Buffy asked.

"I broke up with Liam." Elena said.

"What went wrong?"

Elena sighed deeply. "I'm still in love with Stefan. And as mad as I am at him for everything he's done in the last five months…. I'm at a crossroads right now where I could go live my life the way I think I probably should and be successful and safe and probably very happy. Or I could risk all that for these feelings I've had for Stefan since the moment I laid eyes on him. I love him and we've hurt each other a lot, but I just can't shake what I feel for him."

"It makes sense. I think you need to talk to your best friend about it."

"Bonnie?"

Buffy nodded. "We've got a plan to bring her back."

Elena smiled brightly and was suddenly laying on top of Damon and Buffy, hugging them tightly.


	118. Chapter 116

Chapter 116

Buffy poured herself and Damon each mugs of coffee and splashed some bourbon in Damon's mug. Stefan was sitting with his brother on the couch talking to him about Alaric. "You didn't compel him to get her drunk." He said disbelievingly.

"No. I compelled him to do whatever it takes, and considering the Ascendant is the key to her psycho brother's weird prison world, I'm sure it's gonna take her a few to open up about it." Damon said.

"You realize he is gonna kill you when he finds out what you did to him."

"My relationship to ruin, thank you. And thank you." Damon said as Buffy handed him his mug and walked into the bedroom to finish getting ready. "I didn't complain when you ruined yours with your sister-in-law."

"I didn't ruin…."

"Yeah. She's perfectly fine. She's only been complaining about you since two minutes after I got back and I've only had to hold her back from hurting you on more than one occasion."

"You done?"

"Careful, Stefan. I know it may seem easy to be the big bad Salvatore, but soon, you'll find yourself lying in the middle of the road, pouring your heart out to a stranger, having an existential crisis."

"Yeah, great. So, uh, when's this grand theft gonna happen?"

"Assuming everything went well, it's already happened, which means…." Damon waited expectantly and right on cue, the door opened and Alaric walked in.

He handed the Ascendant over to Damon. "Here it is."

"Thanks, buddy." Damon handed Alaric a tray with coffee and a bag with muffins. "There you go." He caught Alaric's gaze. "Go home to Jo, be a good boyfriend, forget this ever happened." Stefan's phone began to ring and he answered it. Damon let him talk as he headed into the bedroom where Buffy was standing at the mirror putting on makeup. "You know, you don't need any of that." He wrapped his arms around her waist and kissed her neck. "You're gorgeous." He held up the Ascendant. "Look what I got."

Buffy smiled, leaning back into him. "If this works, then we'll get to go home for a little while. I miss our house."

"This place isn't so bad."

She huffed. "It's tiny. Rick can hear everything that we do in here."

"Then let's get our own place until we can go home. Pretty sure we can compel ourselves a nice house."

"Wow…. A house to ourselves? Our own place?"

"Our temporary love nest until we get ours back."

Buffy smiled. "Ok. Let's do it. Let's find a nice little house that we can call ours until Mystic Falls is supernatural-friendly again."

"Great! We'll start looking when we get back from 1994." He kissed her behind her ear, taking a moment to enjoy the smell of her hair, before he let go. "Let's get going."

* * *

><p>Buffy and Damon made their way through the woods towards the old cemetery. "What could Donovan possibly need Stefan for?" Buffy asked. Before they'd left the apartment, Stefan had gotten a call from Matt asking for his help. Stefan hadn't explained anything before he'd dashed out.<p>

"I don't know." Damon answered. "It's Matt. Food, money, new social class…. Whatever it is, it better distract Stefan from his sizeable screw-up with you."

"Let's not get me started on that, ok?"

Damon took her hand and brought her palm to his lips. "I know. Sorry."

"There's Liv."

"Hey guys." Liv said. "Thanks for giving me an excuse to get out of that frat house. Way too much boy. Gross. You got everything?"

"Yep." Damon held up a small vial of blood. "Blood from a Bennett…. Lucy to be exact…. and an Ascendant from whatever the hell your last name is." He handed both of them over.

"Parker. So this is the famous Ascendant?"

"Yup."

"Surprised that Jo gave it up. It's the only thing keeping Kai locked in his prison. If he gets out, he's coming after her."

"Well, good old Jo…." Damon let out a small laugh. "Helping us out. Can we do this, please?"

"Whatever. So I'm gonna need the moon to activate the Ascendant. It will be viable for about 8 hours, so once I send you over, the clock's ticking."

"How do we get back?" Buffy asked.

"Drink these." Liv handed them each a vial of blood.

"What is that?" Damon asked.

"It's my blood. It will link you to me so I can find you and bring you back. Give this one to Bonnie, too." She handed them a third vial. Damon sniffed the blood and wrinkled his nose at it. "Are you waiting for a toast? Drink." Buffy clinked her vial against Damon's and they tossed back the blood together.

"Mmm. Bitter. Wonder why. Shall we?" Damon took Buffy's hand again as Liv poured the Bennett blood on the Ascendant and started chanting the spell. A bright white light surrounded them and Liv was suddenly gone.

Buffy looked around. "I guess it worked."

Damon checked for a familiar headstone. "Yup. Elena's parents aren't buried here, so we're in 1994. Let's go get Bonnie. Just keep your eyes peeled. There's a pork rind-munching freak somewhere around here. Ok?"

"Well, we have our protection spells on us from Willow, so Kai shouldn't be a problem."

"True. Come on." Buffy and Damon walked in silence for a few minutes before she let out a small laugh. He looked down at her, confused. "What?"

"In 1994 I was…."

"Thirteen. Yeah. I did the math."

"Actually, I was going to say normal. I was just a normal, thirteen year old girl with a normal thirteen year old life. My biggest problem then was wearing the same dress as someone else to the junior high dances."

"Did you have a date to those dances?"

"Yeah. I think his name was Evan. I wonder if he's still alive…."

"I used to try to make up stories about what you were doing and what you were like in 1994."

"Anything good?"

Damon laughed. "Nope. Bonnie said that you probably enjoyed going to the beach or the mall with friends back then. I tried to imagine going with you, but it just felt creepy."

Buffy laughed and pulled Damon's arm around her waist. "I wasn't very interesting back then. Just a boring teenager with no real aspirations in life."

"Well, I definitely love the modern day Buffy." He leaned down and kissed her. When they broke apart and walked a few more feet out of the woods, the Salvatore Boarding House loomed in front of them.

Buffy smiled brightly and took off, standing at the front door in less than a second. Damon appeared next to her a moment later as she turned the knob and the door swung open. "How does it look exactly the same?"

"It's an old house." Damon said as they wandered into the house. "Bonnie! Get your witchy ass out here! We've come to take you home." When there was no answer, he turned to Buffy. "Where the hell is she?"

Buffy shrugged. "You take upstairs, I'll take downstairs?"

"Sure." Damon headed for the stairs and Buffy started roaming the main level. She didn't find Bonnie, but she did find all the drawn pictures of her. She inspected most of them, appreciating the attention to detail. The only other person that had ever drawn her from memory in such detail was Angel. She'd had no idea her husband could draw this good.

After tearing herself away from the pictures, Buffy headed down to the basement to see if Bonnie was perusing the wine cellar. No such luck. When she came back upstairs, Damon was just walking into the hallway. "Nothing. You?"

"No Bonnie. You don't think that Kai did anything to her?"

"Look, let's not jump to depressing conclusions yet, ok?"

"Do you smell that?"

"Smell what?"

Buffy looked around for the source of the familiar odor. Finally she noticed a pillow with blood on it. "Blood."

"And we're jumping."

Damon turned and went over to pick up the phone. "What are you doing?"

"If Kai has Bonnie, we need to talk."

"Do I want to know why you have the psycho's number? Were you guys buddies?"

Damon shot her a glare. "No. He tried to kill me when I first met him. I'm not friends with people like that."

"I don't know. I tried to kill you when I first met you and you married me." Buffy paused. "Oh no…. Should I be worried that you married Kai?"

Damon threw a pillow from the chair at her head. "Shut up. I'm gonna page him."

"Wow. Pagers. I completely forgot those existed."

"Here we go. 555-HIYA-KAI…."

"Seriously?"

"Did you expect anything different?"

"You know him better than I do."

Damon rolled his eyes at her and dialed the number. He input the Salvatore house phone number and hung up. "And now we wait." He came over and sat next to her.

"So, I had no idea you could draw."

"I don't really like to draw, but I learned when I was younger. And since I didn't have any pictures of you…. I had to make my own." He leaned over and kissed her cheek. "I'm going to fix us a drink."

"Cool." As he headed down to the cellar, Buffy stood up and moved around the living room. She came to a cabinet that usually held glasses, but in 1994 it apparently held random things and a camcorder. She chuckled at the thing and hit play.

Damon appeared on the screen in a room that looked very familiar saying, "Well, I may be in my own personal hell, but there's at least one thing that I can do here that I can't back home."

Damon was suddenly there, snatching the camcorder away and hitting stop. "Hey!" Buffy complained. "I was watching that. What was that?"

"My audition tape for 'Real World: London.' Fingers crossed. I think I'm finally gonna make it."

Buffy gave him a look and he handed her the camera back with a sigh. She pushed play and Damon's video resumed. "I get to see a still-in-existence Sunnydale." He held the camera out and Buffy recognized the Sunnydale High School library. "I'm not sure if this is what you remember, baby, but Bonnie and I are in the library of your old high school."

Bonnie appeared in the shot saying, "I'm not sure what you found so exciting about this, Buffy. It's a creepy library."

Buffy paused the video and looked at Damon. "You guys went to Sunnydale?"

He sighed. "Yes. We went to Sunnydale and to LA. If you watch the whole video…. Which I had planned to bring back with me…. We went to your house in LA and everywhere you told me about in Sunnydale. Bonnie loved The Bronze."

"How did you find my house in LA?"

"Phonebook. Took us a couple of tries, but eventually we found it." He smirked. "You liked Nirvana?"

"Still do."

"It was really weird to see a poster of Kurt Cobain on the wall next to a poster of Nancy Kerrigan."

Buffy smiled brightly and laughed. "I was a weird kid." She held up the camera. "Thank you for this. I can't wait to watch the rest."

The phone started ringing and Damon grabbed it. "Kai, if you so much as hurt one hair on her annoying little witch head, I will kill you and…."

"That was so sweet. Why'd you ruin it by calling me annoying?" Bonnie's voice said on the other end.

"Bonnie?" Buffy said, walking up to Damon and pulling the phone down so they could both hear. He put it on speaker and set the phone down.

"Buffy? Buffy, is that you?"

"Yes! I'm here. Damon and I both here at home in 1994!"

"I can't believe I'm hearing your voice right now. How are you guys here?"

"It's a long story." Damon said.

"Just know that we're here to get you." Buffy added. "Where are you?"

"I'm in Indiana."

"That's very inconvenient. What are you doing there?" Damon asked as he went to find a map.

"Kai kidnapped me. He drove me to Portland. After cooking me Thanksgiving spaghetti and stealing my blood, he left me there. It's been a strange few days."

"Where is he now?" Buffy asked.

"Don't know. I hotwired a car, and I'm on my way back to Mystic Falls."

"You hotwired a car? My husband has been rubbing off on you."

"Who would've thought, huh?"

"Where in Indiana are you, Bonnie?" Damon asked, spreading a map out.

"Muncie."

"Well, Muncie's about 6 1/2 hours away, give or take a knuckle."

"Liv's pulling us out in 7 and a half." Buffy said.

"If you don't stop to use the little witches' room anymore…."

"I can make it in time. I'm going home." Bonnie said.

"We'll see you soon." Buffy said.

"Ok."

Bonnie hung up and Buffy looked up at Damon. "Well, that's not what I wanted to hear."

"Me either." Damon said. "If he's got Bonnie's blood and the Ascendant, he's got everything he needs to get out."

"What if he's already out?"

"Then we've got work to do when we get home." He smiled. "But for right now, we're alone and we've got a few hours to kill."

Buffy smiled and grabbed two fistfuls of Damon's shirt, hauling him to her. "Take me to our room, Mr. Salvatore." Damon wrapped his arms around her and kissed her deeply. She jumped up and wrapped her legs around his waist and he rushed them upstairs.

* * *

><p>Buffy sat curled up on the couch in front of a fire watching the video Damon had made her. Damon was fixing them pancakes in the kitchen. Bonnie would be home soon and then they could all go home. The sound of footsteps coming from the kitchen made her pause the video and look up. Damon was standing in the doorway with a large silver tray covered in an array of pancake toppings, two plates piled with pancakes, three champagne flutes, and a bottle of champagne.<p>

"Bon appétit." Damon said.

"Where's Bonnie's plate?" Buffy asked as Damon sat the tray down and she set the video camera in her lap.

"One, pancakes don't hold up that long. And two, she's tired of them."

She laughed. "Oh, ok."

He sat down next to her and started putting toppings on one of the pancake stacks. "Are you enjoying the video?"

"I am. I wish we had more time to actually go to Sunnydale. It would be nice to go home for a little while…. Even though I didn't live there in 1994."

"It wasn't too different from what you remember. Your house on Revello Drive had different furniture and some of the rooms were different colors, but it was the same house you remember." He moved his hands away from the pancakes to reveal a smiley face made of two strawberries and lots of blueberries.

Buffy laughed and grabbed the whipped cream can. She added two little vampire fangs to the blueberry smiley face. Damon stared at her, smiling. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing." He reached over and popped the champagne cork out of the bottle. "Let's eat."

As Damon poured the champagne in the flutes, Buffy picked up the paper he'd put on the tray.

"Who mangled the crossword?"

"6 letters, illiterate witch, B."

Buffy laughed and shook her head. "Well, I can't be too harsh on her. I suck at crosswords, too." She spotted the article about the Gemini Coven murders. "Kai and Jo?"

"Yep. Kai's greatest hits staring us in the face every day."

"If Kai has gotten out of here, then he's going after Jo again."

"And if I have my Gemini rules down, he's going to merge with her. Which will most likely result in her death, which I guess is 6 of 1…." Damon shrugged. "Still can't do anything about it until we get back, though."

"I know. I just hope he hasn't had time to get to Mystic Falls if he is out." Buffy cut into her pancakes and ate a few bites. "So, what were you doing on May 10, 1994?" The look on Damon's face told her everything. "Ok, who did you kill on May 10, 1994?"

"May 10, 1994, I had a day. I was mad at Stefan for something. I don't even remember what it was, and in typical Damon fashion, I acted out. People died. A lot of them, and believe it or not, ever since that day, I've felt horribly guilty."

Buffy took his hand. "I believe it."

Damon brought her palm to his lips and lingered there a moment. "I thought that this was my personal hell not just because you weren't with me, but because of that day…. Bonnie didn't believe it though. She had hope for both of us. She's the reason I survived…. The reason I made it out. Who knew? Turns out you spend time with someone and don't kill them, you actually become friends."

"You're preaching to the choir."

Damon laughed, remembering that Buffy had hated him at first and had wanted to kill him. "Yeah. I guess I am."

"You and Bonnie friends? Who would have thought?"

"Don't make this any weirder than it needs to be."

"She's probably passing Whitmore right now."

"If she's not lost. She has a terrible sense of direction."

"Maybe it's a witch thing? Willow does too."

"Wouldn't that be something?"

Suddenly Buffy felt a pulling sensation. "Do you feel that?"

"Oh, no."

Damon and Buffy were suddenly standing in the graveyard of Mystic Falls in their proper time. "No." Buffy spotted Liv and Tyler standing a few feet away. "What the hell did you do? We have another hour."

"Kai is here." Tyler said. "We have to get back to Mystic Falls before he takes any more of her magic."

"No. Send us back." Buffy moved towards them and Liv and Tyler backed up, dropping the Ascendant.

"I can't." Liv said.

"Bonnie was on her way!" Buffy picked up the Ascendant and advanced on them, but they were across the border and she started to burn in the sunlight.

Damon reached over and pulled her back. "You're over the border."

"I'm sorry." Tyler said before he and Liv turned and walked away.

"No! Stop! Show Willow how to do it and she can send us back!" Buffy picked up a rock and threw it at their retreating forms. It whizzed between their heads and they took off running. "Damn it! Bonnie's going to get to the house and she's going to think we abandoned her."

"As long as we have a comet, or a full moon, or an eclipse…. We can go back as many times as we need until we get her back." Damon said.

"Wait. Are you guys talking about Bonnie Bennett?" A new voice asked behind them. "Because honestly, I didn't think she was all that great." Kai used magic to throw the Ascendant out of Buffy's hands. It smashed against a tree, shattering. Buffy went over to pick up the pieces and Kai watched her for a moment. "Your drawings don't do her justice, Damon. Your wife is _hot_."

"I am gonna enjoy the hell out of this." Damon said, advancing on Kai. Kai lifted his hand to use the witchy migraine on him, but Damon just smiled. "Welcome to my world."

Kai looked a bit panicked as he began to back up. "Phesmatos incendia." The pieces of the Ascendant burst into flame in Buffy's hand. The fire spread up her arm and Damon rushed at Kai who pulled a Gemini disappearing act. Damon listened for a moment before he grabbed a large tree branch off the ground and swung it like a big baseball bat at the air behind him. He hit Kai, who became visible again, and sent him flying back. Kai ended up on the other side of the anti-magic border and the fire on Buffy's jacket arm went away.

"You ok?" Damon asked her.

"No! I really liked this jacket, you sniveling little jerk." Buffy growled at Kai.

"Huh. I guess this is that, uh, anti-magic border…. Which means now there's a psycho loose in Mystic Falls and no vampires around to stop him. Whoops." Kai turned walked away.

Buffy looked up at Damon. "So, that was Kai?"

"That was Kai." Damon confirmed.

"I don't like him."

"Welcome to the club."

Buffy looked down at the ground and realized that the video camera that had been in her lap was now lying on the ground. "Look." She reached down and picked it up, hitting the play button.

Bonnie was on the screen trying to figure out the sound system at the Bronze. "Just use your magic." Damon said off camera. "Oh wait! That's right. You don't have any."

"Shut up. Even if my magic was working, I don't know any spells to make a sound system work." Bonnie retorted.

"I bet Willow could do it."

"I bet she could, too, but I'm not Willow. Oh, here!" She plugged something in and loud music blared over the speakers around the Bronze. "Yes!" Bonnie rushed out onto the dance floor and started to dance. Damon turned the camera around to himself and shook his head before turning it back on Bonnie. "I wish you were here, Buffy! This place is great!"

Buffy hit the stop button. "She sacrificed everything for us over and over again, and then we were supposed to be there for her." Damon said sadly. "She's all alone."

She reached up and gently cupped Damon's cheek in her hand. "I'm not giving up hope. We know where she's at. There's got to be a way to get her back."

He wrapped an arm around her shoulders. "Let's go home."

Buffy looked up at the sky to see that it was late afternoon. "We've still got some time. Let's find us a new house."

Damon nodded. "Great idea."


	119. Chapter 117

Chapter 117

Buffy stood in front of the freshly cut Christmas tree she'd just put up in her and Damon's new living room. She was working on decorating it and the house with Caroline's help. Liz had come in from Mystic Falls to spend time with her daughter and had volunteered to help out. Caroline didn't know she was coming, so Buffy was going to let her be surprised when she got here. Damon was out with Willow, Tara, and Elena trying to find a new Ascendant. Since this was their first Christmas as Mr. and Mrs. Salvatore, Buffy had wanted to make it special.

Caroline was coming up the sidewalk outside and Buffy could hear her talking on her cell phone to Liz. "I just figured that we were skipping Christmas this year, you know, considering the part where I die if I cross the border into my hometown."

"What happened to Christmas being your favorite time of the year?" Liz asked her as she pulled some garland out of a box.

"It was my favorite time of year when I could actually live in my own house and help decorate the town tree and drink hot cocoa with my friends."

Caroline knocked on the door. "It's open!" Buffy called.

The other blonde vampire walked in and spotted her mom. "What are you doing? You're supposed to be at the Mystic Falls tree decorating ceremony."

"I'm playing hooky this year. I figure just because you guys can't come home for the holidays doesn't mean the holidays can't come to you."

"You even brought our favorite ornaments. Mom!" Caroline hugged Liz tightly.

"You don't mind if they're hung up here at Buffy and Damon's house?"

"No. That's fine. It's where we were going to spend Christmas anyway."

Stefan appeared in the open doorway with two boxes of Christmas lights. "Hey. I, uh, didn't know which ones to get, so I got both."

"What the hell are you doing here?" Buffy demanded.

"Liz said you needed Christmas lights."

"You have a whole house to decorate, inside and out, and I thought we could use an extra set of hands." Liz said when Buffy turned to glare at her.

Buffy sighed and rolled her eyes. "They'll both work. The little ones can be inside and the big ones can go outside."

"I got some decorations for the yard, too." Stefan said. "They're on the porch." He gestured for Buffy to come look.  
>She relented after a long moment and walked outside with Stefan. He'd picked out a couple of white metal deer covered in white lights and a wire tree wrapped in multi-colored lights. "Oh. Those are…. Nice. Thank you." Buffy turned around and went back inside with Stefan behind her.<p>

"Where's Elena?" Caroline asked.

"She said she would join us later. She wanted to help Willow and Damon."

"Why aren't you?" Stefan asked, trying to sound casual.

"Because I wanted to decorate for mine and Damon's first Christmas as a married couple in our first house together."

"It's not your first house…."

"It's the first house that's belonged to just Damon and myself. No one else lives here but us. We've felt like an actual married couple for the last two weeks and now I'd like to throw a holiday party like a married couple would throw."

Stefan nodded. "Ok, then. Any particular way you want the lights put up outside?"

Buffy handed him a picture she'd cut out of a magazine. "Like that."

"Pretty and simple. I like it." He smiled at her and grabbed his bag of big lights.

"He's trying, Buffy." Liz scolded.

"He's going to have to try a lot harder than hanging some Christmas lights. He abandoned his brother, he abandoned me, he abandoned the girl he loves…. He dropped his entire life because it made him sad! How the hell does he think that I felt!?"

Liz reached out calmly and patted Buffy's cheek. "He's here now, though. And he wants to make it up to you."

"Then I better get a damn good Christmas present…. For the next hundred years." Buffy walked over to pick up her ringing phone from the fireplace mantel. "Hey, sweetheart."

"Hey, baby." Damon said. "I know you're busy decorating the house, but we may have a problem."

"No. No problems today, Damon. Problem free day, remember?"

"I'm sorry. We're on our way home now."

"The house isn't ready! We've barely even started. Damon?" She looked at her screen to see that he'd hung up. "Ugh!"

Caroline laughed. "I guess the honeymoon phase is over."

"Looks like." Buffy looked at Liz. "You were married before. Do I set out anything for company even though it's unwelcome and just our friends?"

Liz laughed. "I'm the wrong person to ask. My ex-husband was the more domestic one. Probably should've figured out sooner that he was gay."

"They can fend for themselves, then. Let's get to work."

Twenty minutes later, the front door opened and Elena, Tara, Willow, Alaric, and Damon came streaming in from outside. "So I asked around the hospital." Elena was saying. "No one's seen Jo since last night at the ER. A bunch of stab victims came in, and one of them is missing, as well."

"It was Kai." Alaric said. "Jo knew he'd come after her, and he did."

"Hey, baby." Damon kissed Buffy's cheek before turning around to look at the others. "Not to give you boyfriend lessons or anything, but considering I'm the happily married one of the two of us, then I hope you'll hear what I'm saying here." Alaric rolled his eyes at Damon. "If you knew Jo's whackjob brother was out on the loose and after her, don't you think that keeping an eye on her would have been a smart move?"

"And what would you have had me do, Damon, ask you to compel Jo to stay put?" Damon nodded as if the suggestion wasn't absurd.

"If Kai has Jo, we need a plan." Willow said. "Tara and I can't go near him without him sucking up our magic."

"You really don't need to go near him." Tara said to Willow. "There's no telling what he could do with the magicks you have in you."

"Don't panic, ladies." Damon said. "The plan's easy. Find Kai," He made a slicing motion across his neck, "Kill Kai."

"What's going on?" Caroline asked, setting down the ornament she was holding.

"Kai nabbed Jo last night and we're going to save her." Damon nodded at himself and pulled out his phone.

"Who are you calling?" Elena asked.

"Donovan." Damon wasn't talking to Elena. "Have you seen Kai?"

"Who?" Matt asked.

"Seriously? The bad guy that came into town two weeks ago? Just think sociopathic Ryan Reynolds."

"Haven't seen him."

"Grunge vibe, annoying as hell."

"Still no idea."

"Well, if he has half a brain, he will be hiding where vampires can't find him. So in between levels of Mario Kart, can you and little baby Gilbert maybe keep an eye out?"

"Yeah, got it. If we see him, we'll let you know."

Damon hung up and put his phone back in his pocket. "Well, Bevis and Butthead are on the lookout. Anyone else brimming with confidence?"

"I mean, this just doesn't make sense." Alaric said.

"What could possibly not make sense about magical twins absorbing into one another?" Buffy retorted as she picked out a spot in the tree for a large and intricately painted ball ornament.

"Listen, Jo needs her magic for the merge to work, ok, and she got rid of that back in 1994."

"How do you get rid of magic?" Elena asked.

"You can store it in something." Tara said. "A lot of witches, before they die, store their magic inside a book…. A grimoire…. So their gifts can be passed down to their families."

"Bonnie stored hers in her bear." Damon added.

"Jo doesn't have magic because it's stuffed in a knife that was stolen and hidden by yours truly." Damon said. "Kai won't find it."

"Yeah, unless Kai does a locator spell." Alaric said.

"It's impossible."

"Why?"

"Kai was born without the ability to do magic." Buffy said.

"How does Jo get her magic back?" Elena asked.

"She needs to reunite with it." Tara said.

"If the only way to restore Jo's magic is to reunite her with that knife, Kai's gonna come for it." Alaric said.

"Rick's right." Elena said. "Even if Kai can't do the locator spell, he's gonna make it his mission to find it."

"Kai finds it. Great. Love it." Damon said.

"Why aren't you more concerned?" Willow asked him.

"Because if Kai goes for the knife, I will kill him because the knife is right here where I hid it." Damon took down a picture frame from the wall and opened the back. "Tada!" There was nothing there.

Buffy sighed. "That little twerp was in my house?!"

Willow stood up. "Ok, Tara and I will put a protection spell around the house and install a magical alarm so if any bad guys show up…. EEE EEE EEE!"

"That would've been handy when we moved in." Damon said.

"Sorry. I didn't think you would have and hide the one thing that Kai needs to do his creepy twin power thing in your brand new house."

"Why _wouldn't_ you think that?" Alaric said. "That's exactly the type of stupid and crazy thing Damon is known for."

"Hey!" Buffy and Damon protested.

"It's true."

"Don't make me return your Christmas gift." Damon threatened. "Ok, Willow and Tara, you work on the witchy alarm system. Alaric, you keep looking for Jo. Elena, you stay here and help my wife decorate our house. I'm going to go search for the Wonder Twins." He turned to Buffy and kissed her cheek. "It's looking beautiful in here."

"Did you seriously need to pack the house and distract from decorating?" Buffy asked him.  
>"No, but it was a great excuse to see what you've done so far. And I see that you invited Stefan to help…."<p>

"I didn't. Liz did."

Damon smiled at Liz. "Good job, Sheriff." He gently took Buffy's face in his hands. "Give him a chance, babe. He's trying." He kissed her for a moment before heading out with Alaric.

Buffy sighed and shook her head. "We need some supplies." Willow said. "We'll be back."

"Ok." Buffy said, walking them to the door. She watched Willow and Tara walk to the sidewalk and was about to close the door, but Stefan appeared in front of her.

"Everything's done out here." He said.

"That was quick."

"I may have used some supernatural abilities to finish."

"Ok, well there's plenty to be done in here." She stepped out of the way to let him in, briefly checking out the front yard.

"Where do you want me?"

"The garland on the staircase banner needs lights."

"Got it." Stefan grabbed some of the small lights he'd bought and got to work.

Buffy went back over to the tree. Elena, Caroline, and Liz excused themselves to the kitchen, leaving Buffy and Stefan in silence. Eventually, Buffy found a great spot for the ornament she was holding, but it was towards the top of the tree where she couldn't reach.

"Here, I got it." Stefan offered, taking the ornament from her.

"What are you doing here?"

"Liz asked for my help."

"No, Stefan, what are you really doing here? If you think hanging some lights is going to make me forget how horrible you've been the last few months, then you thought seriously wrong."

"I'm trying, Buffy."

"Why does everyone keep saying that!? This? This is the easy part, Stefan. We're decorating for Christmas. Anyone can be friends when you're decorating for Christmas."

Liz, Elena, and Caroline returned with Liz carrying a tray with steaming mugs. "Who wants hot chocolate?" Liz asked. Caroline had a bowl of marshmallows and Elena was holding a whipped cream canister and a bowl of crushed candy canes.

"I was just leaving." Stefan said, turning around to leave. Liz frowned at Buffy, but Buffy just ignored it and turned back to the tree. Suddenly Liz looked faint and dropped the tray of hot chocolate. She braced herself against a chair.

"Mom?!" Caroline cried, setting down the bowl of marshmallows. Buffy dropped the ornament back into the box and walked over to Liz's side as Elena went to get something to clean up the mess.

"Oh, wow." Liz said. "I just got really…." Suddenly, Liz collapsed. Buffy and Caroline caught her, holding her up.

"Mom! You ok?"

Liz nodded, but she still looked a little out of it. "That's it. We're going to the hospital." Buffy handed Stefan her keys. "You drive, I'll get our coats. Elena!"

* * *

><p>Buffy sat with Caroline at the hospital outside of Liz's room. Caroline was holding tightly to Buffy's hand. Elena had gone to get some vampire sustenance for everyone and Stefan was filling out paperwork so Caroline didn't have to. Buffy had called Willow and Tara and told them to hold off on the spell since she couldn't be home until they found out what was going on with Liz.<p>

"Maybe she forgot to eat." Caroline said. "You know, sometimes, she skips breakfast."

"When was the last time you ate, Caroline, as in fed?" Buffy asked her.

"Oh, god…. Now you sound like Stefan."

"Don't make me hurt you."

Caroline gave a small laugh and shook her head. "Do you think Bonnie knows it's Christmas? You know she never liked being away from Elena and me at Christmas."

"I don't know. It's probably better that she doesn't know, though."

"Buffy…. What if it's something really bad with my mom?"

"It's probably nothing. Like you said, she just forgot to eat."

"But what if it's not that?"

Buffy looked over at Caroline staring at her with pleading eyes. She remembered giving that look to her friends when her mother had first gotten sick. "Then we'll deal with it."

"Hey." Elena said, walking up with four to-go coffee cups of blood. "Here you guys go."

"Thank you." Buffy looked between the two girls. "Look, you guys go for a walk. Liz is going to be out for a while. I'll stay here and keep watch."

"Are you sure?" Caroline asked.

"Yeah. Hospitals suck. Get some fresh air when you can." Caroline and Elena exchanged glances and nodded. They got up and walked down the hallway. Buffy watched the doctor and nurses move around the room and sighed. This was becoming a little too familiar. Finally Stefan walked up and stood at the window. Buffy sighed and stood up. She joined him at the window, handing him the last of the coffee cups. "Is it just me, or does that look like something worse than someone forgetting to eat?"

Stefan nodded at one of the doctors. "That doctor just came over from radiology. I overheard her say 'glioblastoma'."

"What does that mean?"

Stefan reached out and took Buffy's hand. She looked down at it in confusion, but didn't let go. "We brought her in a couple of weeks ago after Tripp's guys grabbed her." He said. "The doctors ran some tests, and apparently they found something suspicious."

"Suspicious?" Stefan looked at her and waited for her to figure out what suspicious meant. "No. That's…." Buffy shook her head. "Caroline would have said something, Stefan."

"Or maybe her mom hasn't told her yet. Didn't your mom hide how bad her condition was at first?"

Buffy pulled her hand from Stefan's and rushed over to a doctor that had just come out of the sheriff's room. She caught the woman's gaze. "What's going on with Liz Forbes?"

"Her recent MRI showed a lesion on her brainstem. We think it's metastasized to her spine."

"Can it be operated on?"

"If the tumor's already spread, it would be impossible."

"What about chemo? Radiation? Something!"

"It won't work. The tumor is growing too fast for it to actually do any good."

"Does she know? Does Liz know about…."

"For a few weeks now, but news like this takes time to digest."

Buffy released the doctor and she walked away. Her eyes met Stefan's and he came over to her, holding out his arms. She relented and let him hug her tightly. "How do I tell Caroline this?"

"You don't have to. I can tell her." Stefan said, stroking her hair.

"No. It should be me. I should tell her. Soon. It's only a matter of time before she compels a doctor. This isn't the kind of news anyone should find out from a stranger."

"How do we deal with this, Buffy? There's a 22-year-old sociopathic witch running around Mystic Falls right now. _That_ we have a plan for. We've dealt with every kind of evil there is, and we always have a plan, but this…. If Caroline loses her mom, it'll destroy her. She doesn't deserve this. She's a good person. How do we deal with this?"

"There's no plan. There's no good way to deal with it." Buffy pulled away from Stefan. "Can you let Damon know? I'm going to go find Caroline." She turned and walked out of the hallway. It took her a little while, but eventually she found Caroline alone in a waiting room down the hall from her mother's room. "Where's Elena?"

"She went to find Stefan. We just got back from a walk around the outside of the hospital." Caroline said. "There's no news. Apparently, they're still running tests."

Buffy sat down next to Caroline and took a deep breath. "Caroline…. We need to talk. I spoke with one of the doctors about your mom. It's not good. She has what they said was a lesion on her brainstem."

"What does that mean? Like a blood clot?"

"No. No, it means…. Caroline…." Buffy reached over and took Caroline's hand. "Sweetie, your mom has cancer. They think that it's spread to her spine."

"That just doesn't make sense. My mom would have said something to me."

"I wish it wasn't true, but I compelled one of the doctors for the information."

"Ok. So my mom has a brain tumor. Then we'll just give her vampire blood."

"I think if our blood cured cancer…. Well, that's probably something that we would have heard about that by now."

"Fine. Then when are they gonna operate?"

"They, uh…. They can't. It's not operable."

"Ok. Well, if they can't operate, then they'll give her chemo, right?"

"The…. Tumor…. It's growing too fast and the doctors don't think it will work."

"Well, then they're wrong because they don't know her." Buffy just squeezed Caroline's hand as it started to sink in. "They don't know how strong she is. I mean, she's gonna get through this, Buffy. Right?"

"I…. I don't know. But whatever she needs or wants, Damon and I will make sure she gets it. The best doctors. The best hospitals. Whatever she needs."

Caroline finally lost it and began to sob. Buffy reached out and pulled the younger blonde to her, holding her tightly. They both stayed that way for what seemed like hours. Buffy wished she had better answers to Caroline's questions, but she didn't. Nothing would ever make losing your mother to something so random and horrible any easier.

* * *

><p>Buffy walked up the drive to her and Damon's house, admiring the pretty lights that Stefan had put up. She unlocked the front door and stepped inside. "Damon?" She called. "Are you home?" There was no answer. She walked over to the switch to turn on the Christmas lights in the house and realized the tree was gone. "What the…." She turned around and realized that all the decorations were missing. "Ok, who am I killing?" There was a note on the fireplace mantel with her name on it.<p>

_Hey baby,_

_I have amazing news. Call me as soon as you get this._

_Love you,_

_Damon_

Buffy sighed and pulled out her cell phone, dialing her husband's number. She heard it connect and said, "Where's my Christmas tree?"

"It's at home."

"No, it's not. I'm at home and there's no tree. Did that little twerp Kai steal it?"

"No. I took it and everything else in the house and I'm working on decorating our nice big house with our amazing bed and your custom built gazebo…."

"What? You're in Mystic Falls? How?"

"That little twerp Kai sucked up all the Traveler magic in the spell over the town today. That's probably going to be a bad thing and soon, but right now I'm just happy to be home. I thought we could celebrate."

"Happy is something I could use right now. Today was horrible."

"Come home, babe. I'll cook you dinner and we'll talk about our crappy days."

"Ok. I'll see you soon. I love you."

"I love you."

Buffy hung up and turned to leave, but something hit her upside the head hard enough that the world went black. Kai stood over Buffy's unconscious form and said, "I may not be able to use magic on you just yet," He picked up the object she'd been hit with. "But a magically enhanced crowbar seems to work just fine."


	120. Chapter 118

Chapter 118

Buffy started to come to and realized that it was exceptionally hot. She opened her eyes slowly and realized that someone was talking. Her hands were bound with vervain soaked ropes and her strength felt drained. Finally, she looked in front of her to see Kai sitting in front of a roaring fire eating food on a plate in front of him.

"You little twerp." Buffy said. "Why am I here?"

"Ah, well I spent eighteen years in abandoned restaurants and now I'm showing off the fruits of my labor." Kai said proudly. She realized they were sitting in the newly built Mystic Grill.

"I don't mean the Grill…."

"You mean here, here? In Mystic Falls?" He was fidgeting and smiling. "Sorry, I'm nervous. You look really pretty."

"Come a little closer and I'll show you how pretty I can be." She yanked at the ropes, feeling the vervain burning her skin. "Why am I here, Kai?"  
>"Well, I uh, took the spell keeping supernaturals out of Mystic Falls and I…. like…. Absorbed it? I ate it, I guess. It's cool, huh? First I eat magic and then eventually I lose it. But a huge spell like that? Come on! Magic's oozing out of me. It's all over the place. You know, I didn't quite realize it was so out of control until I met the manager of the Grill a few hours ago. He was all like, 'hey, you can't come in here. We're closed. And you have an unconscious woman over your shoulder.' And I was like, 'don't judge me.' So then I gave him a heart attack…. Or I tried to, but all I did was make him vomit uncontrollably. Which was like, ew…. All right…. Let's stop that. So then I tried again and I think I broke his spine. I mean, I'm not really sure because the third time I tried the spell, he kinda exploded in blood. Whoops."<p>

"Damon's right. You're completely insane."

"Not completely. You know, it wasn't until after my test run with the manager that I realized…. If I start to merge with Jo and my gushing fountains of magic turn her into that guy, then I'm not going to have a twin for the merge. So, Buffy, that is why you're here. Because I need to get my magic under control by practicing with you. Or rather…. By practicing _on_ you. Oh, hey, PS silver lining! After the manager finally stopped thrashing around, I finally managed a cloaking spell. Thank you. It's easy to do and undo." Kai looked over at her and recited the spell. The manager's mangled body appeared in front of Buffy, but she didn't give him the satisfaction of being shocked. She leveled a glare at Kai and calmly crossed her legs. He stared back, obviously annoyed that his little trick hadn't worked on her. "Really? Nothing?"

Buffy shrugged. "I've seen a lot of dead bodies."

"You're too pretty to have seen that much death." Kai shrugged. "Well, Damon didn't tell me much about you. I meant what I said, though. All those pictures…. They really didn't do you justice. You're gorgeous."

"Yeah, thanks. Where is Damon?"

"I don't know. I texted him…. From your phone, of course…. That you had some business to attend to at the dorms with Elena and you'll catch up with him later."

"You know he won't believe that."

"Hence the cloaking spell." Kai smirked at her.

* * *

><p>Damon's snoring actually woke him up and he sat up. He was sitting in Liz's hospital room. He'd come there to check on her after getting Buffy's text. "I paid extra for this room to be a single." Liz said.<p>

"Well, you clearly underestimate the number of women who'd die to spend a night with me." Damon joked.

"Well, I'm not dead yet. Any word from Buffy?"

"Oh, I got words. Plural." Damon looked at his phone. "I got, 'Something came up with Elena at the dorm. Can we rain check?'"

"She hasn't called?"

"Nope. And Elena isn't answering." Damon shrugged. "She said she was having a bad day. I don't want to nag and make it worse."

"You don't nag. You should go check on her."

"I will when I leave here."

"Ok. Have you at least managed to patch things up with Rick?"

"Well, baby steps. Step one: allow him to turn my house into Hogwarts. Step two: call in a favor from the Sheriff. Ask her to put out an APB on a super-charged serial killer named Kai Parker."

"Yeah, I already had my guys on the lookout. No one matching Kai's description popped up overnight."

"What the hell is he doing?"

Caroline walked into the room with a clear to-go cup filled with something green. "Bad news is: the employee kitchen didn't have a juicer. Good news is: they do now."

"What is this?" Liz asked, looking dubiously at the green stuff.

"It's a kale smoothie. It's good for DNA cell repair and for slowing cancer. Oh, are you warm enough?"

"I'm fine."

"Let me just get you another blanket." Caroline reached over and got out another blanket from one of the drawers.

"So you can literally smother her?" Damon asked.

"I'm just trying to help here, since apparently, modern medicine takes forever. I don't understand why we can't skip all the guess-work and go straight to something that works. Like vampire blood."

"We are not having this conversation again, sweetheart." Liz said.

"Ok, then what do you want to talk about? How the doctors can't operate? How chemo won't work? How radiation won't shrink the tumor? Damon, feel free to jump in with your support here at any time."

"Well, I think that would require you having my support, Caroline." Damon said.

"You don't think that our blood will work?"

"For 170-odd years, I've never known an instance where our blood cured cancer. But hey, sheriff, if you want to be a guinea pig in an experimental study involving weird, unpredictable magic…. Far be it from me to stop you."

"Look, sweetheart." Liz said. "For now, I would like to put my faith in science. Which means going home on doctor's orders, having a nice, quiet day and waiting for more MRI results."

"See? Mommy knows best." Damon said, standing up. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I have to make sure those witches aren't destroying my house and see where my wife has disappeared to. Bye, bye." He winked at Liz.

"Tell Buffy I'll see her later?" Liz called.

"You got it!" Damon said, walking out. As he headed into the parking lot, he pulled out his cell phone and called Buffy's number. It went to voicemail. "Hey baby, I'm getting worried. Please call me." Getting in his car, Damon drove over to his and Buffy's Whitmore house. Her car wasn't there, but the front door was ajar. "Babe?" He called, walking into the house. The place was dark, but something felt off. Buffy would never leave the door ajar. Not with Kai running around. Damon pulled his phone out again and called Elena. Her phone went to voicemail, too. "Elena, I really need you to call me back. Buffy is supposed to be with you and I'm worried about her. If you're in class, leave it and call me." He hung up and left the house. He had a bunch of witches at his house. One of them was bound to be able to find his wife.

* * *

><p>Buffy woke up and realized her hands were bound to the ceiling. As she looked around, she realized she was in the hallway at Mystic Falls High School. Kai stood in front of her staring at the trophy case built into the wall. Elena was sitting on the floor in front of him bound and gagged. Her bindings were soaked in vervain and her skin around them was burned bright red. Her eyes widened when she saw Buffy wake up.<p>

"Why the high school?" Buffy asked.

"They have plenty of restrooms, no flammable surfaces, and everyone's on winter break…. Still." He stood up straight. "You know, it's no wonder America got dumb while I was locked up. They're never in school." Kai looked down at Elena. "Hey, is that you?" He was pointing at a picture of Elena, Bonnie, and Caroline standing with other cheerleaders. "Oh, and there's Bonnie. You guys look so innocent. Smiling, like nothing bad could ever happen to you."

"Why is Elena here, Kai?"

"Well, I can't have your precious husband looking for us. Not yet. So, I snatched her between classes to keep her out of the way. And if you go pop, then I've got someone else to work on." Kai turned to Buffy and walked closer to her. "So, do you mind if I try to turn your blood into acid again?"

"Again?"

"Yeah, that's uh, that's kinda how you got here in the first place. I was trying the whole acid-blood thing and I think I burst a few important capillaries in your brain, because you blacked out." He rubbed his hands together and concentrated on Buffy. "Phasmatos navaro pulsus sanguinox…."

Buffy's blood began to burn slightly and she groaned. "Kai, stop!" Elena started to struggle against her bonds, but they weakened her significantly. "Kai!" Buffy's hand started to burn and she realized her wedding and engagement rings were melting. "My rings. Kai, you're melting my rings!"

Suddenly Elena managed to get to her feet and whacked Kai over the head. Buffy yanked on her chains and pulled herself free, bringing the lights crashing down. She grabbed Elena and they ran into the closest room, slamming the door. Buffy rushed over to the sink and rinsed off the burning metal.

"Are you ok?" Elena asked, finally pulling the vervain gag out of her mouth.

"That little twerp melted my rings!" Buffy complained.

"I take it those rings meant something to you?" Kai said, entering the room. Buffy pulled Elena behind her. "I never understood sentimental attachments to things, because then it's so upsetting when you lose them."

"Those were my wedding and engagement rings, you dick. That goes beyond sentimental attachment." Buffy growled. She shoved her hand into the sunlight until it caught fire then turned on the gas from the chemistry lab. She turned her flaming hand into a flamethrower and the fire hit Kai. Elena pulled on Buffy and the two of them ran through another door into a classroom.

Buffy looked at Elena. "Ok, you need to leave."

"What? No." Elena shook her head. "I can't leave you here unprotected."

"You've got to go get help. He melted my daylight ring, not yours."

"Buffy…."

"Elena, go! I'll be fine." She shoved Elena away and Elena sighed, using her vamp speed to rush out of the room. Buffy got up and rushed out of the room in the opposite direction. She headed for the basement door through the cafeteria, but Kai appeared in the doorway in front of her.

Buffy began to back up as Kai held his hand out, twisting it to try and break her neck. He was only succeeding in throwing the tables and chairs around. "Really? Damn it." Buffy dodged out of the way of a table and turned to go in a different direction. Unfortunately, Kai succeeded in throwing up a barrier and she slammed into it. He'd put up barriers at all the doors. Finally he managed to break her neck and she fell to the floor.

* * *

><p>Willow and Tara were flipping through one of their basic magic books looking for simple spells for Jo to try. They were sitting together on the sofa in the Salvatore Boarding House. Liv was standing off to the side with Alaric. Jo was sitting on the coffee table practicing levitating a book when Damon walked in, breaking her concentration.<p>

The book fell to the floor and Jo said, "That doesn't count. I was distracted."

Damon looked at Liv for a moment. "Are you wearing my shirt?" Liv smiled at him and Damon just shook his head. "Ok, magic camp, find my wife."

"What do you mean?" Willow asked.

"She's missing. She sent me a text last night saying she was with Elena, but now she and Elena aren't answering their phones. I went to our house in Whitmore and the door was open. With Kai running around all juiced up and hating my guts, we need to find her. Now."

"A locater spell? That's simple, right?" Jo asked. "I can do that."

"Actually, from the state of my living room, I'd rather a pro do it." Damon pointed at Willow. "You're the pro."

"I'm the pro." Willow stood up. "I'll grab a map."

Just then, Elena burst into the room. "Elena, what…." Damon started.

"Buffy's in trouble." Elena said. "Kai has her at the high school. He melted her daylight ring."

"He melted her…. I'm gonna kill him." Damon growled. "Ok, I need a witch." He pointed at Liv. "You."

"Why me? Willow's ten times more powerful." Liv protested.

"Because your family is all one with the cloaking spells and Willow needs to stay here and help Jo beat Kai."

"Kai will kill me."

"And if he manages to get his hands on Willow, he'll get even _more_ power and then it won't matter if you're dead because everyone else will be too. Grab your supplies and let's go."

* * *

><p>Buffy woke up and realized she was tied to a table in the cafeteria with vervain soaked ropes. She rolled her eyes and looked up at Kai. He was standing over her wearing a Mystic Falls Timberwolves shirt and drinking a soda. "Oh, hello." He said.<p>

"Nice shirt." Buffy quipped.

"Well, thanks. Yeah, somebody burned my other one. Which was awesome, by the way. I am starting to see why Damon digs you so much. You are crazy-pants. Oh, it sucks about that shirt, though."

"I'm confused. You care more about an inanimate object than the people that you kill?"

"Oh. Is this going to be like an episode of 'Ricki Lake' where I come face-to-face with my demons and change for the better?"

"I never really liked that show. I always preferred Jerry Springer."

Kai laughed. "Yeah, that was pretty entertaining."

"Let's act out an episode."

"Come on, you know I'd win."

"Why have I not snapped your neck yet?"

"Because you're secretly crushing on me?"

"Oh, I'm sure _that's_ it." Buffy said sarcastically. "Look, I know that you're a sociopath and all, but is there anyone out there that you've ever cared about? A goldfish maybe? Sociopaths like goldfish, right?"

"I guess I liked my brother, Joey. We played Dr. Mario together and he'd always win. Actually, one of my favorite memories is when I finally beat him. Of course, my favorite memory is when I finally beat him to death. You don't have to waste your energy trying to change me. If Ricki taught me anything, it's that liking yourself is the most important thing. And I like me."

"Too bad you're the only one." Buffy retorted.

* * *

><p>Damon and Liv pulled up to the school and got out of his car. "To think, a day almost went by where I wasn't roped into saving one of your friends." Liv said.<p>

"She's not just my friend, she's my wife. So just do this stupid cloaking spell so I can go grab Buffy and you can get back to wrecking my mansion."

"Fine." Liv started setting up her candles on the hood of Damon's car.

"What are you doing? The back door's right here."

"I'm not going in there."

"What?"

"If Kai even gets a glimpse of me, I'm dead. I'm strong enough to do the spell from out here."

"Whatever. Hope you cloak better than you teach. Cause from the looks of my living room, Jo's not learning very much. Thank god someone had the sense to call in Willow."

"Relax. With a bit of practice, she'll be merge-ready in no time."

Damon turned around when Liv stopped doing the spell. She was gone. "Liv? Liv? Hey! Liv!"

Luke suddenly appeared out of nowhere. "Sorry."

"What the hell are you doing here?"

"She doesn't have time for this. Invisique." Luke disappeared.

"No!" Damon kicked a rock and pulled out his cell phone. "So, Liv's gone. I need a Plan B."

"What do you mean, she's gone?" Willow asked.

"Her wonder twin took her and I can't just go blazing in there. Kai will kill Buffy to spite me. I need a witch."

"I can do it." Jo said in the background.

"No. You can barely light a candle." Willow said to her.

"Cloaking is one of the first things they teach you as a Gemini. I learned it when I was a kid."

"But?" Alaric asked in the background.

"I'll have to stay beside Damon while I do it, which means I'll have to go inside."

"No. Absolutely not. Damon, _I'm_ coming."

"No, Willow." Tara said in the background. "Kai does _not_ need your power on top of the Traveler's spell."

"Let me go in." Jeremy said.

"Let me guess, Jeremy's holding a crossbow." Damon said.

"No one is killing Kai." Jo said.

"Well, we're not letting Kai kill Buffy."

"Nobody's letting anyone die." Alaric said.

"Anyone have any other ideas?" Damon asked.

"Look, I'm coming." Willow said. "End of discussion. No one else has the power to go up against him. Jo's not ready."

"Then I'll go." Tara said.

"Tara…."

"He can't get ahold of your power, Willow. Magically, I'm not that interesting, but I can do the cloaking spell. Buffy needs us and we can't argue about this anymore. Damon, I'm on my way."

* * *

><p>Kai sat cross-legged in front of Buffy, watching her. "Ok, now I get what Damon is talking about when I give him my creepy stare." He stuck his finger out in the air and carved a K on Buffy's cheek with his magic. "Stop that."<p>

Kai smiled as the carving healed. He leaned forward, licked his thumb, and used it to wipe away the remaining blood on Buffy's face. "Just working on my self-control."

"Look, I know you're all into the whole torture-Buffy thing, but would you take a time out and get me something to drink? I'm parched."

"Is none of this affecting you at all?"

"Actually, I'm pretty bored."

"Most people would be quivering in fear, but not you. Why?"

Buffy shrugged. "Ever been mentally tortured by your boyfriend for five months?"

"Damon?"

"My ex boyfriend, Angel. He's a vampire with a soul and it used to be when he got too happy, he would lose his soul and turn into his psycho killer evil other half. You're nothing compared to that, Kai."

Kai leaned back against the table behind him and crossed his arms. "So you have type, then? Psycho killers? That's good news."

"Look, you're cute and all, but you look like a thirteen year old. I'm just not into that. I like my psycho killers older than me."

"I am older than you. Damon said you were born in 1981. I was born in 1972."

"Ok, let's try this. I'm a married woman now, so my dating days are over."

"Hey, I melted your wedding ring. Nothing's stopping you now."

"Um, there's a few things stopping me. One: I don't like you. Two: I love my husband. Three: I only like reformed psycho killers."

Kai sighed. "Ok, reformed psycho killer." He stood up and grinned at her. "I'll get you something to drink. That's a good start. Sprite? Coke? What kind of soda girl are you?"

"I'd prefer some O negative, but if they don't have that in the vending machine, then a Sprite will be fine."

"I'll see what I can do." Kai turned and headed for the door. "Don't go anywhere." Buffy rolled her eyes and started to work on the ropes.

* * *

><p>Damon and Tara walked through the hallway of the high school looking for Kai and Buffy. Tara had a cloaking spell over the two of them. "I can hear Kai yammering." Damon said to her.<p>

"What's he saying?" Tara asked.

"He's hitting on my wife." Damon let out a groan. "I'm going to have to get you and Willow to put a spell on her to make her less attractive to evil people."

"She can't help that she's pretty."

"It's not just that. She literally attracts bad guys. Angelus, me, Klaus, Silas, and now Kai."

"You're not a bad guy."

"I once killed a pregnant woman."

"Buffy wouldn't love you if you were a bad guy. You're not that Damon anymore. Now you're Buffy's Damon and I'm pretty sure you both like it that way."

Damon smiled. "I like you, Tara. Have I ever mentioned that?"

"Not recently."

"It's also great to see Willow happy. I know I don't say it much, but I really like her."

"She really likes you, too, Damon. We both do."

Damon held his hand up and stopped them just as Kai walked around the corner. He took a drink of soda, not noticing them at all, before walking past Tara and Damon to recycle his can. "Ok." He turned and walked away.

"Good job, Tara." Damon said.

"Thanks."

"Since he's out of the way, let's get my wife. She's in the cafeteria." He took Tara's arm and led her into the cafeteria where Buffy was tied to a table with vervain soaked ropes. She was muttering to herself about how annoying Kai was and the things she was going to do to him once she was free. She obviously couldn't see him or Tara.

Tara said a few words and Buffy's ropes disappeared. Damon squatted down in front of Buffy and touched her cheek. "Hey." He said gently.

"Took you long enough." Buffy said, reaching out and taking his hands.

"Sorry."

"Come on, we need to get out of here." Tara said.

"We've got to head for the tunnels. Kai melted my damn rings." Buffy said, showing her empty hand.

"He owes me some serious bank for those." Damon kissed her finger where the rings used to be. "Come on. Boiler room."

Buffy stopped. "Actually, you know what? We need Kai to stop running around kidnapping people and wreaking havoc."

"What do you want to do? Knock him out and keep him as a house guest?"

"Willow and Tara can bind his magic, right? Keep him confined to the basement room until Jo can get powerful enough to defeat him."

"I don't know if that's going to happen." Tara said. "Aside from not being very good at magic, she doesn't have a lot of power. Willow's been assessing her and Jo's not even close to my level and Kai could easily defeat me."

"What level are you?" Damon asked.

"I'm proficient, but I've also been out of commission for a while. This is the first big spell I've done since I came back."

"Is it draining you at all?" Buffy asked Tara worriedly.

"A little bit. So whatever we're doing, we need to do it soon before I get tired."

"Ok, Damon, you get Jo on the phone and have her make a nice coma-inducing cocktail for her twin. Tara, keep up the spell for a little bit longer so he can't see you and Damon."

"What about you?"

Buffy sat back down where she'd been. "I'll pretend to be tied up still and when Kai comes back, I'll knock him out."

"Buffy…." Damon started.

"No time for arguing. He's coming back now." Buffy stuck her hands behind her and waited. Tara and Damon disappeared a few seconds before Kai strolled back in carrying a can of Sprite with a straw in it.

"You know, you may be on to something." Kai said.

"About what?" Buffy asked.

"Well, there are a lot of vampires in the world. A blood vending machine might actually be a huge money making endeavor." He sat down in front of her and held the can out to her. She gave it a look and sniffed the air in front of the straw. "I didn't poison it."

"Just had to check." She leaned forward and put her lips on the straw. When Kai's gaze moved down to her chest, Buffy took the opportunity to use her super-vamp speed and grab the back of his head, slamming it against the table. While he was disoriented, she lifted him up and sank her fangs in, draining him until he passed out.

The whole thing happened in a matter of seconds. Damon wasn't even done with his phone call when Tara uncloaked them. "We'd better move fast." Buffy said. She grabbed a napkin from the condiment and utensil station and wiped her mouth before taking a big sip of Sprite.

"You ok?" Damon asked, hanging up.

"He tasted funny."

"He's been stuck in 1994. He probably tastes like Zima and Gushers. Jo said she'll have some pentobarbital ready to go when we get there."

"Ok. I'll just…. Clean up here until the sun sets, then I'll come join you guys."

"I'll come back and keep you company." Damon leaned down and kissed her gently. He would've made it last longer, but she pushed him back.

"Go. Get him locked up. I'm not going anywhere."

* * *

><p>Buffy and Damon were curled up in each other's arms on the daybed in the gazebo back home. It was dark outside now. Kai was drugged and locked up in the basement. Willow was under strict orders to stay away from him.<p>

"So," Buffy said, playing with Damon's wedding ring on his finger. "Assuming that I don't get kidnapped before tomorrow, can we try for that dinner again?"

"Well, I guess we'll find out tomorrow."

Alaric knocked on the doorframe and stepped through the curtain. "Hey, you got a package, Damon."

"Oh, good." Damon took the package from him.

"I didn't know anyone delivered this late." Buffy said.

"Money is a magnificent thing." Damon said as he ripped into the package.

"How are you doing, Buffy?" Alaric asked.

"Very happy to be home. I missed this place."

"I meant: how are you doing after being held hostage and tortured by Kai for the better part of the day, Buffy?"

Buffy laughed. "Peachy keen. I'm a lot more resilient than I look. Mentally and physically."

"Good to know."

"Give me your hand." Damon said, taking Buffy's left hand. He slipped on a new engagement and wedding ring that looked almost identical to the ones Kai had melted. They were soldered together, something Buffy had meant to do but hadn't because she couldn't bear to part with them.

"How did you get them so fast?"

"I called the jewelry store where we got your engagement ring and told them that yours had been lost in a tragic accident and you needed a new one. I threw money at them and they dropped everything and got you a new one put together and messengered over tonight. We'll get Willow to make it your daylight ring again."

"What about the wedding ring?"

"I described it to them and they had one very close to it. The stones are a little bigger than your old one, but I didn't think that would be a problem."

Buffy looked up at Damon. "God, you're amazing."

"And that's my cue to leave." Alaric said.

"No. Stay." Buffy gestured to one of the chairs. "We need to talk."

"Ok." Alaric sat down hesitantly. "What about?"

"Jo's not strong enough, Rick." Damon said.

"Well, she wouldn't lie about it."

"No, we don't think she's lying." Buffy said.

"We're not saying that." Damon added.

"But I spent the whole day with Kai and he's changed the game. He absorbed a spell the size of Mystic Falls and Willow's been measuring Jo's magic today. Tara told us that she's not powerful. She's not going to have the juice to beat Kai."

"Look, we got Kai on ice." Alaric said. "We'll just wait for his stolen magic to drain away and then she'll beat him."

"What if she can't?"

"Well, she has to. She will."

"Well, all right then." Damon said. He lifted his drink from the coffee table. "Here's to women who make crazy, screwed up decisions and loving them more for it." He pulled Buffy to him and kissed her. "I am sorry that I didn't know you were in trouble sooner."

Buffy shrugged. "Kai made it difficult for you to know, but I always knew you'd figure it out. And you did."

"I'm thinking _that's_ my cue to leave." Alaric said, standing up.

"Shut the door behind you." Damon said, hitting the button to make the gazebo more private.


	121. Chapter 119

Chapter 119

Buffy stood in the doorway of her guest bedroom glaring at a comatose Kai lying prone on the guest bed. He was attached to fluids and a steady drip of pentobarbital to keep him knocked out. They'd brought him to Buffy and Damon's Whitmore house to keep him out of the way. Willow and Alaric had gone off on a trip to find a mystical something or other to help boost Jo's powers. Tara had stayed behind to help coach Jo with Liv.

Downstairs, the front door opened and Damon called, "Babe?"

Buffy turned away and walked down the stairs. "Hey."

"Got us lunch. Liquid and actual food. Is he still counting sheep or whatever the hell psychopaths dream of?"

"Yeah. I really hate that they left us to baby-sit Kai and they expect us to not smother him with a pillow."

"Well, it means that we get to be left alone." He headed into the kitchen. "So, if you're free tonight I know this little Italian joint that has eggplant so good you actually think you're eating people." Damon set the food down on the counter. He turned to Buffy and wrapped his arms around her waist, pulling her close. "I'm thinking maybe after that, go the Arthouse Theater. They're playing some pretentious French flick."

"I suck at French."

"Well, not to see the movie, silly. To hide in the back and throw popcorn at the hipsters."

Buffy laughed. "That sounds like it could be fun. Count me in. I'm going to Caroline's in a little bit to help Liz with whatever she needs help with. Pick me up about six?"

Before Damon could answer, his phone started ringing. He sighed and pulled it out of his pocket. "What?"

"Can you and Buffy meet us at Whitmore hospital?" Stefan asked.

"What's going on?"

"We've got a problem."

"When don't we? Fine. We're on our way." Damon hung up. "We're needed at the hospital."

"We don't get to eat?" Buffy asked.

"Thank god for to-go cups full of some yummy B pos." Damon handed her one of the cups and they headed out the door, locking up behind them.

Stefan met them outside. "What's going on?" Buffy asked as they headed into the hospital.

"Caroline went to Duke to see about a man that has the same cancer as her mom. His name is Colin. She wanted to talk to his doctors about their findings and show them her mom's charts." Stefan said.

"Is it good news?"

"No. She fed Colin some of her blood and he seemed to be doing fine until he showed up on her doorstep this morning."

"Why didn't she compel him to forget?" Damon asked.

"She did. He showed up as a vampire."

Jo and Elena were in there waiting in a darkened room. They were staring at an X-ray on the board. "I had Duke send over Colin's medical records. This head scan is from earlier this week." Jo said before placing another scan on the board. "This one was taken right here ten minutes ago. See all that red?"

"Well, I'm no doctor but that guy is screwed." Damon said.

"So the blood didn't heal him, it sped up his cancer and killed him." Stefan said.

"So now, I have a stage 10 cancer patient." Jo said "Which, by the way, doesn't exist. Who is beyond terminally ill and a vampire, meaning all of his emotions are heightened and he can't die."

"Hey, no offense, but could someone tell me why my wife and I were called down here to listen to the story of Colin the Cancer Vamp?" Damon asked.

"Because Caroline fed me her blood last night." Liz said from the doorway. "So the same thing is gonna happen to me." Caroline was standing behind her mother looking like she was ready to crawl under a rock.

Buffy looked at Liz and gave her a quick hug. "I'm sure Jo will figure something out."

"Let's get you to a room." Jo said, leading Caroline and Liz down the hall. Elena, who was working at the hospital that day, followed them.

As soon as they were down the hall, Buffy turned to Stefan. "What is the matter with you?"

"Did you know that Caroline was going to give her mom vampire blood?" Damon asked.

"Yeah, I was there when it healed Colin." Stefan said.

"And then you left and he died."

"Caroline had every reason to think it would work."

"But you didn't, Stefan." Buffy said. "You're 167 years old. You worked as a paramedic at hospitals…."

"So that makes me an expert in supernatural cancer-treatment?"

"No, but you're old enough to know that you should've done a little more research. Or, I don't know, waited a day."

"Because you were thinking so rationally when Damon died."

"I was rational enough to stay in bed until you gave up."

Stefan sighed and shook his head. "Buffy, her mother is terminal. You didn't see the hope in her eyes when she thought that maybe her mother didn't have to die."

"I don't have to see it, Stefan. I've been there. I know that there is no magic out there that is going to fix cancer. If there was, then my mother would still be alive."

Caroline cleared her throat from the doorway. "Um, Jo has an idea." She said.

Buffy sighed and walked over to her. "Let's take a walk. Just you and me." Caroline nodded and walked with Buffy down the hallway. "Look, I'm sorry."

"No, you're right. You've been here. You know what's coming."

"I don't. Really. There may be a miracle cure out there."

"But it's not magical. I should've listened to everyone. Willow, Tara, you, Stefan…. You all said that vampire blood doesn't cure cancer. I screwed up. Big time. Why did I feed her that blood?"

"You were trying to help."

"No, I was trying to fix something that I had no business trying to fix. It's like textbook definition of control freak from Hell."

"You're an optimist. You want to believe that anything is possible. And believe me, Caroline, that is exactly what your mom needs to hear right now." Buffy wrapped Caroline into a tight hug. "So, what is Jo's idea?"

"She, uh…. She wants to do a complete blood transfusion. Get the vampire blood out of her system."

"That's smart. That's really good."

"Can we get some coffee?"

"Are you sure you don't need something a little stronger?"

"I'm not walking around the hospital with a cup of bourbon, Buffy."

"I meant something a little more red."

"Oh. No, I'm ok right now."

"Ok. Let's go get some good coffee. Your mom is going to be getting that transfusion for a while, so we've got time to leave and get Starbucks."

* * *

><p>Buffy and Caroline made their way back into the hospital a while later. As they headed to Liz's room to see how the transfusion was going, they heard a commotion coming from a room near them. Caroline looked over at Buffy and said, "That's Colin's room." She and Buffy rushed into the room and found Colin stabbing himself in the chest with a metal bar.<p>

"I can't die." Colin pulled the bar from his chest and dropped it on the floor as Buffy shut the door behind her. "Why can't I die?"

"Calm down." Buffy said. "It's ok."

"It's not ok! I'm in agony. I can hear my tumors growing!"

"Ok, we'll try to help, but just please stop hurting yourself." Caroline said.

Colin tried to vamp over to Caroline and grab her, but Buffy was suddenly in front of her and blocking him. He grabbed Buffy's shoulders instead and cried, "You wanna help me? Help me die."

Buffy heard Damon come in and wasn't surprised when he appeared behind a collapsing Colin holding his heart. "Why the hell did you do that?" Caroline cried.

"He made a wish, I granted it." Damon said.

"God."

"The blood transfusion didn't work. So you didn't just kill him, Blondie."

"Damon!" Buffy snapped.

"No, it's fine." Caroline said. "You know, he's just saying what everyone else is thinking. I killed my mom." She ran out of the room, slamming the door behind her.

Buffy looked up at her husband. "I know that you're upset about this whole thing, but Liz is Caroline's _mom_. You can't be that insensitive."

"I'm sorry. I wasn't thinking." Buffy wrapped herself in Damon's arms. He kissed the top of her head. "Are you ok? I know this is all hitting close to home."

"It's hard, but I'm worried about Caroline. I know the feelings she going through and they're overwhelming." She pulled back enough to look up at her husband. "So the transfusion didn't work?"

"No. It didn't even slow it down."

"I'm going to go sit with Liz."

"Elena is in there with her now."

"Ok. Would you mind going out and getting some good food for Liz? The hospital food is going to get old really quick."

"Of course." Damon leaned down and kissed her, letting his lips linger for a long moment.

Buffy watched him go and then headed to Liz's room. Elena was leaning against the wall beside the door and she gave Buffy a tight hug as soon as the blonde walked in. "Hey." Buffy said.

"What are we going to tell her?" Elena asked.

"The truth. It's really no good lying to her."

Elena shook her head. "I forgot you know firsthand what they're going through."

Buffy shrugged. "It's not exactly the same situation." Liz began to stir in her bed and Buffy and Elena walked over to stand next to her. "Hey."

"Hey." Liz said weakly.

"How are you feeling?" Elena asked.

"Like a human pin-cushion. So, what's the verdict? Did the blood-swap work?"

Buffy sighed and shook her head. "It, uh…. It didn't work. I'm so sorry, Liz."

"How's Caroline?"

"How do you think? She just took off."

"She's not gonna forgive herself for this, is she?"

"She will. I'll make sure she will. When my mom got sick, I would've done the exact same thing. I'm going to give her some time to cool off and then I'll go find her and bring her back."

"Thank you."

* * *

><p>Buffy and Elena were sitting with Liz chatting about anything that came up and eating ice cream that Elena had brought them. It had been about an hour since Damon had left to get food. Buffy couldn't think what was taking him until he walked in the room with a very awake Kai.<p>

"Damon, what the hell!?" Buffy asked, standing up and moving to attack Kai.

"Don't!" Damon held his hands up, stepping in front of Kai. "He's here to help."

"I do not see how he would _ever_ be able to help anything."

"Look, he sucks up magic. That's what's wrong with Liz. Magic. He can suck it out of her."

Buffy turned her attention to Kai. "Why?"

"Didn't you say that you liked reformed psychopaths?" Kai asked. "This is just me trying to help."

"Apparently you still missed the part where I'm married."

Kai smirked at Buffy's left hand and the new rings she was wearing. "Nice rings." He walked over to the sink and started washing his hands.

"Damon…." Elena started.

"He swears this will work." Damon said.

"All right. I need a 12-gauge needle, stat. I don't know what I'm gonna do with it, but I need it."

"Stop playing games, Kai. I will rip your head off if you screw this up." Buffy snapped.

"What she said." Damon agreed. "So do your stupid little magic-suction trick and suck the magic out of her. Right now."

"I get what you two see in each other. It's very dys-FUN-ctional." Kai laughed as he dried his hands. "See what I did? Stressing the 'fun' in dysfunctional…."

"Just get on with it, Kai." Liz snapped. "Listening to you talk makes me wanna die."

"That's good." Kai put one hand on Liz's arm, the other on her cheek, and began sucking the magic from her.

"Is it working?"

"I have no idea." Elena said.

Jo walked in just then and stopped in horror. "What the hell is going on? What is he doing here?"

"Hey, sis." Kai said. "Little busy. Be with you in a jiffy."

"Buffy?" Jo asked.

"We're gonna let Damon explain." Buffy said. She wasn't happy with him pulling this little stunt. Even if it did save Liz's life. She grabbed her husband's arm and led him to the door. "Elena, keep an eye on him." Outside in the hallway, Buffy shut the door and said, "I need to go get Caroline. She needs to be here. You get to explain to Jo your completely insane idea."

"Buffy…." Damon started.

"Don't. I'm really not happy with you right now." Buffy walked away from Damon and Jo and left the hospital.

* * *

><p>Caroline was browsing flowers in the Whitmore flower shop. Buffy had gotten Tara to do a quick locater spell. She walked up behind Caroline and the taller blonde turned around. "Good, you're here. I actually need a second opinion. I kind of like this because sunflowers are her favorite flower, but at the same time, I was also thinking maybe they're a little too over-the-top cheerful for a memorial service." She walked over to a display of roses. "So this was the second option, um, because roses are classic, right? I mean, especially in this shade of pink. Obviously, I would change out the vase, but…. Caroline looked over at Buffy. "If you're thinking of saying something to make me feel better, don't. I don't deserve to feel better."<p>

"I wasn't going to say anything."

"Good."

"Actually, that's a lie. I was going to tell you that you have more important things to do than plan a memorial service for your mother. Who, for the record, is still alive."

"Yeah, but all of this still needs to be done, right? She's not gonna want to live out the rest of her life as a vampire in excruciating pain. So I should do something that I'm good at, instead of making everything worse. Which arrangement?"

Buffy reached out and gripped Caroline's shoulders. "You took a risk that didn't pay off, but you did it out of love. You made your mother sicker, but you're plan can't be to just go bury your head in the sand."

"I don't…. I don't know what to say to her."

"You don't have to say anything to her. Just sit with her."

"I can't. I can't even face her."

"I get it. I do. But I can tell you that if I'd known that our time together was so limited…. I would've spent as much time with my mother as possible. Every moment counts. Even the boring ones where all you do is sit in the hospital room eating gross hospital food and watching cheesy soap operas."

"What if she can't forgive me?"

"There isn't anything to forgive. She just wants you to be with her." Buffy held out her hand to Caroline and waited. After a moment, Caroline sighed and took her hand. "Good choice." As they got into Buffy's car, she looked over at Caroline. "I was also going to tell you that Damon came up with a plan to keep Liz around for a while longer."

"What do you mean?"

"I'm not too happy with him about it, just so we're clear."

"What is it?"  
>"He woke Kai up and when I left, Kai was sucking the magic out of your mom."<p>

"What?! Is he crazy?"

"Well, Jo said that it was the magic from the vampire blood speeding everything up, so he got someone who sucks magic to…."

"My mom is with a psychopath? Drive!"

They made it to the hospital in record time and ran upstairs. From Liz's room they could hear the steady noise of a flatlined heart monitor and Elena crying. Buffy and Caroline ran in. Caroline rushed to her mom's side crying, "No, no! Mom, mom! Mom, mommy! No, mom, no. Don't leave me, please. Please, no. Please don't leave me, mom."

Buffy grabbed Damon's arm. "What happened!? What did Kai do?"

"He…." Damon started.

Suddenly, Liz woke up and her heart monitor started beeping again. "Mom?" Caroline said.

"It's ok, baby, I'm right here." Liz said weakly.

"Mom!"

"Ohh, it's ok. I'm right here. I'm right here, baby. It's ok, it's ok."

Elena turned and walked out of the room. Buffy pulled Damon after her and he shut the door behind them, leaving Caroline and Liz alone together.

"I need some air or some water or something." Elena said.

"What happened in there?" Buffy asked.

"She almost died in my arms. Caroline's mom almost died in my arms." Elena shook her head. "Kai sucked the magic out and he said that her heart couldn't take it. She…. Her heart…. It failed…."

"You did good, Elena." Buffy said, hugging her tightly.

"I really need some air."

"Ok." Buffy watched Elena walk down the hall and then turned to Damon.

"I'm sorry." Damon said.

"What you did was stupid and reckless and it almost got Liz killed."

"I know. I didn't mean for that to happen."

"Seriously, Damon, you have _got_ to start thinking these things through. You can't just release psycho killers. Where is he, anyway?"

Damon sighed and looked down. "He pulled a disappearing act and broke my neck." Suddenly he looked up. "I was with Jo when that happened. It was just after you left."

"Rick's gonna kill you if his girlfriend is dead." Buffy said, moving past Damon and down the hall. He followed her and they started asking if anyone had seen Jo. They finally found her in the park across the street. She was holding an unconscious Luke in her arms and sobbing while Kai lay a few feet away, also unconscious.

"Luke. Luke, wake up. Luke." Jo cried.

"Good. You're still alive. That's gonna save me a huge blowout with Rick when he gets back." Damon said to her. "We are definitely coming into something late."

"Luke showed up and he merged with Kai."

"Huh. So I guess adding the words 'twin merge' to my vocabulary was pointless, 'cause they ain't twins."

"Damon!" Buffy said, kneeling down next to Luke.

"He's not supposed to be here." Jo looked up at Damon. "The only reason he's here is because you let Kai out!" She looked back down at Luke and brushed his hair out of his face. "Luke. Luke, wake up. Wake up, Luke."

"What if I gave him some of my blood?" Buffy offered.

"It wouldn't help. It's up to them now. Whoever wakes up is the winner. And whoever doesn't…." Luke suddenly took a breath and opened his eyes. "Can you hear me? Can you hear me?" Luke's eyes fluttered shut and he stopped breathing. "Oh, my God. Luke. He's gone. He saved me and he's gone."

"You win some, you lose some." Kai said behind Damon. "Except for me. I always win." Damon moved toward Kai, but Kai disappeared.

Buffy sighed and stood up. "What now?"

"What do you mean?"

"He just did a merge with someone who isn't his twin and he obviously won, so what happens now?"

"I don't…." Jo shook her head. "I don't know."


	122. Chapter 120

Chapter 120

Caroline walked into the room where Buffy was setting up the cake table. She was on the phone with her mother again. "Mom, I'm not calling to check up on you, ok? I'm just about to start making Bonnie's birthday cake and want to make sure that your recipe called for 3 eggs instead of 4, right?" Buffy looked down at the cake that was already made. "All right. I'm just a phone call away in case you need any…. Bye."

"Caroline, I know you want to control the uncontrollable situation, but you're going to drive your mother over the edge with the hovering." Buffy said.

"I'm not hovering."

"Says the girl who just called her mom for the third time in an hour."

Caroline joined Buffy at the table and let out a gasp when she saw Miss Cuddles. "Is it just me, or do her eyes follow you around the room?"

"It's definitely you."

"I haven't seen Miss Cuddles in 12 years."

"You know that's the bear Bonnie sent back from 1994, right? Damon said she was really excited about it. I guess she lost the original."

"No. She didn't lose her. I took her. Yeah. When Bonnie and I were little, we got in this huge fight, so to get back at her, I bearnapped Miss Cuddles, and then I didn't want my mom to come home and find out, so then I buried her in the woods. I even left some M&M's to mark the spot where I left her, but something must have eaten them."

"Well, I'm pretty sure that Bonnie is over it by now."

"Miss Cuddles isn't. She's out there all alone like Bonnie. You know what? I'm gonna go find her."

"I'm sorry…. You're gonna what?"

"Yeah. It's Bonnie's birthday."

"Time out. Caroline, you've been going through a lot. Do you think that maybe you're just a little confused about what you're actually upset about?"

"Yes, probably, but my mom's dying, and my best friend is stuck in an alternate universe, and her bear is in a hole in the woods, and there's only one of those things that I can do anything about."

Caroline started to leave, but Stefan and Elena walked in together. "Where are you going?" Elena asked.

"To find Miss Cuddles."

"She's right there." Stefan said.

"The real Miss Cuddles. The one that belongs to this day and age."

"You're going to traipse through the woods to find a bear you buried ages ago?" Elena asked.

"Yes." Caroline headed for the door.

Buffy waved at Stefan and Elena. "Go with her, please. Make sure she doesn't completely lose it out there."

"Got it." Elena took her coat from Stefan and they headed out after Caroline.

Buffy headed into the kitchen and began arranging the cupcakes again. She decided against mixing the flavors together and started organizing them so each flavor was together. Caroline wasn't the only one that was upset and fidgety. She heard Damon come in behind her a few minutes later and she tried not to sigh. She was still upset with him for what he'd done with Kai. It had killed Luke and it had almost killed Liz.

"It looks good." Damon said, standing behind her. "I like the color coordination." He put his arms around her and rested his hands on the counter.

"Thank you." Buffy said.

"Do you think we can sneak one before the party?"

"Caroline might kill us."

"It might be worth the risk." He kissed her shoulder, but she didn't give him the usual reaction of leaning back into him. He sighed. "Buffy, how many times do I have to say I'm sorry?"

"You don't need to say it anymore because I know you are." Buffy turned around, but Damon didn't move his arms. She was trapped.

"Then why the cold shoulder?"

"I'm not giving you the cold shoulder, I'm just…. I'm still upset. Kai is on the loose and he's powerful."

"Because of me."

"Yes."

"I was just trying to help."

"I know."

"Willow wasn't here to do the voodoo and I didn't want to see Liz go out that way."

"I know. I didn't either." She sighed. "Look, maybe it's taking me so long to not be upset about this is because it's gotten mixed in with all of the upset that I was already feeling. Everything with Liz…. It's really digging up things that I thought I'd buried a long time ago."

Damon wrapped his arms around her and pulled her to him. "I'm sorry. I'm such an insensitive jerk and I still have no idea why you married me."

Buffy laughed against his chest. "Because despite your jerkiness, I love you and I don't want anyone else."

He leaned down and kissed her, lifting her up to sit her on the counter. Reaching over, he grabbed one of the cupcakes and unwrapped it. "Here," He held it up to her and she took a bite, closing her eyes at how good it tasted. Damon took a bite himself and then smiled at her. She had a bit of frosting on the side of her mouth.

"What?"

"You've got a little…." Damon leaned in a licked the frosting off before kissing her deeply, stepping between her legs and sliding her to the edge of the counter.

"Damon…." She breathed, pressing against him.

"Hello?" A very unwelcome voice called from the hallway.

Buffy and Damon froze. "No." She growled. "Just…. No. Why would he…."

"He didn't. He's all merged, he's packed, and he's on his way to _Portland_!"

"Woo!" Kai appeared in the doorway. "I forgot how massive this house was." He gasped. "Oh yum! Cupcakes! Sorry am I interrupting something?"

"What are you doing here?"

"Funniest thing…." Kai pointed at Buffy. "I need your help."

Damon stepped back and Buffy slid off the counter. "No." She said.

"Please?"

"It must be nice in your world where you can kill people and destroy lives and think that because we had a chat while you were torturing me that we're buddy buddy enough for you to ask favors of me."

"But this is a good thing. I promise." Kai took a cupcake. "You're gonna like it."

"What?" Damon snapped.

"I need you to deliver a letter to Jo."

Buffy and Damon exchanged looks as Kai went to sit on the kitchen table. "I'm sorry, what?" Buffy asked.

"I need you…."

"No. I heard that part. Why would we give your letter to Jo?"

"I haven't been able to find her using a locater spell. And, you know, good on her cause under normal circumstances I'd be super jazzed to gouge out her belly button."

"I'm going back to: why would I help you?"

"Well, cause if you haven't figured it out by now, I'm a sociopath. I know, shocker. I like being a sociopath, you know? I'm not burdened by things like guilt or love. So then this merge happened with my brother Luke and I won…. Which is great…. Because I absorbed his ability to do magic…. But now I can't stop thinking about how he died. How Liv's life is just ruined. And for some horrible reason I can't shake how badly I feel about it."

"Let me get this straight. You feel bad?"

"Yeah. So when I absorbed Luke's magic I must've gotten some of his qualities or something. Like empathy. So I Googled 'how to process emotional pain' and they said if you write everything down in a letter and burn it, you'll be healed. So I started writing and this water literally started pooling in my eyes…. Does that ever happen to you? Like, water's just oozing out of my eyeballs like…. Like I'm some alien creature excreting fluids."

"That's called crying. You cried."

"Yes! And after that was done, I burned the letter, but the feelings…. Whoop…. They're still there. So I really feel strongly that Jo needs to know how sorry I am for destroying our family. But let's face it guys, all right, I mean Buffy…. You of all people should be willing to look past all the questionable things I've done to see that there's…. There's good somewhere in me. You did it with Damon."

"Ok, I think we're done here." Damon said, moving to pull Buffy out of the kitchen.

"Actually…." Buffy leveled her gaze at Kai. "There's something you can do for us…. In exchange for giving Jo your letter."

"Good! Yes! What? I'm in! Whatever it is."

"Bonnie."

Kai blinked. "Ok. What about her?"

"We want her back."

"Well…. Um…. I destroyed the Ascendant. Another thing to feel bad about. Thanks."

"Actually, Elena and I have been working on that." Buffy turned and headed out of the kitchen with Damon just behind her. Kai jumped up and followed them to the dining room. Buffy grabbed a box from one of the bookshelves and took the Ascendant out.

Kai took it and began to inspect it. "Sad attempt at iron welding."

"We at least tried to fix it. I never said it was going to perfect."

Kai opened it and a couple of parts fell off. "I can't bring Bonnie back with this."

"And here I was thinking you were the all powerful leader of the Gemini coven now."

"I destroyed this so that it couldn't be used again."

"Well, can we use that hunk of junk to send a message?" Damon asked.

"This?" Kai held up the sad looking Ascendant.

"It is her birthday."

"It is?"

"Yeah. It's really sad. I mean, poor Bon Bon, getting all dressed up for a party that no one's even going to show up to. I wonder if she even knows that it is her birthday or do all the days just blend into one vast sea of misery…. I wonder…."

Kai took a moment and then looked back at the Ascendant. "One of the crowned wheels survived. That's a positive. Plus I am mega-powerful."

"Yeah."

"What do you want to say?"

"Well, I mean, Bonnie needs magic to get out. We just need to tell her where to find some."

"Ok." Kai clapped his hands excitedly. "I need a space to work and you two need to figure out where there's magic in 1994."

* * *

><p>Buffy shook her head as she walked back into the dining room. Kai had spread out on the pool table and was working on the Ascendant. Damon was at the drink cart behind him pouring some bourbon for himself. "Apparently Caroline is officially having a bit of a break down in the woods. I'm glad Stefan and Elena are with her."<p>

"What's wrong?" Damon asked.

"She decided earlier that she needs to find the Miss Cuddles of this world and she's having trouble locating the spot where she buried her in the woods."

"What will finding Miss Cuddles solve?"

"Nothing. Did you miss the part where she's having a break down? She's about due for it, really."

"Did you tell them what we're doing?"

"Nope. Caroline needs support. I'll let Elena and Stefan handle it for right now." Buffy put her phone back in her pocket. "Ok, so we know that Jo stored her magic in a hunting knife. Bonnie sent hers over with Miss Cuddles. What are we not thinking of?"

"I'll give you a hint. Scorned lover."

"Katherine?"

"Older."

"Silas."

"Hotter."

Buffy grinned. "Well, I just can't think of anyone hotter than Silas."

"Ew."

She laughed and leaned against the doorframe as Damon walked over to her. "Hmm…. Tessa."

Damon pointed at her. "Yes! Her blood is on Silas' headstone. It's filled with magic. So in Bonnie-land that means on an island off Nova Scotia is a big magical battery waiting to be tapped. We just need to remind Bonnie of that."

"What reminded you?"

"I was just gonna plan a trip there. Change of scenery, you know. There's only so much you can take of Mystic Falls on repeat. But then I changed my mind and went to Sunnydale."

"Oh thank god!" Kai cried. "You two? Together? Still totally revolting to me! Finally a familiar feeling. Luke didn't take me over completely."

Jeremy walked into the room behind Buffy. "What the hell is he doing here?"

Kai looked up at him with a grin. "Hi."

Buffy turned to Jeremy. "Kai is helping us."

"Kai doesn't help. He just destroys."

"Well, yes, but he's…. changed."

"People don't just change like that."

"People usually don't merge with their siblings either." Damon said.

"Uh, for the record, I would've been fine with any of Luke's qualities." Kai said. "You know, the hair…. The whole gay thing…. You know, maybe not the height, actually."

Jeremy looked at Buffy. "You seriously buy this?"

"I'm not saying that we have to like him…. I hate him, actually…. But if there's a way to tell Bonnie how she can get out of that place…."

"We should trust a guy that changed personalities overnight?"

"Think of it like…." Kai glanced at Buffy. "Her in reverse. You know, she was this beacon for all that was good. A Vampire Slayer. Then she met Lexi and Lexi brought her here and she met Damon and slowly slipped into his world of…." He stopped to think of the right term. "Terrible horribleness," He said with a bright smile before shrugging. "She stopped caring about right and wrong and then she became an undead blood vacuum."

Buffy shook her head. "That's not what happened."

"Hmm…. I'm sure I missed a detail or two, but I'm just paraphrasing what Damon told me in the prison world."

"Speaking of, there's a witch over there we'd like to save, so why don't you get your Gemini jumper cables and fix that thing?" Damon snapped.

Kai shrugged. "Ok." Buffy's phone began ringing and she pulled it out. She turned and walked away suddenly. Kai looked at Damon. "Does she have a secret lover?"

"Of course not." Damon snapped. He looked at Jeremy. "Keep an eye on him."

Buffy was standing in the library talking on the phone when he found her a few minutes later. "I'm glad you're ok." She was saying.

"I am too." Rebekah said with her new voice.

"I'm sorry I haven't been there to help."

"You've got a life of your own to live. I wouldn't expect you to leave it to be with this…. Insane family."

"You're not that bad, really. To be honest, Jeremy is about done with high school. Elena doesn't need any help. Damon and I are getting antsy to try and start our lives again."

"You do seem to get interrupted at every turn."

"You're not lying." Buffy sighed. "How is Elijah doing?"

"I'm not sure. Nik is going to call him soon so we can all talk. I thought I should warn you as well…. My sister is back."

Buffy had to think a moment. "Freya? The one that's supposed to be dead? Boy, your family has never learned the definition of dead."

"Neither have you."

"Touché."

"If she's alive, does that mean your psycho aunt who took her is too?"

"I don't know."

"That's probably something you need to find out. And soon. If she goes after Hope…."

"I know."

"So what does your sister want?"

"I don't know that either. She said she would be paying a visit to my brothers soon. She's powerful, though."

"I'm starting to think that maybe I shouldn't have left."

"I'm starting to think that maybe we should tell Willow about Hope."

"That is the absolute last resort." Klaus said in the background. "Too many people know about her already."

"Willow is certainly more powerful than Finn and she's probably more powerful than Freya. If we need her…."

"Then I will contact Buffy myself and give her permission. Until then, Hope stays a secret."

Jeremy walked in behind Buffy and Damon. "Hey, the freak says he's got it."

Buffy turned to look at him. "We're coming. Rebekah, I've got to go. Keep me updated on everything?"

"Of course." Rebekah said.

Buffy said her goodbyes and hung up. "Did you hear all of that?" She asked Damon.

"I heard enough." Damon said.

"If we need to…."

"Then we'll go help." He smiled slightly. "In the few years that I've known you, I've become such a sap. You've got me willing to jump in to help the baby of a guy I hated not that long ago."

Buffy shook her head and placed her hands on either side of his face, rubbing his cheeks with her thumbs. "I don't think you're a sap. You're still the same Damon I fell in love with. I saw past that guy you pretended to be and right to the guy you really are. And slowly, you've realized that it's ok for everyone else to see him, too." She lifted up on tiptoe and kissed him gently. "Come on, let's go save Bonnie."

"Ugh, finally. You two done making out?" Kai said as Buffy and Damon walked back in. Damon blew Kai a kiss and wrapped an arm around Buffy's waist. Kai made a face and shook his head. "Ew. So I can't send us back physically, but I can probably send a part of us back."

"Probably?" Buffy asked.

"You remember that movie 'Ghost'? Ok. Well, Bonnie's gonna be Demi Moore because she's the alive one obviously, and, uh, we'll all be a collective Patrick Swayze, the ghost. By the way, how much does that suck about Patrick Swayze?"

"Will she be able to us or not?"

"I don't know. I've never done this before. So let's all just take a deep breath, right, close our eyes, and…." Everyone closed their eyes as Kai began to chant.

A wind kicked up and then suddenly died. "What happened to the pool table?"

"Bonnie?" Jeremy said as Bonnie walked into the room and sat down at the dining room table. "Bonnie! She can't hear me."

Damon ran his hand through the glasses on the drink car. "And we can't touch anything either. Nice spell, Kai." In front of Bonnie on the table were pictures from a Polaroid that she and Damon had taken. There were some drawings of Buffy that she'd taken down off the walls. Damon walked up behind her and watched her pour herself a glass of bourbon. "No."

"What?" Buffy asked.

"That bottle of bourbon is the oldest one in the house. We made a pact if we couldn't take being trapped here alone for one more day we'd…. We'd kill that entire bottle. Then we'd kill ourselves."

Buffy, Damon, and Jeremy gasped and opened their eyes. They were laying on the floor of their present day house. "What happened?" Buffy asked. "Why are we back?"

"I don't know." Kai said. "Spell must require too much magic. I lost my connection."

"Then reconnect." Damon snapped.

"It's not that easy." Kai pointed to his bleeding nose. "You see this blood? I'm guessing that's not a good sign."

"Bonnie is going to kill herself?" Buffy asked.

"Can she do that?" Jeremy asked. "Can she die in the prison world?"

"I couldn't." Kai said. "Of course, it was my own personal solitary confinement. Didn't want me to end my sentence early by killing myself. Ooh! I tried every method in the book. Heh…. I drove down to D.C. because there was this museum that has an actual guillotine…."

"We get it. For whoever's not lucky enough to be you, dead means dead."

"We have to send her a message somehow." Buffy said.

"How? She couldn't hear us."

"The message is already there in the atlas." Damon said. "I scribbled some notes on Nova Scotia. We just have to get her to see it."

"How do we open an atlas we can't touch?" Buffy asked.

"We need to get Kai to crank up his witchy-woo, don't we, so we can make physical contact."

"All while sending the three of you back over there?" Kai asked. "Sure. Yeah. Hey. Why don't I reanimate your dead parents for a tea party while I'm at it?" He paused. "Sorry. Insensitive."

"What if you just send me back?" Jeremy asked.

"That might work. Focus all of my magic on one person. It might be enough of a boost that you could physically interact if I can hold the spell."

"And if you can't?" Buffy asked.

"The magic overwhelms me, and I can't pull Jeremy out. He'll be stuck over there for eternity."

"Don't." Jeremy said before Buffy could say anything to him. "Don't say anything. If I can get through to her, we save Bonnie's life. If not…. At least I'll be with her when she dies."

Buffy looked over at Damon. She would've done the same thing for him. "Fine. But Kai…. If he doesn't come back, I'm making your life a living hell."

"Here's hoping he comes back." Kai said, laughing nervously.

Damon sighed and walked out of the room. Buffy waited a moment as Kai started the spell and then turned to go after Damon. He was standing in their room at the window looking out over the gardens. "You never told me that you and Bonnie had a death pact."

"It was my idea. I thought of it after we watched 'The Bodyguard' for the billionth time." Buffy wrapped her arms around his waist, laying her head on his shoulder blade. "I never thought she'd go through with it." He reached over and picked up the bottle of bourbon that was older in this time than it was in Bonnie's. Apparently he'd gone down to the cellar and gotten it before coming up here. "Our suicide bourbon. Bonnie and I made a pact we'd drink this together. That's what I'm gonna do." He popped it open and took a long sip.

Buffy took the bottle from him and held it out. "To you, Bonnie." She took a long drink herself and gave a little shudder. "Whew, that's strong."

Damon chuckled. "It's old and never been opened."

"This might actually get me drunk."

He took the bottle back. "You're not going to drink the whole thing."

"I'm not going to need to."

"Then we'll get drunk together."

Suddenly downstairs, Jeremy yelled, "No! What are you doing?" The smell of blood hit Buffy and Damon. They exchanged glances and rushed to the door only to hit a barrier.

"What the…." Buffy smashed her fist against the barrier to no avail.

There was a loud crash downstairs followed by Kai saying, "Dang, sis. That was harsh."

"Shut up!" Liv yelled. Kai started to yell in pain. Liv started to chant, but she let out a yelp.

Kai started to laugh. "It's all coming back to me, Livvie poo. You know, the charge….

"Stop it, Kai!"

"That races through your bones…."

"Stop it!"

"At the prospect of watching someone burn to death? I really missed that feeling."

"Just kill me, Kai. You already killed my best friend. So just do it. Get it over with."

"Oh good, a witch with a death wish." Buffy groaned.

"Why can't I do this? I don't care about you." Kai said. "Why can't I kill you? Come on. Kai, do it. Do it. Come on! Kill her!"

Liv said something in Latin and Kai groaned loudly. "What the hell is happening?" Damon asked.

"Apparently Liv is trying to kill Kai."

"Jeremy! Jeremy!" Damon yelled.

"Shh…." Buffy said.

"Kai! Get out here!" Liv yelled.

"She's right below us." Damon said.

"You can't hide from me!"

Damon walked over to the fireplace and began kicking the back wall. "What are you doing?" Buffy demanded.

He grabbed the bottle of old bourbon. "I said I was saving this for something special." He dropped the bottle down the fireplace and listened as it exploded below them. The sound of a body hitting the floor made Buffy turn to the doorway. The boundary spell was down. She and Damon rushed down to try and find Jeremy and Kai. Liv was unconscious on the library floor. They finally found a bloody and unconscious Kai on the kitchen floor across from an unconscious Jeremy.

"Jeremy. Wake up." Buffy said, going to Jeremy.

Damon went to Kai and slapped hit cheeks. "Kai, hey! Damn it!" He bit into his wrist and fed Kai some of his blood. Kai woke up and with him Jeremy opened his eyes.

"I'm ok." Jeremy said.

"Bonnie, is she…." Buffy asked.

"I saw her. Sh-she's gonna be ok."

Buffy and Damon both breathed a sigh of relief.

* * *

><p>Buffy stared at the cake sitting on the table. It had been nearly destroyed in the fight between Liv and Kai. Tyler had come and taken Liv away after Damon had healed her. Kai had actually felt bad for everything that had happened. He'd actually offered to help clean up, but Buffy had kicked him out. It was dark outside now. Stefan and Elena had taken Caroline home.<p>

"I don't think Bonnie would want us to let cake go to waste." Jeremy said, walking up next to her.

"I might be able to salvage a piece if you're interested. I'll just have to pick out the shards of glass and wood…. And then find a blood free slice." Buffy said.

"You know, I get it. I get what she was going through, why she would want to end it, feeling trapped and alone. Every day is the same…. disappointment, misery. You go to sleep and wake up and do it all over again? But she's not the only one that's trapped."

"Jeremy, I know what you've been going through."

"Don't tell me I've got to be strong."

"God no. I get tired of hearing that, too. Actually, I was gonna say 'it's ok to move on'. Bonnie decided to save herself and from what you told me I think she wants you to do the same. Go to art school. Damon and I will help you. Just…. Find the life that you want and be happy."

"What about you?"

"Don't even worry about me. Once you find your happy ending, Damon and I will finally find our way in this thing called marriage, so when you come home for your first summer break we'll be the vampire versions of Ricky and Lucy. You just get out of here…. And don't look back."

"Thank you, Buffy." Jeremy said, giving her a tight hug before heading into the kitchen to dig his application out of the trash.

"So Jer's applying to art school." Damon said behind her from the dining room. He was leaning against the pool table. "Hmm. Might want to compel him a decent portfolio because he ain't that great."

"Don't be mean. He needs to move on with his life."

"So do we." Buffy walked up to Damon and he set his drink down. "You think we'll get to once baby Gilbert goes off to art school?"

"I think I really hope so." She lifted up onto her toes and kissed Damon. A frantic knock on the door interrupted them. Buffy used her super-vamp speed to be at the door between one heartbeat and the next. "Cami?!"

"I'm sorry." Cami said, holding Hope in her arms. "Elijah and Klaus said that if anything ever happened, I was to come to you. Klaus gave me your address."

"Come in." Buffy looked around the yard to make sure there was no one unwanted there before shutting and locking the door.

"What's going on?" Damon asked.  
>"I don't know." Cami handed Hope to Buffy and Damon led her over to the couch, handing her his drink. "Hope and I went shopping for some groceries and when we pulled up to the house, the car stopped…. I think Hope did it…. And then the house blew up."<p>

"Wait…. You think Hope stopped the car?" Buffy asked, looking down at the beautiful little baby in her arms.

"I don't know. I just…. Everything in the car died and then the house blew up and it came back on. I know it sounds crazy…."

"Trust me, it's not the craziest thing we've ever heard." Damon said.

"Was Elijah in the house?" Buffy asked.

"I don't know." Cami said. "He's not answering."

"Klaus?"

"I left him a message."

Buffy nodded. "You look like you're about to fall over."

"I am. I drove straight here. I didn't stop."

"Ok. Damon, can you take her up to the guest bedroom? Get some sleep, Cami. I'll keep trying Klaus and Elijah."

"Are you ok with her?"

"Of course." Buffy smiled at Hope and Hope made a happy giggling sound. "Hope and I are great friends. Aren't we?"

"Thank you." Cami followed Damon upstairs.

Buffy bounced Hope lightly, cooing at her. "Let's call your daddy and see what's going on." She reached behind her and fished out her cell phone. Klaus's phone went to voicemail. "Klaus, I'm holding a beautiful little girl who's found her way to my door all the way from Arkansas. Call me back. I need to know what's going on." She called Elijah next, but his went straight to voicemail. If he'd been in the house when it exploded, then his phone would definitely not be working.

Damon came back into the living room. "She's out. Did anyone answer?"

"No. No one."

He sighed. "What are we going to do with a baby and a New Orleans refugee?"

"Well, take care of them until someone gets back with us."

"Do we tell Willow? Get her to cloak Hope? Obviously someone found her and tried to hurt her."

"Klaus doesn't want anyone else to know. Maybe we could tell her that Cami is Hope's family and they both need to be cloaked."

"Shh…." Buffy said.

A moment later, Jeremy walked in. "Buffy, I need…." He stopped when he saw Buffy holding a baby and Damon with an arm wrapped around Buffy's waist. They looked like a couple of doting parents and it was a look that threw Jeremy for a loop. "What…. Did I miss?"

"Oh…. She's not ours."

"Yeah, I didn't think so. Who is she?"

"She's…. our friend Cami's…. niece." Damon said. "Cami just got here from Arkansas. She's upstairs sleeping."

"We volunteered to watch Hope so she can get some rest." Buffy said.

Jeremy gave them a slow blink. "You two with a baby? Are you sure that's a good idea?"

"Hey!" Buffy and Damon protested. Hope let out a loud laugh and Jeremy came over to get a better look.

"She's cute." He said, letting Hope grab his finger. "How long is she staying?"

"Not sure." Buffy said. "We weren't expecting Cami." She hugged Hope to her. "I hope for a little while at least, though."

"Have I met Cami?"

"No." Damon said. "She's from out of town."

"I didn't know you guys knew anyone from Arkansas."

"She's not from Arkansas." Buffy said. "She was just staying there for a while."

"Because of her job." Damon added.

"Ok." Jeremy said.

"So, what did you need?" Buffy asked.

"Huh?"

"You came in here saying, 'Buffy, I need….' but you didn't finish."

"Oh, I need my transcripts to send to the school."

"Ok. We'll get those from your principal when we talk to him about letting you graduate early."

"Thanks. See you later, kid." He wiggled his fingers at Hope and she grinned at him as he walked away, heading upstairs.

Damon looked down at Buffy. "If Hope is going to stay here for any length of time, we need baby stuff."

"Do we have any baby stuff in the attic?" Buffy asked.

He shrugged. "Let's go find out."

Thirty minutes later, Damon had dug out a bassinet and some old toys. He was still looking for a baby blanket and the sheets to go with the bassinet. Buffy was sitting in an old rocking chair, rocking a now sleeping Hope in her arms. Her cell phone began to vibrate and she pulled it out of her pocket.

"Klaus! Finally!" She answered.  
>"How did Hope come to be with you?" He asked.<p>

"Cami showed up at our door with her tonight. She said your Arkansas safe house blew up in front of her. Have you talked to Elijah?"

"Not yet."

"Cami thinks he was in the house when it blew. What's going on, Klaus?"

"Finn knows about Hope. He went after her."

"How did he find her?"

"He was channeling my parents which gave him massive amounts of power. He broke through the wards and cloaks on the house and Hope."

Buffy took a deep breath and looked down at the sleeping baby in her arms. "What do you want to do, here, Klaus?"

Klaus was silent for a long moment. "I can't bring her home. Not yet. Hayley is marrying Jackson soon and when she does, we'll have an army to protect Hope."

"What do you mean?"

"It's a werewolf thing. Two alphas get married and anyone in their pack gains their power. Hayley is offering her powers as a hybrid to turn at will. There've been a great number of wolves that have pledged their loyalty to them. When they get married, then Hope can come home."

"When's the wedding?"

"Not for another few days."

Buffy nodded. "Hope is safe with Damon and I. We'll get Willow to make sure she's cloaked."

"You can't tell…."

"Willow is going to need an explanation. You can trust her, Klaus. She won't do anything to hurt Hope. You're going to tell the world in a matter of days that Hope is alive, are you not?"

"Yes."

"Then trust me when I tell you that Willow will keep Hope safe. She's your best chance at it for the next few days."

Klaus was silent again. Buffy could hear the sounds of New Orleans floating in and out as he paced from his balcony back into his room and then back to his balcony again. "Very well. Tell Willow and have her put her most powerful cloaking spell on my daughter. Send Cami home. I'll call you with updates and when to deliver Hope home."

"Klaus."

"Yes, Buffy?"

"You know Hope is safe with me, right?"

"It's the reason we told Cami to come to you and only you if anything was to go wrong." Klaus hung up and Buffy set her phone down on the box next to her.

"So, Hope is staying with us for a little while." Damon said. Buffy nodded, smiling slightly down at Hope in her arms. He smiled at the sight of his wife with a baby. "Cool."


	123. Chapter 121

Chapter 121

Buffy and Damon sat in the empty cafeteria with the principal of Mystic Falls High School. Buffy was holding Hope, gently patting her back and cooing at her. Hope was playing with her hair, randomly chewing on it and running her fingers through it.  
>"I had no idea you two were parents." Principal Weber said.<p>

"We're not. This is our friend's daughter. We're taking care of her for a while." Damon said.

"Ok, let's get down to it." Buffy said. "Principal Weber, I know that graduation isn't for a few months, but Jeremy just got accepted into this great art school and…."

"Jeremy Gilbert? I don't think so, not with his academic record." Weber said.

"What exactly is wrong with it?"

"You have a few hours? Let's start with drug use in his freshman year."

"You mean the year that his parents died?" Damon asked.

"Ok. So what's the excuse for the next 3 years of woeful attendance?"

"Extracurricular activities…. health and fitness…. that sort of thing. I mean, did you see how scrawny he used to be?"

"No, but I do recall the 4 months where he faked his own death."

"Funny thing about that, he actually didn't fake it. We went to this island off the coast of Canada in search of this cure for vampirism, and Jeremy…."

"Damon!" Buffy snapped.

"Is this some sort of joke to you?" Weber asked.

"No. Of course not. My husband just chooses the weirdest moments to be funny. Look, Jeremy has had a rough time here, I know, but that's part of the reason why we want him to go."

"Well, I'm sorry, but I can't let that happen."

Damon looked at Buffy. "So can we try this my way now?"

Buffy shrugged. "We already compelled him into art school."

"Ok." Damon clapped his hands and moved to sit next to Weber. He caught the principal's gaze. "Um…. This small-town atmosphere doesn't nurture a creative spirit like Jeremy Gilbert, and it's of your opinion that it's high time for him to get the hell out of Mystic Falls."

Weber nodded. "Jeremy's grades shouldn't be a problem. I can work around them. I'll get the papers drawn up and have him all graduated in about an hour."

"Thank you." Buffy said. She looked down at Hope as Weber walked out. "Don't get any ideas later in life, ok? You need to grow up and graduate high school properly. This is for Jeremy's own good."

"Do you get the sense that Klaus will be a pushover with her?" Damon said. "I mean, all she'll have to do is bat her eyes at him and he'll compel her whatever she wants."

Buffy laughed. "I get the sense that you would definitely be like that as a father. Klaus might end up leaving a trail of bodies."

Damon looked at Buffy seriously. "Do you ever regret becoming a vampire?"

She blinked at him. "That was a topic change."

"Not really. I mean, as a vampire you'll never be able to have kids. I'll never be able to give you kids."

"I told you, I'm fine with that."

"I know, but do you mean it? You're so good with Hope."

"I do mean it. Babies are great, but they turn into teenagers. And I've had my fill of those with Dawn…. and Jeremy and Elena. Eventually Dawn and Jeremy will have babies that we can dote on." She looked down at Hope and cooed, "Just like we dote on you." Hope made a happy sound and shoved another handful of Buffy's hair in her mouth.

* * *

><p>Damon held the Mystic Grill door open for Buffy and Hope. Elena, Jeremy, Matt, and Alaric were supposed to be at the Grill celebrating Jeremy leaving for art school. When they walked in, though, only Jeremy was sitting at the table. Damon walked over and handed Jeremy his diploma and slapped a graduation cap on his head.<p>

"Look who graduated!" He announced.

"He was ok with it?" Jeremy asked.

"Sure. I mean, practically flunking, missed 100 days of school, and you can barely spell the word 'cat', but sure. He was fine with you graduating early."

Buffy rolled her eyes. "We helped the process along. I'm gonna go make Hope a bottle before we head over to get Liz. I think she's hungry. Damon?"

Damon grinned. "Come here, cutie." He took Hope from Buffy and set the diaper bag down on the table. "Uncle Damon has you now."

"Don't bounce her." Buffy called as she headed into the kitchen. "She'll throw up on you again."

"Ruined my favorite shirt, too." Damon shook his head and bounced Hope lightly. "But I don't mind. Aunt Buffy has ruined lots of my favorite shirts and you're cuter than she is."

Jeremy shook his head. "God that is so weird!"

"Oh, are you still here? I thought you'd left already." Jeremy laughed and stood up to play with Hope while Damon held her. "Oh, look under the cap. I jacked a little going-away present from Rick's girlfriend's stash." Jeremy pulled the cap off and discovered the hidden joint. "Put it away, you idiot. Tell your sister or Buffy, I'll kill you…. again."

"Did you forget I have super hearing?" Buffy called from the kitchen.

Damon cringed slightly. "Yes." He called back.

She walked in from the kitchen carrying a warmed up bottle of formula for Hope. "I don't care. Just smoke it responsibly. Where is everyone?"

"Matt had a visitor and Elena and Rick are cleaning up."

"I didn't see them in the kitchen."

Jeremy shrugged. "Maybe they went to find Matt?"

"Ok, let's go get Liz." She held out her hands to take Hope, but Damon turned away.

"I've got her." He said. "Gimme the bottle."

Buffy shook her head. "Ok." She handed Damon the bottle and picked up the diaper bag. "Onward. Jeremy, try not to party too hard. I don't want you getting kicked off the plane tonight."

"Yes, mom." Jeremy said, giving her a tight hug.

"Text me as soon as you get to the airport and call me as soon as you land."

"Ok."

"I mean it, Jeremy. Don't forget or I'm hunting you down."

"Got it. Go get Liz."

Buffy and Damon walked outside and headed across the street to the Sheriff's office. Damon paused by Buffy's car and shook his head. "That's not a sight I ever thought I'd see."

"What?" Buffy asked, checking her car for any scratches or dents.

"A car seat in your car." He laughed. "So weird."

"Definitely weird." They headed into the building and up the stairs. Liz was moving around her office holding a case file with more case files piled on her desk.

"Not to be blunt, but I think dying gets you a ticket out of work. Just saying." Damon said.

"You have a baby." Liz said, sounding completely shocked. "Why do you have a baby?"

"We adopted!" Damon said with a big grin.

Buffy shook her head as she sat down the diaper bag in one of the chairs. "We didn't adopt. Liz, this is Hope. She's the daughter of a friend of ours. We're just keeping an eye on her for a few days."

Liz smiled as Damon walked over to her with Hope. "Hello, Hope." She said, stroking Hope's hair. "Aren't you a cutie pie?"

"How are you feeling?" Buffy asked.

"Like I'm not gonna leave this job with unfinished business." Liz gestured at all the files on her desk. "I have all these open cases."

Damon handed Hope over to Buffy and sat down behind Liz's desk. "Well, let me see if I can help you close a couple of these open cases. Yeah. This one was me." He tossed the file in a box. "Me." That file went in the box, too. "Also me." He tossed that file in. "Ooh, this one was Stefan's. Oh, wait. No. Me. Yeah." He dropped it in the box and held out his hands. "Gimmie the baby back."

"Nope. You lost your turn." Buffy said, smiling down at Hope drinking her bottle.

"I always had a sneaking suspicion." Liz said to Damon. "What about this one?" She handed Damon a file.

"Elena's parents?" Buffy asked, reading over Damon's shoulder.

"Didn't know there was an open investigation." Damon said.

"Well, at the time, I was taking care of Elena and Jeremy, and I didn't want to drag them through more heartache." Liz said. "Then when I was finally ready to reopen the wound, Elena had moved on, and you and I had become friends, and I worried that…."

"What, that I was involved?" Damon asked. "Liz, no. No, I promise you."

"Miranda left me this message two hours before they got in that car. Two hours before they drove off that road for no reason." Liz dialed her voicemail and went to her saved messages.

_Liz, it's Miranda Gilbert. I have something urgent to talk to you about. Please call me back as soon as you can._

"I'll be damned." Damon said. "Looks like you got a good, old-fashioned, sheriffy whodunit on your hands."

Hope made a noise and pushed her bottle away. Buffy tried to give it back, but Hope wasn't having any of it. "I guess she's done." Damon held his hand up and Buffy tossed him the bottle. He shoved it in the diaper bag next to him and pulled out a burp rag. "I'm going to get her carrier so she can sleep." She handed Damon Hope so he could burp her and headed out of the office.

Liz watched the entire thing with a slight smile on her face. "You two."

"What about us?" Damon asked, patting Hope's back.

"You two are good at this." Liz gently stroked Hope's hair. "I'm glad I got to see you two with a baby."

"Why?"

"Because I always thought you would make good parents together."

"Really?"

"Yes. You two are the most amazing couple. You tackle everything together and you two are so connected…. Even when you're angry with each other, you still find a way to get through it together. I've seen the changes you've each had on the other and I am so proud of both of you." Liz leaned down and kissed Hope's forehead. "And one day, when you're ready, I can see you both making the best parents."

Buffy walked back in carrying the carrier. "Ok, whoever the hell invented these things was evil. Even with mad Vampire Slayer vampire skills, I still almost had to rip it out of the backseat."

"It's to make sure they're safe." Liz said.

"Oh, I get that, but can't we make it even a tiny bit easier? Don't even get me started on strollers." Buffy sat the carrier down on the floor next to Damon and then sat down next to it. She took Hope back from Damon and laid her in her carrier, covering her up before she started to rock the carrier.

"Strollers were invented by an evil scientist. I'll give you that one. I think I pinched my fingers at least once a trip every time I had to take Caroline anywhere as a baby."

Damon grabbed a pile of files and pulled the rubber band off. "Right. You know, this would be a lot more fun if I had some…."

"Top right-hand drawer." Liz said.

"Well, look at that. This is why you are a terrible sheriff."

"No. I'm a terrible sheriff because one of my best friends is the perp in half my open cases." Damon nodded and offered Liz the bottle. "Not till I finish this."

"Ah, suit yourself."

"Can I ask you something about that night? You saw Elena, and Stefan pulled her out of the car."

"Yeah. Stefan, always a one-upper."

"So you both just happened to be in town the night her parents died. Why?"

"Well, believe it or not, Liz, I once had a mommy, too. She died around that day. In the years that my emotions were on, I would stop by and leave flowers at her grave."

"You never talk about her."

"He does occasionally. And he still leaves flowers on her grave." Buffy said.

"Honestly, there's not much to say about her." Damon said. "She died. Old-timey disease…. Consumption."

"Why do I feel like you're leaving something out?" Liz asked.

Buffy started to say something, but Damon cut her off. "Tell you what. Why don't we use your investigative instincts to solve this? Come here. Check this out. All right. So why were the Gilberts taking Wickery bridge when old Miller road was clearly 10 minutes faster, and why are there no skid marks at the scene of the accident, and why was the trunk full of luggage as if they were going out of town?"

"Something did happen that night." Liz nodded. "I think there's some more stuff down in evidence. I'm going to go grab it." She walked out before Buffy or Damon could offer their help.

Buffy looked up from watching Hope falling asleep. "Should we call Elena and ask her to come look at this?"

"I think we need to. See if she remembers anything from that night."

Damon grabbed the phone off Liz's desk and dialed Elena's number. After a moment he looked at it and hung up. "What's wrong?" Buffy asked.

"She ignored me." Damon shook his head and pulled out his cell phone. He hit Elena's direct dial.

"What, Damon? I'm bonding with my brother." Elena answered.

"We want to run something by you. Is there any chance you can get to the sheriff's office?"

"I'm not so sure it's a good idea to be around a sheriff right now." Elena let out a laugh. "Jeremy and I smoked your going-away present."

"Are you stoned?"

"No. I'm lightly buzzed."

Damon looked at Buffy apologetically. "Ahh, ok. Well, you need some eye drops, a squirt of perfume, and half a pizza. This is important."

"Ok. I'll walk over now." Elena hung up.

Damon looked over at Buffy shaking her head at him. "I can't believe Elena actually smoked that joint with him instead of getting angry that I gave it to him."

"I can't either." Buffy said. She sighed. "I'm going to text Caroline and let her know we're not going to be bringing Liz any time soon."

"Good idea."

As soon as the text was sent, Caroline called Buffy. "Hold on, Caroline." Buffy stood up and gently scooted Hope's carrier closer to Damon so he could keep rocking it. She walked out of the room and headed outside. "Sorry, had to make sure I wasn't around your mom or a sleeping baby."

"Why isn't she coming?" Caroline demanded. "You guys were supposed to drive her out here and…."

"She's busy."

"With what!? She should be here relaxing and enjoying whatever time she has left!"

"Caroline, calm down. You cannot control every little thing. She's working on trying to close some of her open cases."

"What? No!"

"It's giving her a piece of mind. Let her do this, ok? Damon and I aren't going to leave her. I promise."

Caroline let out an exaggerated sigh. "Fine. Just…. Don't let her tire herself out."

"Sweetie, I've got this."

"I know. I'm sorry."

"It's ok. Is Stefan helping any?"

"He's been texting Elena a lot, but yes…. He's helping."

"Good. We'll see you later." Buffy hung up and headed back inside. Elena was sitting behind the desk now looking over the case files. Liz stood on one side of the desk and Damon had taken Buffy's place on the floor, rocking Hope's carrier. Buffy walked over and sat down on the floor on Hope's other side.

"Honestly, I don't remember why we took that route home, and I had no idea that there was luggage in the trunk." Elena was saying.

"What about the lack of skid marks?" Liz asked. "Any reason your dad would just drive off the road like he was trying to avoid something without braking?"

"I was texting with Bonnie when it happened. Embarrassing, I know."

"What about the voicemail?" Damon asked.

"I wasn't home that night. You really think there's something up with my parents' crash?"

"I don't know, but given the way this town works, I wouldn't be surprised." Liz sighed. "Oh, I'm so sorry, Elena. I know I should've brought this up sooner, but in those first few weeks after your parents died, I…."

"No. You took care of Jeremy and I. I remember. Poor Jenna was trying and failing, but you let us stay at your place. You took us to school, made us dinner."

"Wait. You cook?" Buffy asked Liz.

"She really tried." Elena said, causing Liz to laugh. Elena laughed along with her for a moment. "I'll see if Jeremy knows anything."

"Thanks." Liz said.

"Yeah." Elena stood up and turned to Buffy and Damon. "See you guys later. Bye, Hope."

"Shh." Damon said. "She's sleeping." Elena shook her head and headed out. Liz was looking through the case with a worried look on her face. Suddenly the color drained from her face and she fell forward. Damon was suddenly there, holding her steady. "Hey…. You ok?"

"Yep. Yep." Liz said. "I'm good."

"Are you sure?" Buffy asked.

"I'm fine." Liz looked over at Buffy and Hope as Damon helped her to sit down. "You should take her home, Buffy. There's no need to hang around here and be bored. You guys should go out into the sunshine and have some fun."

"Nope. We're hanging out with auntie Liz today and helping her solve cases. How many other babies can say they've done detective work before their first birthday?"

Liz chuckled. "If you insist."

"Actually," Damon said. "When she wakes up and Buffy changes her, we should all go out into the sunshine for a little bit."

"Why do I always have to change her?" Buffy griped.

"Because the smell makes me nauseous."

"You're a vampire. You don't get nauseous."

"Baby poop apparently makes vampires nauseous. The smell is…." Damon dramatically shuddered. "It's something."

Liz started to laugh a bit uncontrollably. Buffy and Damon looked at her in surprise, but it made her laugh harder. They exchanged glances and then started laughing too. It was the first time Liz had laughed in a very long time.

* * *

><p>It was dark outside and they'd been there all afternoon and well into the evening. The three of them had taken Hope out to the town square and sat in the sunshine. Damon had gotten them food from the Mystic Grill. Liz had enjoyed playing with Hope and watching Damon and Buffy fawn over the baby.<p>

Now Damon was standing outside the office. Elena had called him a few minutes ago. "That makes sense." He said. "Yeah. I'll let her know." He hung up and walked back into the office. Buffy was leaning on a pile of boxes holding Hope. Damon put his arm around her waist as he sat down on a box next to her, kissing her shoulder. "So the message was a joke. Miranda wanted you to bust Jeremy for smoking pot."

"Well, what about everything else?" Liz asked. "I mean, the route, the skid marks? What about the luggage?"

"There was a storm the day before. Jeremy's dad was planning a secret trip to their lake house, and the storm rained them out."

Liz sighed and nodded. "The storm. Yeah. Oh, the storm that dropped a power line across Old Miller Road, explaining why they took Wickery bridge, which had a drainage issue before its renovation. Meaning the road was probably still slick."

"Slick roads, no skid marks."

"The storm…. That was the reason. Mystery solved." Liz blew out a breath. "Would you mind calling Caroline and telling her she can surprise me tomorrow? I'm not really feeling up to it tonight."

"Absolutely. I'll go get the car." Damon kissed the side of Buffy's head and walked out.

"Ok, little girl. Time to get back in your carrier and go home." Buffy placed Hope in her carrier, smiling and cooing at her. Liz stood up and placed her badge on her desk. She waited until Buffy had picked up Hope's carrier before turning the light off. As they walked out of the office, Liz leaned heavily against the wall. "Liz?"

"I'm ok." Liz said.

"No, you're not." Buffy set Hope's carrier down and moved in front of Liz. "You're really pale all of a sudden and your heart is racing." She rushed down the hall and came back with a chair. "Sit down." Buffy helped Liz into the chair. "Stay here. I'm going to put Hope in the car and then I'll come back for you." Liz nodded.

Damon was just pulling the car up when Buffy walked outside with Hope. "Where's Liz?" He asked.

"Can you go up and get her? She's not doing so good."

"Yeah." Damon headed back into the building as Buffy started putting Hope's carrier in the car. They got Liz home and Buffy and Damon focused on getting Hope fed, changed, and sleeping while Liz changed into her PJs. She came out and watched them for a moment before Damon turned around and noticed her.

"Hey, you should be resting." Damon walked over to her. "Come on, let's get you to bed." He led her upstairs and helped her climb into the bed. "Ok. Get in there." He said. "Oh, nice PJ situation. You look hot."

"Oh, I do not have the energy to tell you how deeply that disturbs me." Liz said.

Buffy walked in. She'd called Caroline to let her know that her mom wasn't doing so good and she needed to get home. "Ok, Hope is out. She sat down next to Liz on the bed and Damon stood next to her. Buffy took Liz's hand. "You wanted more today, didn't you, about the accident?"

"If there had been a supernatural reason they died, it would've been easier, would've been a reason. As it is, it was just an accident. It was a stupid accident."

"No. You wanted someone to blame." Damon said.

Liz nodded and began to cry. "I did everything right. I lived a good life. I took care of my family. I just…."

"I know." Buffy squeezed Liz's hand. "Sometimes really terrible things happen to amazing people." She looked down, trying to hide the tears that were threatening to overwhelm her.

Liz reached out and gently cupped Buffy's cheek. "I'm sorry you're going through this again."

"Liz…."

"I know it's hard for you, but you have been so amazing. Caroline has told me a few times that she doesn't know what she'd do without you around. Thank you for that." Buffy couldn't speak around the lump in her throat. "I have to admit, there is a certain amount of peace knowing I'll be one of the only people in Mystic Falls to die an ordinary death. I'm exceptionally ordinary. I'm ok with that. Caroline is anything but…. She was meant to be extraordinary, and she needs to know how proud I am of her."

"Yeah. She will." Damon said. "You tell her yourself."

"Come on. Lay down." Buffy said, helping Liz to scoot down into the covers.

"Thank you both."

"For what?"

"For today, for being here."

"We wouldn't be anywhere else."

"You know, I didn't get a chance to spend much time with my mom before she died." Damon told Liz. "I volunteered to write the eulogy, and then when she actually died, I didn't even go to the funeral."

"You want a second chance? Write mine. Only do me a favor…. Nothing dirty."

"No promises."  
>"Oh…. I'll take that drink now."<p>

"Yeah? I'll be right back." Damon squeezed Buffy's shoulder and headed for the door. Liz laid her head back and closed her eyes. "Want rocks, or you want neat?"

"Liz?" Buffy asked. Liz didn't wake up. "Liz?"

* * *

><p>Buffy and Damon sat next to Liz's hospital bed. Willow and Tara stood out in the hallway. Willow was holding Hope, bouncing her gently. They'd met Buffy and Damon at the hospital when Buffy had called. Damon had ridden with Liz in the ambulance while Buffy had gotten Hope packed into the car.<p>

A door burst open in the hall and Caroline's voice could be heard. "Where is she? Elizabeth Forbes, what room's she in?"

"Caroline." Willow said.

Damon walked out of the room and met Caroline there. "She fell asleep. We couldn't wake her up. They said she slipped into a coma. They said they can make her comfortable…."

"She's not comfortable. She's dying!" Caroline snapped. She appeared in the doorway and Buffy stood up. Caroline's face fell and she began to cry. "I didn't get to say good-bye. I didn't get to say good-bye to my mom." She allowed Buffy to wrap her arms around her and they clung to each other as they cried.

Stefan and Damon joined Willow and Tara out in the hallway, leaving Buffy to comfort Caroline. "What'd the doctors say?" Stefan asked.

"Oh, she's stable, but, you know…." Damon said.

"How much longer?"

"Not long. The hospital says she has a DNR, so…." Damon looked over at Willow. He held out his hands and took Hope from her. "I'm gonna take her out to get some air. She doesn't need to be spending so much time in a hospital." Damon hugged Hope to him and walked out.

* * *

><p>A little while later, Caroline had finally settled down. She was sitting at her mother's bedside, holding her hand. Buffy sat curled up in a chair next to the bed. She didn't want to leave Caroline.<p>

"I should have been with her." Caroline said.

"You didn't know." Buffy said.

"But I knew she was sick, and I knew it was bad."

"Caroline…."

"I'm her daughter! I was supposed to give her peace and convince her that I would be ok and thank her for being an amazing mom."

"We don't always get that chance."

"God, I don't even remember the last thing that I said to her. I was supposed to be with her in her final moment."

Buffy sat up, remembering something that Damon had done for her and for Rose when they had been dying. "You still can."

"What do you mean?"

Buffy stood up and walked over to Caroline. "She's not gone. She's still in there. You can be too. It's something vampires can do. Damon did it for me and for Rose. I did it to Rebekah when she was asleep. Be with her in your memories."

"I…. I don't know how."

"I'll show you. Take her hand." Caroline took her mother's hand. "Clear your mind. Think about your favorite memory of your mom."

"I don't know. There's too many."

"It's ok. Just relax and close your eyes. Open your mind." Buffy stepped back and let Caroline be alone with her mother. Damon came in behind her and she buried herself in his side. He was holding Hope and she reached out for Buffy. Buffy gently took Hope, hugging her tiny body to her. Hope laid her head down on Buffy's shoulder and Buffy gently cupped her head, kissing her tiny temple as she began to cry. Stefan, Elena, and Matt came into the room behind Willow and Tara. The heart monitor began to slow and then it flat lined.

"Mom…." Caroline began to sob. "She's gone…."


	124. Chapter 122

Chapter 122

Buffy woke up to Hope crying in the bassinet next to the bed. She sat up to realize that Damon wasn't in bed next to her. It had been 24 since Liz had died. Everyone had taken it hard. They'd all come back to the boarding house and tried to comfort Caroline. Buffy had called Klaus to let him know what was going on. He'd promised to come up to collect Hope so Buffy could stay and deal with the funeral and Caroline.

"Hey, sweet girl, what's wrong?" Buffy lifted Hope up. "Shh…." Her diaper was wet. After Buffy had changed her, she took Hope and walked down to see where Damon had disappeared to. All the kids were sleeping in the living room where Caroline had chosen to fall asleep. She heard a fire going in the kitchen and found Damon sitting at the table in front of a pad of paper, a few wads of paper he'd crumpled up, and a pen in his hand. "Hey."

Damon turned to look at her. "What are you two doing up?"

"Hope needed a diaper change. What are you doing?"

He tossed the pen down and sighed, rubbing his hands against his face. "Why did she ask me to write her eulogy?"

"Because Liz loves you and trusts you."

"I don't know if I can do this."

Buffy handed Hope to Damon and smoothed his hair back from his face. "Yes you can. I know you can."

Damon looked down at Hope. "When is Klaus going to be here?"

"In the morning."

"I'm really going to miss having her around."

"Me too." Buffy reached out and gently stroked the back of Hope's head as she fell asleep against Damon's chest.

Caroline walked into the kitchen and looked surprised to see them. "Sorry. Just, um, water."

"Help yourself." Damon said.

She noticed the wads of paper around Damon. "So what are you not writing?"

"You believe your mother entrusted me to eulogize her?"

"That's…. nice, I guess." She filled a glass with tap water.

"I think she's trying to teach me a lesson about my own mom. Was supposed to do the eulogy at her funeral, and I just…."

"We don't have to share."

"Right."

"Caroline…." Buffy started.

"I just mean today is pretty much gonna be the worst day of my life. I'm not sure that I need to start it off by bonding with your husband. No offense, Damon."

"None taken." Damon said.

"Great. Thanks for the water."

As she walked out of the kitchen, Damon turned around and stopped her. "Hey, blondie. Today isn't the worst day of your life. Today and tomorrow, it's a cakewalk. And there will be people day in and day out like they're afraid to leave you alone. The worst day? That's next week when there's nothing but quiet. Just a heads-up."

"Appreciate the tip."

"Sure. Anytime."

Buffy watched Caroline walk out. "I feel like I need to be worried about her."

"She's the most in control person I've ever met. I think she'll be ok."

"I don't know. When my mom died…. I ignored all the pain and sadness…. I shut it all out the day of the funeral. I didn't have the ability to shut it off like she does."

"I don't think she'd ever turn her emotions off."

Buffy looked back at Damon. "I'm not so sure."

* * *

><p>Everyone was gathered in the library except for Caroline. She was off somewhere in the house writing a large to-do list. Willow and Tara, and Alaric and Jo were going to meet them later that day. Tyler, Matt, Elena, Stefan, Buffy holding Hope, and Damon were scattered around the room.<p>

"So, what now?" Matt asked.

"What do you mean?" Elena asked.

"What do we do now? We're all adults now. We don't have parents or guardians or family to shield us from everything like we did before."

"Now we deal with the funeral." Buffy said. "And we make sure we're there for Caroline every step of the way. And when that's over, we just need to help Caroline make it through the next day and the day after that and so on until it's easier for her."

"What was it like for you, Buffy?" Elena asked. "Afterwards?"

"Horrible. I had a little sister to look after. I didn't have any family to come help me out. My dad was MIA. All I had were my friends and they were just as lost as I was. But Caroline has all of us. And most of us know what it's like to lose our moms so young. So we need to each be her Giles."

"Her Giles?" Tyler asked.

"Giles was a huge help for me. He pretty much handled everything when I got overwhelmed. Which was most of the time."

"You've all asked what you can do to help." Caroline said, marching into the room with a determined look and a small pile of papers. "There are five day's worth of projects on here. We are going to do them in one. We can break the rules and cut through the red tape. I expect my mom to be properly celebrated and buried by the end of the day."

"Sure, Care." Matt said as Caroline handed out the to-do lists. "Whatever you need."

"Elena, you're coming with me."

"Where are we going?" Elena asked.

"Casket shopping. Let's move!" Caroline nodded and headed out of the room.

Everyone got up except Buffy and Damon and headed out to get working on their chores. Buffy stopped Elena as she walked by. "Elena, keep an eye on Caroline today?"

"Ok." Elena said.

"I'm worried about her. I'd go with you if Damon and I didn't have to watch Hope."

Elena nodded again. "You think she's going to do something crazy?"

"Just keep an eye on her."

"Ok." Elena headed out to catch up with Caroline.

Damon stood up. "I'm going to keep trying to write that eulogy. Let me know when Klaus gets here." He kissed Buffy quickly and walked out of the room.

Buffy sighed and looked down at Hope. "Do you want to go walk around the garden?" Hope made a happy gurgling sound. "I'll take that as a yes." She stood up and headed for the gardens. Hope seemed interested in all the flowers that were beginning to bloom early. She liked to reach out and touch them. It surprised Buffy that she never grabbed them. She just wanted to touch the flowers and plants.

They'd been exploring the garden for about twenty minutes when Buffy felt a presence behind her. She turned to find Elijah and Klaus standing near the gazebo. Emotions she'd been suppressing suddenly overwhelmed her. Klaus rushed over to her and wrapped his arms around her and Hope as Buffy began to cry. Elijah came over and took Hope in his arms and Klaus held Buffy tightly.

These two were the only people she would allow herself to lose it in front of. Damon needed her to keep it together so he could keep it together. Caroline needed a strong support to lean on. Hope didn't need to be scared or worried by Buffy's being upset. Everyone else looked up to her as a guiding force to get through this horrible time. Only Liz had seemed to understand how deeply the whole situation was affecting her.

"Shh," Klaus gently rubbed her back. He kissed the top of her head and waited until she began to compose herself.

"I'm sorry. I just…." Buffy took a deep breath. "I haven't had anyone to cry in front of and I saw you and…."

"It's all right, love. I understand." Klaus gently cupped her face with his hands and wiped away the tears with his thumbs. "I no longer need to ask you how you are."

"I'm horrible. Damon is barely keeping it together. He's trying to write Liz's eulogy and he's beating himself up about it. Caroline is handling this about as well as I did. And since I've been through this, everyone has been looking to me to tell them how to cope with Caroline. I haven't had a chance to let it out."

"When is the funeral?" Elijah asked.

"Today. Caroline's got everyone out there using their vamp powers to compel the largest, nicest, and fastest funeral possible."

"Has Hope given you too much trouble?"

"No. She's been perfect. She's helped keep me together when all I want to do is cry. Thank you for trusting me with her."

"She seems to have enjoyed her time with you." Klaus said, taking his daughter from Elijah.

"Yeah. We had fun together. Damon and I certainly enjoyed having her around."

"And Willow…." Elijah started.

"Has already put the strongest and most complicated cloaking spell she's ever done on her. Hope is safe. Any word from Finn?"

"None as of yet."

Buffy nodded. "Good. When this is all over and Caroline is starting to heal, we'll come down and help ward him off."

"You just concentrate on making sure you're healing." Klaus said. "I know losing the sheriff in such a similar fashion to your mother hasn't been good for you."

"No. It hasn't. I'm not sure which is worse…. Knowing your mother's death is coming and not being able to stop it or coming home one day and finding her lying on the couch and there's nothing you could do to save her."

"They're equally awful." Elijah said, kissing the side of her head.

Buffy nodded. "How's Rebekah?"

"She's coping with her new body." Klaus said. "And using her newfound powers to help Kol out."

"Kol?"

"Finn put a hex on him. He's dying."

"Sorry for not feeling any kind of sad for him."

"Don't apologize. You've got enough sadness already and you and Kol have never truly gotten along."

Buffy nodded. "There's no one home but Damon and I. Do you guys want to come in and get Hope's things?"

"Certainly. Lead the way."

As Elijah walked up beside Buffy, Hope leaned over and held out her arms to Buffy. She laughed and took Hope from Elijah. "She really likes you." He commented.

"I really like her, too." Buffy said, kissing Hope's head as she laid it down on Buffy's shoulder. "By the way, she's leaving with a lot more than she came with. Damon and I went shopping."

Klaus laughed and looked at his daughter. "Has your aunt Buffy been spoiling you, little one?"

"Uncle Damon has been the bigger pushover."

"Surprising."

"Isn't it?" They walked into the living room where there were toys sitting on a plush blanket. "Damon!"

A moment later Damon walked into the room with his suit's pants and his white button up shirt on. The shirt wasn't buttoned all the way. "Oh, is it time for her to leave already?"

"Sadly."

"I don't think I can take anymore sad today."

"You and me both."

Damon turned to Elijah and Klaus. "Welcome back to Mystic Falls."

"I'm very sorry for your loss." Elijah said. "I know you and the sheriff were close."

"Thanks."

"How's the speech coming?" Buffy asked, setting Hope down to play with her toys on her blanket.

"It's not. I will never be done with it. I am not a nice person and should not have to stand in front of the whole town and pretend to be a nice person. This is Liz having a last laugh from the great beyond."

Buffy shook her head and wrapped her arms around her husband's waist. "You are nice…." She looked up at him and added, "Ish."

"Not helping."

"May I offer some advice?" Klaus asked.

"I'll take anything at this point."

"Keep it simple. It isn't about you, Damon. And it isn't about Sheriff Forbes. It's about Caroline and what she needs to hear."

"That's…. actually really helpful." Damon nodded. "Thank you, Klaus."

"You're welcome. I don't want to keep you on a day such as this, so we should get my daughter packed up and headed home for her glorious return to her rightful place."

"Right." Buffy said.

"We may need to give her a suitcase for her toys and clothes that we bought." Damon said.

"I'll collect. You write." She headed upstairs to get a suitcase for everything.

* * *

><p>Buffy looked down at her black dress and sighed. She was standing just inside the back door of the church where Liz's funeral was going to be trying to collect herself. Klaus and Elijah had taken off with Hope and left Buffy and Damon an invitation to Hayley's wedding. Buffy had cried a little while she got dressed, but she'd sucked it up when she'd heard Damon coming to finish getting dressed. This was not the time to lose it.<p>

Elena walked up to her. "Buffy, have you seen Caroline?"

Buffy looked up. "No. What's up?"

"Uh, they're ready to go."

"Ok, I'll find her."

"Where's Hope?"

"Uh…. Her dad showed up today and picked her up."

"Oh. I'm sorry. I know you guys were enjoying having her around."

"Yeah."

"You ok?"

Buffy smiled. "Yeah. I'm ok." She patted Elena's cheek and headed off to find Caroline. It broke her heart when she did find Caroline. She was standing in the side room staring down at her mother's body. Buffy walked up to her and slipped her hand into hers. "Hey."

Caroline looked over at her gratefully. "Hey."

"You ok?"

"Yeah. Fine. All things…. considered."

Buffy nodded. "Ok, well they're ready to start. Do you need a minute?"

"No, I'm ok." She looked down at her mother's body. "I'm gonna be all right, mom. I promise. Everything will be fine after today. I'm ready." They started to head into the main area of the church. "Just…. Please don't leave me."

Buffy turned and hugged Caroline tightly. "I won't."

The two of them met Damon at the front pew and sat down. Six police officers wheeled Liz's casket into the chapel and set it down to rest at the head of the aisle. The pastor came out and took her place at the podium.

"We are here today to pay our tribute and our respect to a pillar of our community, our sister, our protector, Sheriff Elizabeth Forbes."

Caroline's hand tightened on Buffy's hand and Buffy squeezed back. The funeral began to go by in a haze as it blended with the words that Buffy had heard at her own mother's funeral. She couldn't stop the tears that began to form and slide down her cheeks. Damon's arm came around her shoulders and he kissed her temple.

A large group of officers walked up to honor their Sheriff. They placed an American flag over her casket and one of her deputies said into his radio, "Calling Sheriff Forbes. This is the last call for Sheriff Forbes. No response. Radio Number 2-6 is out of service after twelve years and four months of police service. Gone, but never forgotten. Center!"

The officers filed back to their seats and Damon stood up. He gave Buffy's free hand a squeeze and went up to the podium. "Liz Forbes was my friend. In her last moments, she asked my wife and I to pass along a message to her daughter, but I cut her off before she could say too much. I told her she could tell Caroline herself, but she didn't get that chance." Damon looked at Caroline. "Your mom wanted you to know how proud of you she was, and she should be. You're a beautiful, strong woman, a generous friend, and a bright light in a sea of dark. She said you were extraordinary, and you are, and so was she. Liz was a hero to this town. She was a hero to all of you. And she was a hero to me. Goodbye, Sheriff. You will be missed." He looked down for a moment before stepping away from the podium and going back to his seat.

Caroline squeezed Buffy's hand tightly and stood up. "Thank you all for coming. This is for my mom." She began to sing Go In Peace by Sam Baker.

* * *

><p>Buffy stood with Caroline as she greeted the last person at the wake. They'd decided to hold the wake at the Mystic Grill after the funeral since it was large and had food. Caroline slumped slightly and let out a breath. "I'm exhausted."<p>

"I can imagine." Buffy said. Caroline nodded and grabbed her coat. "You're leaving?"

"Yeah. I think I've done the whole funeral thing enough for one day."

"You want me to walk you home?"

"No, it's two blocks. I'll be fine."

"I don't think it's a good idea for you to be alone tonight."

"I think that's exactly what I need, actually." Caroline hugged her tightly. "Thank you for everything you did today, Buffy. I'll never forget it."

"You're welcome. Honestly, Caroline, I would feel much better if someone walked home with you. If not me, then Elena…."

"I'll be fine, Buffy. Ok? I just had to get through today."

Stefan and Elena walked up just as Caroline walked out of the Grill. "She's leaving?" Elena asked.

"Yeah. Actually, I'm really worried about her."

"She's been through a lot." Stefan said.

"I think she's planning to turn her emotions off."

"She wouldn't do that."

"I think she would. It's what I would've done if I'd had the ability when my mom died."

"I would've, too." Elena said. She reached over and grabbed her coat. "Ok. I'm going to go check on her. Make sure she doesn't do anything stupid." She headed out after Caroline.

"Maybe I should go, too."

"You need to go be with Damon. He's taking this whole thing hard, too." Buffy turned and looked up at her brother in law. "I'll check on them."

"Ok. Thanks. Where is Damon?"

"Last I saw, he was over at the bar."

"Ok."

Stefan placed his hand on Buffy's shoulder. "How are you holding up?"

"I'm fine."

"Come on, Buffy. You may still be getting over what I did when Damon was gone, but I do still know you pretty well. And you can still talk to me."

Buffy sighed. "If you know me so well, how do you think I'm doing?" Stefan held out his arms and Buffy relented, letting him hug her tightly. "I can't lose it. Not yet. Not until I know that Caroline is going to be ok and that Damon isn't going to go crazy with grief because you and I both know he doesn't handle it well."

"That's why you need to go be with him." Stefan kissed the top of her head. "I'll go keep an eye on Elena and Caroline."

"Thank you, Stefan. Not just for this, but for helping Caroline when I was busy."

"No problem. It's what family does."

Buffy gave Stefan one more squeeze and then walked off to find her husband. He was sitting at the bar nursing a bottle of bourbon he'd compelled from the bartender. She wrapped her arms around his waist and laid her chin down on her shoulder blade. "I don't know about you, but I'm ready to go home."

He shifted so he could put his arm around her shoulders. "Thank you!"

As they walked to their car, arms around each other, Buffy looked up at him. "You did good today, Damon. Liz would've been proud."

"You think?"

"Yeah. I really do. And it's because _I'm_ proud of you."

Damon smiled and leaned down to kiss her. They were silent for most of the ride home. When they pulled into their long driveway, he looked over at her. "Hey."

"Hey back."

"How are you?"

Buffy looked over at him. "You sure you want to open that can of worms?"

"Is it a big one?"

"Little bit."

He nodded. "Let's wait until we get in the house, then. It's more comfortable in there."

"Thanks."

Damon parked the car and held the doors open for Buffy. Before he could ask her again if she was ok, she held up her hand and sniffed the air. "Pancakes?" She asked him.

He sniffed the air, too, and nodded. "Who the hell is making pancakes in our house at this hour?" They made their way into the kitchen where the table was set and two plates of pancakes were sitting there. And standing in front of the stove making another plate of pancakes was Bonnie. "Bonnie?"

"One and only." Bonnie said.

Damon opened his arms and Bonnie ran and jumped on him, hugging him tightly. "Oh, you made it!"

Bonnie climbed down and Buffy grabbed her into a tight hug. "Are we glad to see you!" Buffy said.

"What took you so long?" Damon asked, hugging both of the women.

"That is one hell of a story." Bonnie said. "Why are you guys in funeral clothes?"

Buffy and Damon glanced at each other and sighed. "That is one hell of a story." Damon said.

"Tell us yours." Buffy said, pulling Bonnie and Damon over to the table for pancakes. "We haven't eaten much today and I'm starving."

Bonnie nodded. She went over and finished the last plate of pancakes and set them on the table. As they dug in, she started telling them about getting the magic from Nova Scotia, the prison worlds shifting around her when she started the spell, and that she ended up in a prison world from 1903. Bonnie slid a picture frame over to Buffy and Damon.

Damon opened it and shook his head. It was a picture of himself and Stefan. "I don't get it. So you were in our house in a 1903 prison world."

"Watch this." Bonnie went to her bag and pulled out a video camera.

"Where did you get that?" Buffy asked. "I have the one from 1994. It came with us when we got pulled back."

"I know. I got a new one." Bonnie shrugged and sat down next to Damon. "I didn't know it was still on when I got pulled out." The video was like watching The Blair Witch Project as Bonnie ran and the camera bounced.

"Congratulations. You shot some walls." Damon said.

"Just wait."

"Who are you?" A woman's voice could be heard.

"Who are you?" Bonnie's voice said.

"Who is this?" Buffy asked.

"There. Stop."

Damon paused the video on the picture of a woman in late 1800s clothing and who looked a lot like Damon himself. "Oh, my god." He said.

"What?" Bonnie and Buffy asked.

"That's my mother."


	125. Chapter 123

Chapter 123

Buffy opened her eyes and looked over at Damon's side of the bed. It was empty. Her cell phone ringing was what had woken her up. She turned and grabbed it, hitting the answer button. "Did you find her?" She asked.

"No." Stefan said.

"Everything at the dorm that belonged to her is gone." Elena said.

"And everything at her house is gone."

Buffy sat up and rubbed her face. "What about the cabin?"

"I should go check that." Elena said. "But none of this makes sense."

"This is coming from the girl that burned her house down when she flipped her humanity switch." Buffy said. "No offense, Elena, but Caroline is going to be smart about this."

"Do you think she's trying to cut off all the ties to her past?"

"She's not having a yard sale."

"Don't be mad at me. I didn't do this."

"Nobody said you did. This is no one's fault. It's just grief. We all choose to deal with it differently."

"Ok, I'm just going to look around campus. Maybe someone's seen her."

"I'll keep looking, too." Stefan said.

"Wait, you guys aren't together?" Buffy asked.

"We three way called you." Elena said.

"Ok. Just…. Keep me posted, ok?"

"What are you doing today?" Stefan asked.

"Dealing with Damon. Who is also missing at the moment." Buffy sighed. "Call me if you find anything out. Elena, I've sent you a present today."

"What?" Elena asked.

"You'll love it. I promise. Talk later. Bye." Buffy hung up.

Bonnie had said she was going to go see Elena when she woke up. Judging by the lack of breathing from the room Bonnie had slept in, Buffy assumed she was already gone. She listened closely and heard her husband downstairs in the kitchen talking to someone. Buffy got up and got dressed fast before heading downstairs.

Damon was standing in the kitchen talking to Kai. "Good morning, sunshine." Kai said with a grin in her direction.

"You are definitely the last person I want to see right now." Buffy said, walking over to the Keurig to start brewing some coffee for herself.

"Kai is the resident expert on prison worlds." Damon said. "So, I figured I'd ask him what he knows."

"Does he know anything?"

"I'm right here. And yes I do." Kai said.

Buffy waited for her coffee to finish before she turned around. "Ok, so is it possible that the woman on that video is my mother-in-law?"

"It's not her." Damon said.

Kai ignored Damon. "Yes, it is entirely possible that that is the other Mrs. Salvatore. Is that going to be awkward for you? Aren't mother-in-laws supposed to be a nightmare?"

"I don't know. I've never had one." Buffy turned to Damon. "Why do you suddenly think that's not your mother?"

"Because it can't be." Damon said. "That woman was young and beautiful and living in 1903. My mother died of consumption in 1858. There is no way that was her. And I'm going to prove it."

"How?"

"We're going to visit the Salvatore crypt."

Buffy looked at Kai and blinked at him. He mouthed the word "denial" at her and shrugged. She turned back to Damon. "I really have no desire to dig up your mother's grave today."

"It's ok. You can keep me company." He leaned down and kissed her before walking out.

Buffy shook her head. "Great. Everyone is losing it today. Guess I get to put off my grieving session till later. Again."

"Are you ok?" Kai asked. He was being sincere.

She turned to look at him incredulously. "Seriously?"

"Yes, seriously. I like you. And my emotions are all weird and when you said you were grieving, I felt bad for you and wanted to make sure you were ok. So, are you?"

"No. My amazing friend is dead…. Taken by cancer, by the way…. A stupid human thing I can't stop…. It dug up a lot of feelings about my own mother's death. Then Caroline has gone crazy and turned off her emotions and disappeared after I promised her mother that I would look out for her. On top of that, Bonnie is back and she's brought the revelation that my mother-in-law is probably a vampire and probably a really bad one at that and it has sent my husband over the deep end apparently because we're going on a field trip to dig up his mother's grave!" She took a deep breath. "No. No, Kai, I am not ok."

"Do you want a hug? Isn't that what I'm supposed to offer you now?"

Buffy shook her head at him and turned around, marching out of the kitchen after her husband.

* * *

><p>Kai stood in the doorway of the mausoleum playing on his cell phone. Buffy sat off to the side, leaning back against the wall, while Damon worked on bringing his mother's coffin out of the ground. She hated to admit it, but this new Kai wasn't so bad. He liked to talk and sometimes he actually had decent things to talk about.<p>

However, now was not one of those times.

"I can't believe Bonnie made it out." He was saying. "Actually, I can. She's plucky." Damon started pulling the nails out of the coffin. "Need some help? Before you answer that, I'd rather not. I just keep experiencing these pangs of guilt just watching you." Kai looked at Buffy. "Feelings are hard."

"So is the end of this crowbar." Damon said.

"I'm just saying. Digging up mommy's grave? That's dark, even for me. And totally unnecessary."

"I hate to agree with the little twerp," Buffy said. "But Bonnie saw your mother alive in a 1903 prison world."

Damon turned and glared at her. "My mother died of consumption in 1858. I did _not_ go through the trouble of moving this thing into the family crypt only to find out that she's not even in here."

"Oh, so you just called me here because you needed a friend?" Kai asked. "No. You wanted to know if it was possible for her to exist in another prison world to which I responded yes to which you responded with denial."

"Whatever or whoever is on that tape was not her."

"Then who is it?"

"I don't know. A ghost? Maybe she has an evil Gemini twin?"

"Nice."

"If my mother was imprisoned in 1903, she would've been in her 70s."

"Not if she were like you."

"I know my mother! She is _not_ a vampire! She is _not_ in a prison world! She died of consumption in 1858." Damon threw the crowbar down and turned to the coffin.

Buffy stood up. "Ok, before you open that." She walked over to her husband and took his hands. "Damon, sweetie, can we just take a brief, slightly more sane moment to think about the possibility that your mom might actually be a vampire?" He started to protest, but she squeezed his hands hard to stop him, turning his words into a pained groan. "I mean, Mystic Falls was being run by the anti-vampire Council. Your dad, her husband, was _super_ anti-vampire. He _shot_ _and killed_ you and your brother because you were helping a known vampire escape."

"Ouch!" Kai said.

Buffy shot him a withering glare and he backed up. She turned back to Damon. "Maybe your mom was run out of town because of your dad and the Council."

"She would've come back for me and Stefan."

"She couldn't. She was supposed to be dead of consumption."

"All those years, though…."

"Maybe she didn't know about you and Stefan becoming vampires. Maybe she did come back one day and saw that both of her sons had died and she didn't even think that they could've been turned, too."

Damon shook his head. "Too many maybes."

"You have to at least admit that there is a possibility that that coffin is empty."

He looked down and gripped Buffy's hands tighter. "Buffy…."

"I know." She slipped her arms around him and hugged him tightly. "I know, baby." He held her for a moment before she took one of his hands and reached out to the coffin. "We'll open it together, ok?" Damon nodded and they wrapped their fingers around the lid. A moment later they pulled and the coffin opened to reveal that it was empty.

"Congratulations. Everything you know about your mom is wrong." Kai said before walking out of the crypt.

Buffy looked up at her husband's face. "Ok. So, we'll deal with this."

"How?"

"We figure out why she's there and then we go save her." She reached up and kissed him gently. "Hey, Kai!" Buffy walked out after him. He had stopped a little ways away from the crypt. "Wanna come over to our house? I'll make dinner."

* * *

><p>Buffy paced the hallway as she talked to Stefan later that afternoon. Damon was in the living room with Kai trying to convince him to help them rescue Lily Salvatore. Stefan had called to tell Buffy that Caroline had shown up at the dorm with new clothes and sheets for her bed and she hadn't cared that Bonnie was back. She'd also told Elena and Bonnie that she had fed on Liam but didn't kill him and that she would continue to feed without killing if they agreed to give her a year of no humanity.<p>

"So the ever in control Caroline is still walking her tight rope of control even without her humanity." Buffy shook her head.

"Until she snaps and strangles someone with it." Stefan retorted.

"You know, this no humanity thing might be good for her if she's keeping it under control."

"If she kills somebody…."

"Then we'll worry about turning her humanity back on."

"Just…. Will you do me a favor and check around Mystic Falls? See if anybody is missing."

"I'll add that to my ever growing list of things to do today."

"What's going on?"

"It's a list that is longer than me and some of it sucks beyond anything you can fathom at the moment."

"Sorry I asked. I'll call you later."

"Ok." Buffy hung up and headed back into the living room. She and Damon had decided to not tell Stefan about Lily yet. Not until they knew more.

Of course, Kai had to comment on this. "You're not telling your brother-in-law that his mother is still alive?" He said. "Hey, I get it. It's difficult to say 'Hey, your mom's in a prison world and therefore is an evil psychopath.'"

"We'll tell him." Buffy said, going over to take the glass bourbon away from Kai that he had just poured himself. "When we know the truth about her."

"Which is why you're still here." Damon said. "Your sister sent my wife and I back to 1994, so you can send us back to 1903."

"Technically, yes, I am able to do that." Kai said. "But I'll need the Ascendant for the 1903 prison world."

"Well, as the newly elected president of the Gemini Freaks, I assume you know where it is. So get it."

"It's my pleasure."

"But you want something from us." Buffy said. "Color me shocked. All right, weirdo, what do you want?"

"Well, ever since you guys told me that Bonnie was back, I, uh…. I can't stop thinking about her. About what I did…. How she is…. It's annoying, really. Look, I need to see her. I need to apologize. And you two are going to make that happen."

Buffy shrugged. "She's Damon's BFF. I think she'll at least listen."

"Good."

"She's not my BFF. _You're _my BFF." Damon said. "But ok, I'll call and ask her about it."

"Great. When's dinner?"

Buffy's phone started ringing. "It's Stefan again." She got up and walked out. "What's up?"  
>"Hey, uh…." Stefan said. "I know that you're busy today and I never thought I would ask this, but, uh…. Do you want to go to a rave?"<p>

"Why would I ever want to go to a rave? I'm too old for that."

"Think about who you're saying that to."

"You're definitely too old to go to a rave."

"Caroline is throwing the rave tonight, so she'll be there. Elena and Bonnie are coming, too."

"Why are you going after Caroline?"

"We need to flip her humanity switch before she hurts someone."

"She's not going to hurt anyone. She's the queen of control."

"But for how long? She'll listen to you, Buffy. You're the only one she'll listen to."

"We shouldn't push her, Stefan. Just let her have her fun."

"You don't know what it's like to have your humanity switch turned to off. She can talk about control all she wants, but in the end, the hunger will end up controlling her and she won't care. I'm going to that rave tonight and getting Caroline back." He hung up.

Buffy groaned loudly. "Damon, I've got to go out for a little while."

Damon walked into the hallway. "What's wrong?"

"Caroline told Elena and Bonnie that she wants one year of no feelings and no interference or else she'll start killing pretty much everyone she comes in contact with. But Stefan is bound and determined to interfere."

"Of course he is. Do you want some help?"

"No. You stay here and see what Kai knows. I'll talk to Bonnie about that whole forgiveness thing. She'll be at the party Caroline's throwing."

"Well, that's not fair. You get to go to a party and I have to hang out with a psycho?"

"Trust me, I don't want to go to the party because the party is a rave. Hanging with the psycho sounds more fun than going to a rave."

"Oh, a rave?" Kai asked from the living room. "I like raves!"

Buffy pointed at him. "You're staying here with Damon. I'm going to go talk to Bonnie." She looked up at Damon. "And try to stop your brother from making Caroline do something she'll regret later." She turned to the coat closet.

"You're wearing that to a rave?" Kai shook his head in disapproval at her jeans, boots, and dark green tunic top.

"I'm not going to the rave to party." She put her leather bomber jacket on. "I'm working, not playing." Buffy pulled Damon to her by his shirt and kissed him.  
>"Good luck." He said.<br>"Love you."

"Love you more." He swatted her backside as she walked out, winking at her.

* * *

><p>Buffy sighed as the music pumped around her. Sweaty bodies covered in neon gyrated around her. She shook her head at them and continued to look for Bonnie. A familiar blonde stepped in front of her looking.<p>

"Please tell me you're not here to talk to me, too." Caroline said.

"Dreads, Care?" Buffy flicked one of the chunky strands near Caroline's face. "It's not your best. And no, I'm not here to talk to you. I'm here to talk to Bonnie. Have you seen her?"

"She's around here somewhere. She came in with Elena. So, you're not with them?"

"No. That's reason number two why I'm here. I'm trying to get them out of your hair."

"Why?"

"I get what it's like for you. I get why you don't want to feel any of it. My mom was taken from me by something stupid and human, too. Something I was powerless to stop. And afterwards, I had to face that same pain and anger and responsibility because I didn't have the option to stop caring like you do. You don't have a little sister to take care of. You don't have a world to keep safe or a hell god to stop. I want you to be able to feel free to live and enjoy life until you're ready to face the sucky part."

Caroline shook her head. "This better not be some ploy…."

"Ok, the world doesn't revolve around you right now, Caroline. I need to talk to Bonnie." Buffy turned away and started to walk off.

She was stopped when Caroline grabbed her arm. "Buffy…. Thanks."

"Careful, Caroline, that's gratitude and last I checked, an emotion."

Caroline rolled her eyes. "Thanks for the tip. Bonnie is somewhere that way." She pointed off towards where a large screen was hanging and showing flashing colors and random clips.

Buffy nodded. "Thanks for the tip."

Before she could walk off, Caroline said, "I meant what I said. If anyone tries to interfere with my year free of emotions, I promise that I'll make Angelus look like a cake walk."

Buffy smiled and laughed at her. "Caroline, you're not that good." She turned and headed off to find Bonnie. Finally, she spotted her looking panicked near a corner. It made sense, the girl had been tortured and then left alone for weeks. Now she was surrounded by people. The PTSD was strong with Bonnie Bennett. "You ok?"

Bonnie jumped and glared at her. "Make noise when you sneak up on people."

"You don't have to yell. I can hear you just fine. Are you ok?"

She shrugged. "If scorching some douchebag with my magic is ok, then yeah. Peachy."

Buffy nodded. "Coming back from the dead is a real bitch, yeah?"

Bonnie nodded. "Yeah. Yes, it is."

"I had trouble adjusting, too. You'll get there eventually."

"What are you doing here?"

"Couple of reasons. Not one of them is to party. I hate raves. I've got a favor to ask of you."

"What?"

"When Kai went through the merge with Luke, he kind of…. Well, he changed. Not quite Angelus to Angel changed, but he's not as murdery psycho as he used to be."

"Anyone who believes that is an idiot. Don't ever repeat that name to me again."

"You don't believe in forgive and forget, huh?"

"Are you crazy? Do you have any idea what he did to me?" Bonnie turned and stormed off.

Buffy shook her head. "I can't imagine it's anything worse than some of the stuff I've been through in my life." She pulled out her cell phone and called her husband.

"Hey babe," He answered. "Did you find Bonnie?"

"I just talked to her."

"And?"

"She _really_ doesn't want to see him."

"Did you tell her he was a new man looking for forgiveness?"

"I used Angel and Angelus as an analogy."

"Damn it."

"I'm sorry, babe."  
>"Don't be. We'll get her to talk to Kai."<p>

"I don't see how."

"I'll figure something out. Just…. Keep track of Bonnie. I'll call you soon."

Damon hung up and Buffy sighed. "Great. I get to stay at the rave."

"Talking to yourself, love?"

She turned around to find Enzo standing behind her. "Never pictured you as someone who likes raves."

"Nor I you."

"Trust me, I don't want to be here."

"Then why are you here?"

"Babysitting. Caroline wants to be left alone and Stefan doesn't want to leave her alone."

"I saw that she's flipped her switch. She just hit on me in the parking lot."

Buffy laughed. "Hmm…. Maybe she has lost her mind if she's hitting on you."

"Oh, come now, love. Be nice."

"I'm not in a nice mood."

"Where's your husband?"

"Home."

"He didn't want to help you babysit?"

"Oh, he's doing some babysitting of his own."

Enzo nodded. "Would you care to dance?"

"Not a chance."

"All right. Then I'm going to go enjoy myself. Have fun with your babysitting." Enzo blew her a kiss as he walked off.

Buffy shook her head and wandered over to the bar. There was no sign of Stefan and Elena, so maybe they'd gotten the hint and left Caroline alone. She ordered two bourbons and went to find Bonnie. Eventually she found her in the bathroom hallway leaning against the wall. "Thought you could maybe use this." She handed Bonnie one of the bourbons.

"Thank you." Bonnie said.

"You're welcome. Why are you still here if it bothers you?"

"I'm here because Caroline needs us."

"Caroline will be just fine if you all leave her alone. That was the deal, wasn't it? One year and she won't kill anyone?"

"And you actually think she can do it?"

"Yes. I haven't known Caroline as long as you and Elena have, but I've known her long enough to know that once she sets her mind to something, she will get her way. I believe her when she says she won't kill anyone if she's allowed one year without her humanity." Buffy took a sip of her drink. "I'm not above keeping an eye on her, though."

Bonnie nodded. "That makes sense."

Damon walked around the corner. "Hey."

"Damon…." Buffy sighed.

"Hey!" Bonnie said, not hearing the warning in Buffy's voice. "What are you doing here?"

"Don't freak out, but…." Damon cleared his throat and Kai walked out from around the corner.

"Hi." Kai said.

"Just get this over with."

"Um…."

"Spit it out."

"Um…. I wanted…. To apologize…. For anything I did that hurt you." Bonnie didn't move. "Bon, did you hear what I said?"

"If I see your face again, I will melt it off." Bonnie threw the glass at Buffy's feet and stalked past Kai and Damon, using her magic to slam the door open in front of her.

"I imagined that going a little differently." Kai said.

"Why did you do that?" Buffy asked Damon.

"I…." Damon started.

"She wasn't ready, Damon. We can't force her to be ready to forgive someone who tortured her like he did." She kissed him and pushed him after Bonnie. "You go. Apologize to her." Buffy turned and grabbed Kai's arm, pulling him in the opposite direction to leave through the back of the warehouse. "You, you're coming with me."

"What did I do?" Kai asked as they made it outside.

"Nothing. And that's the problem. You got apologize to Bonnie, now it's time for you to help us out. I don't know who you need to contact or what you need to do, but we need to find out why my mother-in-law is in that prison world."

Kai sighed. "Ok. But, you're not going to like what I know."

"Wait, you've known this whole time why she's there?"

"Of course I have. And of course I've been leading you on a wild goose chase."

"Kai…." Buffy took a threatening step towards him and he held up his hands.

"It's because it's nothing good and…. I feel…. Bad…. About how much it's going to make you both upset."

She lifted a disbelieving eyebrow at him. "What do you know, Kai?"

Kai sighed and started walking. When Buffy caught up to him, he said, "I know we shouldn't bring your mother-in-law back."

"Why?"

"Because there are only two prison worlds in existence. Mine, created in 1994, and the one created in 1903 for the sole purpose of locking up Lily Salvatore and her closet full of crazy pants. As a semi-sane person, I'm pretty sure that's not what you want roaming around here."

"What do you even mean?"

"Damon's mom is a ripper. She turned in 1858, faked her death, went to Europe, where she went a little nuts. Bodies piled up, she moved, killed some more until she had to move again. They think 3,000 in total. And for some reason, my coven made it their duty to stop her. So, they cut her off at New York Harbor before she could tear through Manhattan. Granted, by the time they got to the ship, they found everybody dead. It was so gruesome they had to burn it there at the harbor." Kai finally noticed that Buffy wasn't with him anymore. She was a few feet behind staring straight ahead. "Hey…." He walked over to her and gripped her upper arms. "You're not gonna, like, faint or anything are you? _Can_ you faint? I have no idea what a Vampire Slayer vampire can and can't do."

"How am I supposed to tell Damon this?"

"Uh, you walk up to him and say 'Damon, your mom is a psycho ripper and we can't let her out of her prison world.'"

Buffy looked up at Kai with an annoyed glare. "That'll go over about as great as the time Katherine in Elena's body told him I kissed Klaus."

"While you were married?" The glare she shot him told him everything. "Oh my god!" He started to laugh. "You kissed another guy while you were married!? That's…. Why would you do that?"

"Not that it's any of your business, but Klaus said that he would walk away and concede his loss to Damon if I kissed him."

"Ew! Really?" Buffy nodded. "And you did it? Ew! Man, that's…. Wow. Damon hates him, you know."

"Not anymore. We're all friends now."

"That's ridiculous. That's like saying I'm your best friend."

"It's not ridiculous."

"Damon hates him. He used to talk about how much he hated Klaus and he was super worried that Klaus had swooped in and stolen you away while he was gone."

Buffy laughed. "Now _that_ is ridiculous." She shook her head. "We went to New Orleans and spent time with Klaus after Damon came back and Damon is actually friends with him now. He's not Klaus's biggest fan, but he doesn't hate him anymore."

Kai laughed. "I'd have to see it to believe it."

She rolled her eyes. "Whatever. Is there anything else you want to spring on me about the other Mrs. Salvatore?"

"Nope. Just that she's a ripper and she needs to stay locked up."

"Ok, thanks." Buffy turned on her heel and walked away.

"Where are you going?" Kai asked, hurrying to catch up.

"I'm going home to figure out a way to talk to Damon about his mother."

"I could tell him if you want. So he's not mad at you."

"Thanks, but no thanks, Kai. This kind of news…. It's better if it comes from me."

"It's no problem. I can handle myself."

"Are you lonely or something? Is that why you keep following me around?"

"No!" Kai looked away. "Ok, maybe a little. But you can't tell anyone I said that."

Buffy chuckled. "You have definitely done a 180."

"Trust me, I don't like it."

"I bet you don't. Go home, Kai. Wherever that is. I'm going to talk to my husband by myself."

"Ugh! Fine. But if he goes crazy, call me. I can't decide if I want to relish in it or help you out." Kai turned and walked off.

* * *

><p>Buffy sat in the living room staring at the fire in the fireplace. She had two glasses of bourbon sitting on the coffee table. Damon had texted her and said that Bonnie hadn't been happy with him and he was on his way home. She was starting to get nervous about telling Damon about his mother. He was going to be so upset.<p>

Finally, the door opened and Damon strode in. His shirt was covered in blood and he looked upset. "Oh my god!" Buffy rushed over to him. "What happened to you?"

"Bonnie. She made me feel everything that Kai did to her." Damon said.

"What about your protection spell?"

"She pulled my ring off with her magic. We gotta talk to Willow about locking them on our fingers so that can't happen again." He walked over and grabbed up one of the glasses of bourbon. "Did you get Kai to tell you what he knows?"

"Yes."

"And? What did he say?" Buffy looked away, feeling horrible for her husband. "Babe? What did he say?"

"We can't release her from that prison world."

"What? Why not?"

"Damon…. Sit down."

"I don't want to."

"Please?"

Damon couldn't deny her when she looked so upset. He sat down. "Well?"

"Baby…." Buffy sat down on the coffee table in front of Damon and took his hands. "Your mom…. She, uh…. She…. She was turned in 1858 and ran away to Europe where she became a ripper." Damon pulled his hands away. Buffy took a deep breath and continued. "Kai said it was estimated that she killed around 3,000 people before his coven stopped her in New York in 1903. I called both Angel and Spike to verify and they both said…." Damon jumped to his feet and walked angrily over to the fireplace. She took a deep breath and continued. "They both said that they'd heard of a vampire that was tearing her way across Europe in that time period. Angelus wanted to meet her, but she was always gone before he got there. He never knew her last name. Just that she went by Lily."

"It's not true." Damon growled.

"Angel got his soul back in 1898 and gave up looking for Lily. Eventually he went to New York in 1902. He'd been there barely more than a year when he heard about a vampire being captured by a coven of witches. The word among the demon circles was that it was Lily. After that, the killings stopped, so he figured the rumors were true." Buffy reached over and picked up the book that she'd dug out from Giles' collection. She slid it across the table towards Damon. "That's the Watcher's Journal from 1887. Her Slayer, Daniella, faced Lily and lost. She watched as Lily tore her Slayer to pieces and got high off her blood." Damon threw his glass into the fire, shattering it and creating a small fireball with the remaining bourbon. "You know how potent a Slayer's blood is. Lily actually got…. Well, high from it. It's the only reason that the Watcher managed to escape a similar fate as her Slayer. She ran back to the Watcher's Council headquarters in London, but what she'd witnessed happen to Daniella was too much for her…. She wrote one last entry in her Journal before she hung herself."

Damon turned and looked at the page in the Journal. Under a perfectly sketched picture of his mother it simply said, "May God have mercy on your soul if ever you run afoul of this vampire." He dropped to his knees as he stared in horror at the unquestionable evidence that his mother was a ripper.

Buffy went to him and pulled him to her. "I'm so sorry, Damon." He wrapped his arms around her and buried his face in her neck, clinging to her tightly.


	126. Chapter 124

_**A/N Fun fact about this chapter, I wrote this while visiting "Mystic Falls" and "New Orleans". I took a trip to Covington, GA and Conyers, GA this weekend where The Vampire Diaries and The Originals are filmed. My friend and I took the tours that are offered and it was really awesome to be surrounded by these places while I was writing about them. We ate at The Mystic Grill (yes, the food was amazing) and got pictures with Alaric's barstool. We saw Elena's, Caroline's, Bonnie's, and Grams' houses. We got to tour the "Lockwood Estate" and it is as gorgeous in person as it is on the show. We saw the Salvatore Estate from the 1800s, but not the Boarding House because it's a private property and the owners aren't fan friendly. There was a lot more that we saw, but I don't want to bore you too bad. Enjoy this chapter!**_

Chapter 124

Buffy sat in the living room by herself. Damon was in the library destroying things with a crowbar. Elena had called and filled her in on everything that had happened last night. Caroline had captured Sarah Salvatore, who was supposed to have died with her mother, but Stefan had saved her and hidden her away for all of these years. She'd used Sarah to get Stefan to turn off his humanity as a retaliation for him and Elena trying to get her to flip her switch back. Buffy had been so angry, she'd hung up on Elena.

This was absolutely the worst thing possible. Damon was already losing it over finding out his mother was a vampire ripper. Now his brother was well on his way to following in his mother's footsteps again. For the first time in a very long time, Buffy had a massive headache threatening to turn into a migraine.

The door opened and Elena walked in. "Has Stefan come home yet?" She stopped dead when she saw Buffy's face. "You look really angry."

"Oh, I'm beyond pissed." Buffy said, keeping her voice low and even. "Didn't I tell you to stay out of it? To let Caroline handle it her way?" A resounding crash came from the library. "But you and Stefan just couldn't let it be. You couldn't just leave Caroline to deal with her grief. And now she's pissed off and Stefan is walking the yellow brick road to Ripperville!"

Elena looked down and took a deep breath. "You were right. We were wrong. We should've just let Caroline deal with it her way." Another crash came from the library. "What's going on in the library?"

"That's none of your concern right now." Buffy stood up. "Elena, you need to fix this."

"But…."

"This is yours and Stefan's mess. You need to clean it up. I've got an upset husband to deal with right now."

Elena looked thoroughly chastised. "Do you think I could borrow some weapons?"

"Yes. You can borrow some weapons." The door opened and Alaric walked in. "And you can borrow his help."

"You called Alaric?"

"Of course I did. I need someone with a brain to help keep this from spiraling more out of control than it already is."

Elena sighed. "Fine." She walked upstairs to get weapons from Buffy's training room.

Alaric looked at Buffy. "Are you ok?" Another crash came from the library. "Never mind. You don't have to answer that."

"Hey, congratulations on your big news." Buffy said, giving Alaric a hug. "I'm really happy for you."

"Thank you." He gripped her shoulders as another crash came from the library. "Ok, what's going on?"  
>She heard Elena coming back down the stairs. "It's a very long story. One I promise to catch everyone up on once I get Damon calmed down and back in his right mind and Stefan with his humanity back on and Caroline…. Well, calmed down and not pissed off and trying to kill family I didn't know that I had." Another crash came from the library. Buffy sighed. "Ok. Keep me posted on everything. I'm going to go deal with Damon now."<p>

"Buffy." Elena said, stopping Buffy in her tracks. "I'm really sorry we didn't listen to you."

"I know. Now go get Stefan under control." Buffy took a deep breath and headed into the disaster area that was the library. She leaned her arms against the railing and watched her husband beat the stuffing out of the leather chair. "I thought you were going to find a healthy outlet for your rage."

"Haven't. Found. It. Yet." With every word, he hit the chair. Damon turned and took out a lamp. "Stefan without his humanity is one artery away from Stefan the Ripper. And every day that goes by is one year of guilt waiting for him on the other side."

Buffy walked around the railing and he held out the crowbar to her. "No thanks."

"Well, take it away from me, cause I'm seconds away from using it on this." Damon grabbed the video camera with the video of his mother.

Buffy relented and took the crowbar. She saw that the camera was paused on the frame with a clear picture of Lily and a thought occurred to her. "Oh, brain…. Sometimes I wish you didn't work."

"What are you talking about?"

She sighed and set the crowbar down on the destroyed chair. "You and Stefan were close with your mom. Especially Stefan."

"Yeah. He was always such a mama's boy. He would've hanged himself with our mother's apron strings if it meant her approval." He shook his head. "We both would. We loved her. She was our world." Buffy nodded and waited for Damon to catch on. "What?" She made a face at him. "No. No way!"

"Your mother might actually be the quickest and easiest way to getting Stefan to flip his humanity switch back on. She is definitely a huge emotional trigger for him."

"Buffy, this woman killed so many people that a coven of witches built her a permanent time out and a Watcher was so scarred by what happened to her Slayer at Lily's hands that she killed herself. You don't fix one ripper problem by unleashing another ripper."

"No, of course not, but…."

"But what?"

"But what if she's not a ripper anymore?"

"I love you, but you seem to have misplaced your sanity somewhere."

"Probably."

"You said yourself that we can't let her out."

"I know what I said. But I also know that Stefan was a ripper once and he got better. Why can't she have gotten better? I mean, she's in a world where there are no people. Just butcher shops. She's had to have learned moderation after all this time over there. How about we go over there and talk to her? See what she's like now." Buffy walked over to Damon and wrapped her arms around him, laying her head on his back. "You can't tell me that you're not even a little bit curious to meet her."

Damon let out a breath. "I might know a few witches that can help."

* * *

><p>Bonnie tried to slam the door in Damon's face. "I'm not helping you!"<p>

Damon stopped the door with his foot. "Ow." He complained.

"I hate Kai! You know that! And the first thing you did when I got back was throw him in my face to fake apologize."

"Then I real apologized for being a dick!"

"And here you are, less than twenty four hours later asking me to work with him."

"Bonnie, we need Kai to get to 1903." Buffy said calmly. "And we need Bennett blood to do the spell. Otherwise, we would've asked Willow to do it. Granted, we would've had to call her and Tara back from their spring break in LA…." She shook her head. "Look, we're just going to go in, grab my mother-in-law, she'll flip Stefan's switch before he goes all crazy Ripper Stefan, and we save a lot of lives."

"If I give you my blood, will you just…. Get out of my face?"

"Oh, come on, Bonnie. Don't even try to tell me that you're not the least bit interested to see two Mrs. Salvatores in the same room. Every movie ever made involving in-laws is either a comedy or a horror. And my mother-in-law is literally a movie monster. Not even Hollywood could come up with this storyline!" Buffy gave Bonnie a grin and Bonnie sighed.

"Fine. I'll come with you."

"Great! Thank you."

"Does Kai have the Ascendant for that prison world?"

"I don't know."

"We haven't talked to him yet." Damon said. Bonnie nodded. "Maybe you could ask him? He's more likely to say yes to you."

"I don't want to spend a second more than I have to with him."

"Think of him kind of like Angel." Buffy said. "He sort of got a soul and now he's actually trying to atone for his sins with you. I mean, he apologized to Jo and apparently did a really good job. He was the one that broke the news to her that she and Alaric are expecting a baby."

"They are?"

"Yeah. And getting married."

"Good for them. And Jo bought his apology?"

"Yeah. Well, I mean, she's still got some anger issues…. He did cut out her spleen and all…. But he's actually really sorry for it."

"And right now, you're all he can talk about." Damon added. "He really wants to make amends with you."

Bonnie rolled her eyes. "Fine. I'll talk to him."

* * *

><p>Buffy grabbed her burgundy suede coat with the black fur along the cuffs of the sleeves and the neckline. Bonnie had warned them that it was freezing and snowing in the 1903 prison world. She and Kai were downstairs preparing the spell. Damon walked into the room and nodded his appreciation at the coat.<p>

"Pretty." He said, kissing her cheek.

"Thank you." Buffy handed him his coat and scarf. "Are you ok?"

"I'm fine."

She slipped the scarf around his neck and pulled him closer to her. "Don't lie to me, Damon."

He shook his head. "I'm fine. Really. I just want to get this over with."

"Ok." She accepted his kiss and they headed downstairs.

"Crocodile Dundee called. He wants his knife back." Kai was saying to Bonnie.

"You know, he's no longer a thing and neither is that joke." Bonnie retorted.

"Ouch."

"Are you guys done?" Buffy asked. "I have a mother-in-law to meet."

"You're very excited about this." Kai remarked.

Buffy shrugged. "Even if she's a psycho ripper vampire, she's still the woman that gave birth to the man I am deeply, madly, completely in love with." She shot Damon a smile and he shook his head, smiling back. "I'd like to thank her for that."

"Right." Bonnie said. "Shall we?"

"Fine." Damon took Buffy's hand. "Let's go get mom." Kai started to chant with Bonnie's blood on the Ascendant. Buffy put her free hand on Bonnie's shoulder and a bright light shone around them. Suddenly they were no longer in the warmth of the Salvatore Boarding House, but standing in a snowy forest. "Well isn't this a picturesque place in hell?"

"You guys go ahead." Bonnie said to Buffy and Damon. "Kai and I will start the locater spell for the Ascendant."

"You guys just had the Ascendant." Buffy said.

"The Ascendant can't travel between worlds." Kai said. "Which means we have to find its mirror image here in 1903."

"Page ten of the world jumping rule book." Damon quipped. He looked at Buffy. "Shall we?"

"We shall." Buffy allowed Damon to lead her away from Kai and Bonnie. "So, our house wasn't built yet?"

"Not till 1914."

"Where are we going, then?"

"We are going to the house that I grew up in. It's the most likely place where she'll be if she's here in Mystic Falls."

"The one that's just a pile of stones and some stairs in the woods now?"

"The very one."

Buffy smiled. "I know your mom might be crazy and we've got a lot of problems to deal with back home, but is it crazy that I'm kind of giddy to see where you grew up?"

Damon smiled. "It's not crazy. I mean, I made a cross country road trip just to see the house where you grew up."

She snuggled in closer to him and he wrapped his arm around her as they made their way through the woods. "I'm pretty sure there aren't going to be any posters on the wall of Nirvana here."

Damon laughed. "No. My old bedroom was pretty boring. Yours was much more exciting."

They finally made their way up the path to the old Salvatore estate. Damon pointed out a few spots in the front of the house that he thought might interest his wife. Buffy seemed to really love the place and it made Damon happy that he was able to show her this house. They made their way up to the front door and pushed it open. They separated for a moment as Damon walked around the hallway.

Buffy spotted pictures on the fireplace mantel and went over to them. "Baby Stefan or baby Damon?" She asked as Damon joined her.

He took the picture and examined it. "That's baby Stefan." Damon reached around her and picked up the other picture. "This is baby me." He was sitting on his mother's lap and staring straight at the camera. Damon ran his thumb across the picture, a sad look coming across his face. After a moment, he handed her the picture. "We're not here to socialize. We get the Ascendant, we find my mother and after she flips Stefan's switch, we figure out what the hell we're going to do with her."

Buffy sighed and slipped both the pictures into her coat pocket. "Damon…." She walked over to him and took his hands. "Your mother is alive. Granted, she's a vampire and one that murdered thousands of people, but she's alive. And she's here somewhere. Can't you at least admit that that's a little bit exciting?"

"From 1858 to 1903, Lily was blood binging through Europe while Stefan and I carried the loss. Not exactly maternal. As far as I'm concerned, my mother died when we buried her empty coffin. What we're looking for is just a tool to get my brother back." He leaned his head down and placed his forehead against hers. "As far as I'm concerned, you're the one and only Mrs. Salvatore."

"Damon?" A woman's voice said behind him.

Damon froze and looked at Buffy. She pulled her head back and looked around him. Lily Salvatore stood in the doorway holding firewood. Finally, Damon turned around and looked at his mother's stunned face. "Hello, mother."

"How are you here?"

"Magic. I have some witch friends that helped us out."

Lily looked at Buffy still holding her son's hand. "And who are you?" She asked kindly.

"I'm…." Buffy glanced up at Damon. "Well, I'm your daughter-in-law."

Lily's eyes widened further and she looked at Damon. "You're married?"

"Yes." Damon said.

"For almost two years now." Buffy added.

Lily smiled brightly. "Oh, that's wonderful. And you're so lovely!" She set down the wood and walked up to Buffy. "I'm Lily Salvatore." Lily reached out and hugged Buffy tightly.

"I'm Buffy Salvatore." Buffy said, looking up at Damon with a shocked expression.

"What an interesting name." Lily pulled back and looked at Buffy, nodding. "Please, you must join me for some tea. I'll put the wood on the fire and heat the water in the kettle." She left the room and Damon looked down at his wife.

"What the hell was that?" He asked.

"She doesn't seem so bad." Buffy said, handing Damon her coat. He rolled his eyes at her as he took his coat off, tossing them both over the back of the couch. "Don't roll your eyes at me."

Damon sat down and looked up at her. "I get to roll my eyes all I want. This was your idea, not mine."

Buffy sat down next to him. "And so far it seems ok." Damon made a 'pft' sound at her and shook his head.

Lily came back into the room with the firewood and carefully placed it in the fireplace. They caught fire after a moment and she put the kettle on to heat the water inside. "My eldest son is married. Oh, I've missed so much." She took her coat off and placed it over the back of a chair before sitting down. "There was a time when I marked days on a calendar. I gave up after a few years, but judging by your bizarre attire…."

"You've been in here for over a century." Buffy said.

"Yeah, I would've come by sooner, but I thought you were safe and sound in the family crypt." Damon said. "My bad."

"Technically I did die in 1858. After a nurse in the TB ward fed me vampire blood."

"And you never thought to stop by and clear things up?"

Lily looked hurt by Damon's words. She stood up and went to check on the water. "How did you end up here…. Mrs. Salvatore?" Buffy asked.

"Mrs. Salvatore?" Damon asked incredulously.

Buffy shrugged. "That's who she is."

Lily laughed and turned back around. "Please, call me Lily. It was October 31st, 1903. I had just arrived in New York Harbor. The night sky was alive with this beautiful, shimmering light. And out of nowhere, a coven of witches attacked….. When I awoke, they were gone. Everyone was gone. That night, the sky danced with colors again and it's done so every night since."

"It's called prison." Damon said. "You must've pissed off a lot of people."

Buffy looked at Damon disbelievingly as Lily looked down, seemingly ashamed. "That life seems like forever ago." Lily set down a jar of blood and a small dropper. As she turned to get the tea cups set out, Damon picked up the dropper.

"You on a diet?" He asked.

"I depleted every slaughter house within walking distance and every butcher shop along the hellish trek from New York to Mystic Falls." She picked up the jar. "This is the last of the blood here. Two drops a week just to stay awake."

"That sounds…. Miserable." Buffy said.

Lily smiled kindly at her. "I manage." She looked at her son. "I hear you and your brother turned during the war."

"Mmhmm." Damon said.

"Your father must've been horrified."

"He was. And then Stefan ripped his throat out."

Lily giggled and almost dropped her tea. "I apologize. That's cruel to laugh, but…. Good for Stefan. I truly hated that man."

"Oh, I know you did. So much so that you left your kids with him, faked your own death, and went out to join the Ripper Coalition." Buffy reached over and pinched Damon's leg. He turned a withering glare on her. "Ow!" The glare had no effect on her. She gave him a reproving look right back.

"Well, it's nice to see that you've grown into yourself, Damon, and that you've found someone who obviously suits you very well." Lily looked at Buffy. "Damon was never fond of the girls that had no backbone. He always complained that they were boring and simple and that when he finally married, it would be someone that would challenge and stimulate him."

Buffy smiled and glanced over at Damon. "Oh, I love to challenge him." She looked back at Lily. "And he loves to challenge right back. We keep each other on our toes."

"That's absolutely wonderful. And are you a vampire as well?"

"Well, sort of…. I mean, technically I'm a hybrid of sorts. I was a Vampire Slayer and when Damon turned me, I didn't lose any of the powers I'd already had."

Lily grew very still. "A Vampire Slayer?"

"Yes."

"And don't worry, we know all about what you did to poor little Daniella." Damon said.

"I am very sorry for that." Lily said to Buffy.

"I am, too, but facing vampires is what Slayers do." Buffy said. "And all of them that came before me died the way most of us are supposed to die. In battle."

"And you chose to die and become a vampire. Why?"

"It's a very long story, but it wasn't the first time that I died. It was actually the third."

"Third? How is that possible?"

Damon let out a loud breath and said, "This is all well and good that my mother and my wife are chatting, but I have a brother to save."

Lily looked at Damon. "What's happened with Stefan?"

"Our friend Caroline just lost her mother at a very young age and she couldn't take the grief that comes with losing her mother properly, so she flipped her humanity switch. She was doing just fine until Stefan and his girlfriend interfered and pissed Caroline off. She made Stefan switch his humanity off in retaliation and when his humanity's off, he takes after you and turns into a blood thirsty ripper."

"That's actually why we're here." Buffy said. "He needs an emotional trigger to turn his humanity back on."

"And you believe that I can reconnect Stefan with his humanity." Lily said.

"The last memory Stefan has of you is a vision of an angel telling him that everything is going to be ok."

"So, you're going to be an angel again." Damon said. "He doesn't need to know how screwed up you really are."

Lily glared at Damon for a moment before softening. "Of course I'll help. I'd love nothing more than to see him again."

Damon stood up. "Pack your bags." He held his hand out to help Buffy up.

"Wonderful." Lily stood up. "I'll alert the others."

Buffy and Damon stopped in their tracks and turned back to Lily. "You'll alert who now?" Damon asked.

"You knew so much about me, I assumed you'd heard of my traveling companions."

"What traveling companions?"

Lily gave them a small smile. "Come. I'll show you." She grabbed an oil lamp and led them out of the room and through a back door. They were outside for a few moments before walking into a cave. They followed her through the winding tunnel until they came to a large opening where six desiccated vampires were sitting at a table. They were set up like they were ready for a tea party. "Everyone, meet my son, Damon, and his wife, Buffy. They're here to take us home."

Damon turned his head to look at Buffy with a disbelieving look on his face as Lily began lighting the other oil lamps in the room and cranking up a phonograph to play music. Buffy took his hand as she said, "These vampires have been trapped with you the whole time?"

"We went everywhere together. They happened to be on the boat that night, poor souls."

"These poor souls don't happen to have the same affinity for rolling heads, do they?" Damon asked.

"On the contrary. These people saved me from that part of myself. I was banished here because I was a monster. I drank with no remorse from whatever human I could sink my teeth into. But locked in this cage, I was forced to confront the animal that I had become. And as we ran out of resources, my friends sacrificed their rations for me and I knew if I drank everything as every bone in my body demanded, there wouldn't be enough to wake them. So, I learned to control my blood lust…. for them. These people made me feel human again." Damon's hand tightened on Buffy's. "I'll fetch the last of the blood so we can revive them." Lily stepped past Buffy and Damon and headed out of the cave.

Damon pulled Buffy to him, noticing that the desiccated vampires' eyes followed them. "Not only is she a ripper, she's an insane ripper." He whispered to her.

Buffy shrugged. "Maybe she feels responsible for them."

"Are you kidding me? She has a vampire dollhouse!"

As Buffy looked over at the desiccated vampires and the creepy display that Lily had set up with them, she noticed a familiar figure sitting next to the phonograph. "Damon…." Buffy walked over and picked up the 1903 Ascendant. "Oh, you've got to be kidding me."

"What?" Damon walked over and looked down at the Ascendant. "Oh…."

"Bonnie's not looking for the Ascendant. She's looking for revenge."

"We've got to go." Buffy nodded her agreement as she turned and rushed out, heading for the house. Damon caught up to her as she opened the back door. Lily was already in her coat and was holding the jar of blood. He grabbed his and Buffy's coats and said, "Your vampire menagerie is gonna have to take the next train out. We're down a witch."

"You want to leave them behind?" Lily asked. "No, Damon, you can't save me without saving them."

"We'll come back for them. Promise. Let's go."

Buffy moved towards the window and looked outside. "The aurora borealis is in the sky now."

Bonnie came through the door. "Also known as our ticket out of here. You got it?"

"What did you do to Kai?" Buffy demanded.

"Let's not worry about that now, babe." Damon said. He turned to look at his mother, but she was gone. "You gotta be kidding me. Go. Start the damn spell. I'll go get her."

"Yeah, I don't think so. Bonnie, we'll meet you where we came in at." Buffy turned to her husband. "The last time Bonnie started a spell and you ran off, you didn't make it back. I'm going with you and the Ascendant comes with us. Insurance policy." She followed Damon out and they rushed down to the caves. Lily was feeding one of the vampires a dropper of blood. Damon grabbed her and pushed her against the wall. The jar flew out of her hands and shattered against the floor.

"No!" She cried.

"I said they're not coming." Damon said.

"What have you done?"

"We'll see them at the reunion. Let's go."

"You don't understand, Damon. I will not leave them."

"Too bad."

"They are my family." The words struck Damon and his grip on Lily relaxed. She yanked her arm away from him. "These people are my family."

Now Buffy was mad. The stricken look on her husband's face was too much. She walked over and grabbed Lily in a vice grip. "Ok, now I get to be the bitch that married your son. These freaks may be your family, but Stefan Salvatore is ours and if you don't want to help him, then you're welcome to stay here and rot." Lily shook her head. "We're leaving now and you're coming with us." Buffy pulled Lily along, using her immeasurable strength to keep her under control. Damon followed them to where Bonnie was waiting. Buffy tossed her the Ascendant and Bonnie cut open her hand and began the spell. As the white light flared, they heard Kai scream Bonnie's name. Bonnie gave a sadistic smile in his direction just before the light faded and they were standing in the Salvatore Boarding House in present day.

* * *

><p>Buffy walked up the stairs to find where Damon had gone. They'd put Lily in Stefan's room since he obviously wasn't using it. She decided that's where she might find her husband, so she made her way upstairs. Damon wasn't there, but Lily was sitting at the computer staring at the screensaver. She briefly thought about walking away, but Lily knew she was there.<p>

"The whole world runs on those things." Buffy said. "It would be a good thing to learn if you plan to stay here in this time."

Lily looked over at her. "Maybe you and Damon could teach me."

Buffy shook her head. "I'm not very good with computers and neither is Damon. Stefan, weirdly enough, is. You can ask him after we get him back." After a moment, she started to leave, but Lily's voice stopped her.

"You must not think much of me."

Taking a deep breath, Buffy turned back around. "Do you know one of the things that Damon and I first bonded over? You. We talked about how much we loved our mothers. How wonderful they were. How much they cared about us and how we lost them before we were even close to being ready. I got to spend one more day with my mother and it was amazing. And when the opportunity arose for Damon to actually get to spend more than just a day with his mother…." She trailed off, reigning in her anger. "I get that those people meant a lot to you, but Damon is your flesh and blood. He's your son and he was begging you to help his brother, but you were more worried about people you met while you were off living it up ripper style. I made excuses for you. I wanted Damon to have his mother back. But the sad truth is: You abandoned your sons. So, no. I don't think much of you anymore, but Damon and Stefan love you and I love them. And that's the only reason you're here."

Lily nodded, looking away from Buffy for a moment. "I do love them. You and Damon may not believe it, but I do. The night of my funeral, an angel did visit Stefan. Me. I had just turned and I wanted to see my boys. But when I leaned down to whisper in Stefan's ear, the hunger surged. All I could hear was the pulse in his veins. All I could smell was the blood. So I fled. For the sake of my boys. And no matter how deeply Damon or Stefan felt my absence, it is half as deep as I felt theirs."

"Then maybe you should've put your blood lust aside and gone to them before you were imprisoned."

"Perhaps you're right." Buffy nodded and turned away. "I'm glad you're the one the mantle of Mrs. Salvatore was passed to, Buffy."

The blonde Vampire Slayer vampire paused only for the briefest of moments before walking out of the room. She found Damon sitting in their room staring at the fire in the fireplace. He looked up and smiled at her. "Hey."

"Hey." Buffy went over to him and leaned her knees against the edge of the bed between his legs, resting her arms on his shoulders.

He was holding the picture Buffy had grabbed of him as a child with Lily. "You kept this."

"Of course I did. It's the only baby picture of my husband in existence."

Damon set the picture down on the nightstand and wrapped his arms around her, pressing his cheek against her chest. "Did you talk to Rick or Elena?"

"Nope. I've been busy elsewhere."

"Yeah. I heard you talking to her."

"Uh huh…."

"She's just a means to get Stefan back."

Buffy nodded. "I know."

"Thank you. For what you said up there." He looked up at her and she leaned down to kiss him. Suddenly, Buffy was underneath Damon, pressed into the mattress. He moved the hair out of her eyes, staring deeply into them. "God I love you."

Buffy reached up and ran her fingers through his hair. "I love you, too."

Damon closed the distance between their lips, kissing her passionately.


	127. Chapter 125

Chapter 125

Buffy pulled her robe around her tighter and opened the front door to find Bonnie standing there. "Bonnie."

"Hi. Can I come in?" Bonnie asked.

"Uh, sure." Buffy stepped out of the way and shut the door behind Bonnie. "What's up?"

"I just wanted to thank you and Damon for helping me find closure yesterday."

"One, it is way too early for this conversation, but if it's happening…. Then I've got to tell you that that wasn't closure what you did. It was revenge and it was petty. And two, there's a crazy-lady upstairs who wants to open that prison world up more than anything."

"We're never going back there, right?"

"We have to."

"No! Kai deserved what he got."

"The old Kai deserved that. The new Kai…. He was trying. He wanted to make it right with you."

"How could you believe that? He was a monster!"

"So was Angelus."

"He had a soul forced on him."

"So did Kai! When he merged with Luke, he got Luke's soul. You know, Bonnie, you are reverting back to your judgy little self that I really didn't like when we first met."

"I'm not sure if becoming a vampire was good for you. You've really started caring for murderers and psychopaths more than your real friends."

"Tara once said I see the good in people. Maybe that got heightened when I turned and gave me the ability to be friends with people like Klaus and Elijah and even potentially Kai, but right now…. You're making it very, very hard for me to see the good in _you_."

Bonnie sighed and looked away. "Maybe this will help. I have something for you. A gift from 1994." She opened up her bag and pulled out a familiar brown wooden box.

"That's not what I think it is."

"If it wasn't for Damon's notes on the map of Nova Scotia, I would have never remembered there was magic on that island. There's a good chance that I wouldn't be here today. So, for my 1994 road trip, I got you a little something."

Buffy took the box and opened it. The cure for immortality from Silas's tomb lay inside. "The cure."

"I knew Damon was planning on getting it himself. He had the whole route mapped down to the kilometer. My mom's surprisingly happy as a vampire. You and Damon like being vampires. I have full faith that we'll get Caroline back to normal the old-fashioned way. So…."

"It's for Elena. Why didn't you just give it to her yourself?"

"Because you wanted more than anything for her to be human. When she was turned, you were devastated. You almost killed Stefan because he saved Matt and not Elena. Because you still mourn the life that was taken from her. If anyone has the right to give Elena the cure, it's you."

Buffy took a deep breath. "Thank you, Bonnie."

"You're welcome. Sorry to barge in on you this early in the morning." Bonnie turned and walked out of the house.

Damon came down the stairs and saw Buffy standing in the hallway. "Hey, babe. I thought you were getting us some O positive." He saw the box in her hand. "Where did you get that?"

"Bonnie…." Buffy looked at Damon. "She, uh, she brought it from the prison world."

"Why did she give it to you?"

"So I could give it to Elena."

"Does Elena even want it? She seems like she's happy as a vampire now."

"The cure was taken off the table and she accepted her fate…. But I don't think she's ever been happy as a vampire."

"Are you going to give it to her, then?"

"I'll give her the option. I'm sure she'll want to talk to Stefan once we get his humanity turned back on, though. Until then, we'll keep it safe."

Damon watched her walk towards the stairs for a moment. "Buff." She turned and looked at him. "Do _you_ want to give it to her?"

"More than anything, I want her to have a normal, human life. To get married and have babies and grow old with the man she chooses to love for the rest of her life. But all of that means I end up losing her one day. And I'm very tired of losing the people I love."

He walked up to her and gently took her face between his hands. "I know, baby." Damon kissed her softly.

"I'm gonna take a shower."

"I'll join you."

"I'd like that."

* * *

><p>After their shower, Buffy and Damon were wrapped in fluffy towels. Buffy stood at the sink and watched the water pour out of the faucet. Damon was over in the closet picking out his outfit for the day. He spotted her staring at the water and not brushing her teeth. With a sigh, he came over and wrapped his arms around her.<p>

"Babe…."

"Sorry." She turned the water off and set down her toothbrush. "I don't mean to be so sad, but…."

"I'm sad, too. I'm just as tired of losing people as you are."

"I'm also sad that your mother isn't who you remembered."

"That woman in there is just a tool to get Stefan's humanity back."

"I know that, but…." She trailed off and looked down at Damon's arms around her.

He gave her a squeeze. "But what?"

"I wanted to give you more time with your mother. You loved her so much, Damon."

"I do love my mother. I will always love my mother, but I buried her and said goodbye to her in 1858." He kissed her shoulder and nuzzled her neck. "I love you so much, Buffy."

"I love you, too." Buffy looked up at their reflection in the mirror and smiled slightly.

"That's a pretty picture." Damon said, resting his chin on top of her head.

Before she said anything else, the smell of food hit her senses. "What is that smell?"

Damon took a big whiff. "Mom's cooking."

"Smells…. Good. And bacon-y."

"Probably not real bacon." Buffy turned and looked up at her husband. He gave her a mischievous grin. "It's probably some baby she abducted from a nearby village." That made her smile and Damon kissed her forehead. "There's that beautiful smile."

"Hopefully I'll give you more of them once we get Stefan back. He and Caroline are probably fang deep in bodies by now."

"So, let's get mom and get crackin." He kissed her swiftly before they finished getting dressed and headed downstairs.

"I hope you don't mind." Lily said as they walked into the kitchen. "I used to love cooking for my boys and I haven't been able to in a very long time." She set plates full of food down on the table as Buffy and Damon sat down. Damon picked up one of the slices of bread and took a bite. "This was always Damon's favorite." Lily said to Buffy as she sat down with her own plate. "Eggie in baskie."

"It doesn't taste like I remember." Damon said.

"Well, you were human the last time you tasted it. Our tastes change over time. Buffy, did your mother cook?"

"Yes." Buffy said.

"What was your favorite thing to eat that she cooked for you?"

"I don't remember."

Lily took a breath and tried again. "What about you? Do you cook?"

"Sometimes."

"Damon, you used to like helping me in the kitchen. Do you two like to cook together?"

"Sometimes." Damon said, taking a cue from his wife's cold shoulder.

Lily nodded, realizing that she wasn't going to crack the two in front of her. "So, if I understood correctly, in order to free my companions from the place where I was trapped we'll need the magical device."

"The Ascendant."

"Yes. The Ascendant. Where is that?"

"Safe. Very safe."

"And we'll also need a celestial event."

"We'll have to do some digging, yeah. Be patient. They take time. They're very rare."

"There's a full moon coming up. Will that work? If not, the Lyrid's meteor shower is in two weeks."

"Well, look at you. If you're not a one woman almanac."

"Actually, I took your advice, Buffy, and I've been dabbling on Stefan's computer. What a wondrous invention! All that knowledge."

"And videos of cats riding robot vacuum cleaners." Buffy's phone started vibrating and she pulled it out of her jeans pocket. It was a text from Elena. Damon leaned into Buffy's shoulder. "Is everything ok?"

"It's Elena." Buffy said. "She says that there's been a serious spike in vampire attacks at Whitmore. Two guesses who it could be and the first one doesn't count."

"One of them is blonde and the other one likes turning people into human Pez dispensers?"

"Ding, ding, ding, we have a winner. I think it's time to enact plan Lily and get Stefan back."

"Mind if we take my car?"

"Of course not." Buffy stood up and looked at Lily. "It's a rule in our house that whoever cooks gets to clean up. I'm sure the internet has instructions on how to use a dishwasher." She walked out of the kitchen.

Lily sighed and turned to Damon. "She's the lady of the house. You should probably follow her rules." Damon said before following Buffy out.

* * *

><p>Damon was purposely driving like a bat out of hell while Lily sat in the backseat gripping whatever she could get her hands on. Buffy sat in the passenger's seat trying to hide a smirk at her husband. She was texting Elena to let her know what the plan was.<p>

"She's pissed that we didn't tell her about our plan." Buffy said.

"Why does she think we always have to tell her what we're doing?" Damon asked.

"I don't know. She's probably stressed from working at the hospital and dealing with her emotionless boyfriend's wandering teeth."

"Well, we're on our way. We'll find them, you take care of Caroline, and you…." He glanced back at Lily. "You look Stefan right in the eyes and…."

"And I will return him to the man he used to be." Lily said.

"Exactly."

"And once we've done that, then we will go rescue my friends?"

"Sure. I know how terribly concerned you are about them." Damon kept his eyes on the road, trying to hide the brief hurt. Buffy reached over and took his hand, squeezing it slightly.

"How long have you two been together?" Lily asked from the backseat. "You never said."

"A few years." Buffy said.

Lily sighed. "I know you don't like me, Buffy, but I'm trying to have a civilized discussion with you both. I want to get to know the woman my son married."

"You want to get to know me?"

"Yes."

"Ok." Buffy turned in her seat and gave Lily an icy glare. "I am fiercely loyal to my husband and I don't like anyone that hurts him. In any way. I once ripped the throat out of someone that was hurting him."  
>"That's very good to know. Is there anything else you want to tell me?"<p>

"No."

"Very well. May I tell you something I learned about you on my own?" Buffy didn't answer her, so Lily nodded and continued. "You're an exceptional guardian to Elena."

"You haven't even met Elena."

"No, but I heard you speaking with your friend Bonnie this morning."

"You spied on me?"

"Well, I didn't mean to eavesdrop. I'm just not used to hearing other voices. I couldn't help but listen. And it's not every day that someone hears something so rare as the cure for vampirism."

"It is if you've been around here the last couple of years."

"Have you told Elena about the cure, yet?"

"Not that it's any of your business, but no. That's not something you text."

"_Will_ you tell her?"

"Of course I will. Eventually. It's her decision."

"Even if it means losing her?"

"Even if it means losing her…. Someday."

"Would you ever consider taking it?"

"No."

"You don't want to be human again?"

"I don't even remember what it's like to be human. It's been over 15 years since I could last be called that." Damon squeezed Buffy's hand and she smiled over at him. "I've got you to keep me company for the rest of eternity. That's really a better prospect than being a human for a small handful of years."  
>He smiled and brought her hand to his lips. "I agree."<p>

* * *

><p>"If your brother's on the hunt, he won't be staying in one place." Lily said as she followed Buffy and Damon through the hallways of one of the college buildings.<p>

"Well, we have to start somewhere." Damon retorted.

"Elena said she treated some kid who was attacked coming out of Modern European History." Buffy said. "And Willow said that class is in this building." Her phone vibrated and she took it out. She groaned and rolled her eyes.

"What?" Damon looked over her shoulder and read the text. "Well, well…. Mother knows best. Elena says they're at Skull Bar. Come on."

"We've yet to discuss what we'll do if Stefan fails to remember me." Lily said.

"Are you kidding? You're his mother. Of course he's going to remember you." Buffy snapped.

Lily moved towards them looking extremely unsure. "Tell me you can do this." Damon growled.

"What if I say the wrong thing?" Lily asked. "A century and a half is a long time to be away."

"You'll be fine. Just channel whatever you were feeling when you came back to get us."

"When I came back to get you?"

"Yeah. In 1903. You found out we were vampires, you landed in New York Harbor after a 40 year romp in Europe, and you…." Lily's face made Damon falter. "You…. Oh. You weren't coming to get us."

"No. I wasn't. I'm sorry."

Buffy placed her hand on Damon's shoulder as she stepped around him. Her voice was like fire and ice all at once. "You're going to try."

"I've been trying! Since I laid my eyes on my son yesterday I have been trying with all of my heart to reconnect with the woman who was his mother." Lily looked up at Damon and he slipped his hand into Buffy's, squeezing tightly. "To remember what it felt like to mourn you and your brother after I was banished by your father. After I was turned, the only thing more powerful than the longing I felt for you was the fear of what I would do if I ever saw you again. So I stayed away. I had to find others who could help me find my way back to myself and by the time my new family helped me to do that…. Everything I felt for my old family, for you and your brother…. Was gone. I hate that I can't make myself feel more. I'm so sorry." Lily walked past Buffy and Damon down the hallway.

Buffy turned to Damon and looked up into his hurt face. She couldn't take the tears threatening to spill out of his eyes. Suddenly, Buffy was standing a few steps in front of Lily. Her eyes had turned that supernatural glowing blue as she glared at Lily. "Stop right there." Lily stopped in her tracks. "You're not done here. You're the only solution to getting my brother-in-law back, so you're going to walk over to that bar and you're going to put on the performance of a lifetime. You…." Buffy stopped and realized that Lily was staring at her like she was being compelled. "Damon…."

He walked over and looked at Lily's face. "Are you compelling her?"

"I…. I can't do that."

"Apparently you can." Damon waved his hand in front of Lily's face, but she didn't react.

"Damon, I can't compel vampires. I'm not an Original."

"But you have their strength. You're a Vampire Slayer. It makes sense that you'd be able to have some control over vampires with your heightened powers. Finish compelling her and let's get Stefan."

Buffy took a deep breath and caught Lily's gaze again. "You're going to make sure Stefan believes every word you say. You're going to tell him that you ran away because you were a Ripper and you didn't want to hurt him and Damon. You wanted to see him grow up and protect him from his father, but you were protecting him from yourself. You finally got your appetite under control and you were coming back for your sons in 1903 when you were captured by the Gemini coven and banished to the prison world. You're going to tell him that the only thing that helped you get through all those years of imprisonment was the hope that you'd get to see your sons again. You hated that you abandoned them, but you're going to make up for it now. You're going to tell Stefan that his angel has finally returned to him." She paused and looked at Damon, taking the 1903 Ascendant out of his jacket pocket. "And then you're going to take the Ascendant for your prison world and get out of Damon's life. You've caused enough hurt for five lifetimes." Buffy shoved the relic into Lily's hands and released her from the compulsion.

Damon and Lily followed Buffy out of the building and across the street to the bar. Buffy smelled familiar blood coming from inside. She rushed to the door and opened it. Stefan was sitting at a table near the bar while Caroline sat on the bar with her legs dangling. Tyler was on the floor holding a towel to Matt's bleeding torso.

Caroline rolled her eyes at Buffy. "Come to lecture us to death?"

"No." Buffy walked over to Tyler and Matt and knelt down to inspect Matt's wound. "It's not fatal. You need to get him to Elena. She's at the hospital."

Caroline rushed at Buffy, thinking she might have the element of surprise, but Buffy was so much faster. Caroline landed with a crash behind the bar. Just then, Damon and Lily walked into the bar and Stefan stood up, looking shocked as he recognized Lily. Caroline got to her feet and jumped back over the bar.

"Who's that?" She asked.

"That's my mother." Stefan said, his eyes not leaving Lily.

Buffy helped Tyler get Matt to his feet. "Go." She got them out the door and shut it behind them.

"So…. You have a mother?" Caroline asked Stefan.

"I had a mom." Stefan said. "She died. So whoever this is, is Damon and Buffy's lame attempt to get my humanity back on."

"Let me guess, then you work on getting my humanity back on. I don't think so." Caroline moved to break a barstool, but before she could stab Stefan in the back with it, Buffy was slapping the makeshift stake out of her hand and hauling Caroline off her feet by her neck.

"We're not here for you, Caroline." Buffy walked the younger blonde towards the door. "Get out of here and enjoy your year of no emotions." She let Caroline go and Caroline ran out the door.

"I'm sure you have many questions." Lily said to Stefan.

"Well, the fact that you haven't aged a day answers the big one." Stefan suddenly turned and tried to run, but Damon blocked his exit.

"I'm a Ripper." Lily said. Stefan turned to her. "All of the guilt that you've carried for your lack of control…. It's my fault. Not yours. You get it from me. That's why I had to leave. I was so new to the bloodlust. I was afraid I would hurt you and your brother. The last time I saw you was the day of my funeral. You weren't imagining it. I was your angel. If only I'd been there to see you grow into a young man…. To protect you from your father's temper…. But I was so ashamed of the things that I'd done. Of what I'd become. By the time I'd gotten my appetite under control and was coming back for you and your brother, I was hunted down and banished to a prison world by the Gemini. The one thing that helped me get through being trapped in that awful place was the hope of seeing my sons again. I know there are no words to make up for me abandoning you, but we have all of eternity for me to try. Your angel has returned to you." Lily placed her hand on Stefan's cheek. "I will never leave you again."

Buffy waited with her breath held as Stefan closed his eyes. When he opened them again, he'd flipped his humanity switch back on. "Mother…." He said before he embraced Lily.

"My sweet, sweet boy."

Buffy walked over and joined Damon, wrapping her arms around his torso. He kissed the top her head as he held her tightly to him.

* * *

><p>Later that night, Buffy and Damon found Stefan staring at a missing person's flyer in a shop window. He didn't turn around to look at them, but he said, "How did you find her?"<p>

"On a list of things to be worrying about, she's not one of them." Damon said. "You get a night, Stefan. A night to beat yourself up. Do your shame spiral, then you have to come home and be with your family. We have something to discuss with you."

Stefan turned around, shaking his head. "I don't need a night. Buffy, I'm sorry I didn't listen to you. We should've left Caroline alone.

"We're still going to leave Caroline alone." Buffy said.

"We can't."

"Why not?"

"Because I broke her control. I set her on a path of destruction. She knows what it's like to let go now and she likes it."

Buffy took a deep breath. "Stefan…."

"This is my fault. I'm sorry. I'll find Caroline and I'll make this right." He turned and walked off.

Damon nodded. "That went well." Buffy shook her head as she and Damon began to walk arm in arm down the street. "Hell of a day, huh?"

"Hell of a day." Buffy sighed. "We should go let Elena know that Stefan's back to his normal self. Make sure Donovan didn't bite it…. Again."

"Whatever you wanna do."

They walked in silence until they got to the hospital doors. Buffy stopped and turned to face him before they walked in. "I'm so sorry, Damon."

Damon shrugged. "It's fine. 150 years is a long time to care."

"Says the one who pined for Katherine Pierce for over a century and a half." She took his hands in hers. "It's ok to feel hurt and angry. Being abandoned by your parent sucks. And I guess it sucks worse because she's the second woman to do that to you."

"Says the woman who's never done that to me."

"And I never will. I just wanted you to know that I'm sorry for pushing you into bringing her back. I thought that maybe deep down, she was still your mother and we could all have a happy reunion."

"Seriously, babe, don't worry about it. It got my brother back. That's all I care about. And hey! You can compel vampires. That's gonna come in handy."

"Probably."

Damon leaned down and kissed her. "I love you."

"I love you."

"Let's go tell Elena that her boyfriend's back."

They found Elena walking out of the faculty lounge as she put on her coat. She spotted them coming down the hall. "Hey guys! How did it go? Did Stefan turn his humanity back on? He hasn't called."

"He's had a lot to process." Damon said. "But yes, it worked."

"Good. I should call him."

"Wait a little bit. He's got a mission he's put himself on."  
>"What mission?"<br>"He broke Caroline's control apparently. So now she's gotten a taste of the wild life and likes it a lot. He's going to hunt her down and try to flip her switch back on."

Elena nodded. "I should still call him. See if he needs some help. Hey, did you guys know that Jo is pregnant?"

"Yes." Buffy said as Damon said, "No."

"Wait, you knew?" Damon asked Buffy.

"Alaric told me when I called him yesterday." Buffy said. "They're getting married, too."

"Why didn't he tell me?"

"You were busy destroying our library. Which…. I should probably call a cleaning service and then see how much repairs are going to cost. Next time, go in the woods and destroy some trees."

"I wanna throw Jo a baby shower." Elena said suddenly. "Jo's pregnancy is the best news we've had in a little while…. And I feel like I didn't react the way I should've."

"Why not?"

"Because I think I was…. I don't know…."

"Jealous?" Damon offered.

"Yeah. A little. I mean, I've always wanted a family. Before…. You know…. So Jo's pregnancy and seeing you guys with Hope…. It was all kind of a bummer of a reminder that it's never gonna happen for me."

"What if…." Buffy took Damon's hand. "What if things could be different for you?"  
>"They're not."<p>

"But what if they could be?"

Elena shrugged. "Unless Willow has come up with something new to turn back time or made a new cure, nothing's changed. But that's ok." Elena hugged Buffy tightly. "I get to spend eternity with one of my best friends. We get to see the world together with our Salvatore brothers." She smiled and stepped back. "I'm going to go see if Stefan needs any help."

Buffy watched Elena walk away and Damon wrapped his arm around her shoulders. She looked up at him. "That settles it, then, doesn't it?"

Damon shook his head. "Not necessarily. Maybe you tell her about the cure and she decides that she'd rather have the eternity with her BFF."

"I have to give her that option, though."

Before Damon could answer, Jo rounded the corner with her cell phone in her hand. She looked deeply worried about something. "Hey Jo," Buffy said.

"I was just texting you." Jo said, putting her phone back in her pocket. "What are you guys doing here?"

"Just letting Elena know that Stefan's humanity is back on. What's wrong?"

"So, I called my dad to let him know that Kai is gone. But all he wants to know is where the Ascendant is. We have to destroy it."

"Why?" Buffy asked. "I mean…. We kind of already gave it to Lily."

"You need to get it back. Now."

"What's going on?" Damon asked.

"Before the 1900s, your mother fell in with a group of witches that were cast out of the Gemini coven. They're known as heretics…. Siphoners…. Like Kai. But not just that. Lily turned them. Resulting in creatures that are both witch and vampire."

"Far be it for me of all people to say this, but that's not possible." Buffy said. "Vampires can't be witches."

"These are witches that only have magic when they siphon power from another source. As vampires…."

"They have a constant source." Damon said. "They can siphon off of themselves."

"They were on their way to destroy the Gemini, but the coven got to them first. Put them into exile. Heretics are ruthless. Vampires with witch power…. An aberration of nature. They can never be allowed to escape. Imagine Kai with the bloodlust of a vampire. Now imagine six of them."

Buffy and Damon exchanged worried looks.


	128. Chapter 126

Chapter 126

Buffy stood in the library staring out the window at the garden beyond. She loved it here, but Klaus's words were starting to come true. He'd once told her that small town life wouldn't be good enough. She was beginning to want to leave Mystic Falls and start traveling again. It was only a matter of time before Elena took the cure, and soon Alaric and Jo would be moving on with their human lives, and Jeremy was off living his. Suddenly there wasn't a lot holding her here anymore.

Except Damon.

Would he want to leave Mystic Falls, too? It was his home. It had been his home for over 170 years. Sure he left it, but he always came back. Of course, Buffy would come back with him. It just made her sad to know that Elena would be getting older and Alaric and Jo would be parents and everything would be completely different.

Behind her, Damon walked in and watched his wife's solemn face. She'd been so melancholy since Liz's funeral. She didn't know it, but she cried in her sleep. He would wake up to feel the tears seeping out of her eyes. Not once had he seen her actually cry when she was awake, but the fact that she couldn't hold it back in her sleep proved she was hurting and not allowing anyone to know how deep her hurt ran.

"Stefan managed to find Caroline." Damon said. Buffy nodded. "He and Elena have a plan. They're coming over in a little bit to let us in on it."

"Ok." Buffy said.

Damon walked over to his wife and wrapped his arms around her. "What's wrong, baby?"

"For the first time, I'm starting to realize what being an immortal creature means."

"What do you mean?"

"Liz died. She was human and she died. And it was like her death triggered something in everyone. They're all moving on. Elena's going to end up taking the cure and become human again. She's going to move on with her life and get married and have a family…. Jo and Alaric are already there in their lives. We've barely seen them! Jeremy's gone. And I'm just…. Here."

"With me."

"Of course with you. I don't want to be anywhere but with you…."

"But?"

"I want to travel again, Damon. Going to New Orleans and then driving to Oregon…. I'd forgotten how much I missed traveling."

"So, we'll travel."

"Do you mean it?"

He smiled at her shocked face. "Of course I do. So, we'll make sure Elena is ok, we'll attend Jo and Alaric's wedding, we'll make sure that Lily is completely out of our hair…. And then we'll point to a random spot on a globe and go there."

"But Mystic Falls is your home. You've been so content here these last few years."

"I've been content here because you've been here, babe. _You're_ my home." He shrugged. "Besides, I think I had my fill of Mystic Falls when I was stuck in that prison world. We always said we were going to travel. So, let's stretch our legs. Let's compel ourselves a yacht with a crew and sail the oceans! The world is ours to do with as we please."

Buffy smiled. "You want to go sailing?"

"Why not? I've never done it before. I mean, I've sailed before but not for pleasure. It was to get from America to Europe and back." Damon grinned. "Imagine how much fun it would be to own a big yacht and a crew to wait on us hand and foot. We'd show the royals how it's done."

She chuckled. "If that's what you want to do, then let's do it."

"What are you guys doing?" Elena asked, walking in with Stefan.

"Just planning our future." Damon said. He turned around. "If it isn't the man with a plan."

"Elena helped." Stefan said.

"So what have you come up with?" Buffy asked.

"Please tell me it's something useful!" Damon added.

"Ok, first step: convince her that my humanity's still off." Stefan said. "I'll tell her that my run in with my mother had no effect on me and I wanna keep the party going."

"Let me guess, whoever's holding the kitten gets to talk about their feelings."

"Torture her until she breaks."

"The Lexi method. Sold."

"I feel like I need to remind everyone that the last time you all tried to flip Caroline's switch, she went on a killing spree and drug Stefan along with her." Buffy said. "What's to stop that from happening again?"

"Because I'll make sure she doesn't know."

"See, babe? Nothing to worry about." Damon said. "Go be convincing, Stefan."

"Well, I do worry. So, if you can convince her, which I have my serious doubts about, why are you so sure she'll even want to see you again?" Stefan looked away and avoided making contact with Elena, who was standing mere inches from him. "Oh. Of course. You and Caroline…." Buffy looked at Elena.

"We've…. Already talked about it." Elena said. "I can't hold it against him because it wasn't him."

"Uh huh…."

"Oh come on!" Stefan said. "You don't hold anything Angelus did against Angel."

"Well, no, but it did take me some time to come to terms with it."

"I'm still working on that part." Elena said.

"Ok, moving on." Damon said. "What do we do once you earn her trust?"

"We drain her of her blood, make her weak, and then bombard her with everything she used to care about." Stefan said.

"Memories of who she was, her friendships, her mom." Elena reached into her bag and pulled out an envelope.

"What's that?" Buffy asked.

"Caroline got rid of everything from her former life."

"Oh…." Buffy took the letter and looked at the writing on the envelope. "Liz sent this so it would arrive after she'd died."

"Which, it did, but Caroline had already flipped her switch."

"It could work." Stefan said.

"Sure." Damon said. "Unless she wants sexy Stefan time instead of an assault on memory lane."

"I'm not going to let that happen."

"Do I need to compel you to make sure that doesn't happen?" Buffy asked.

Stefan looked at her with a confused stare. "What?"

"Turns out, my wife can compel vampires." Damon said.

"Have you always been able to?" Elena asked.

"I don't know." Buffy said. "I just discovered it yesterday."

"Who did you compel?"

"Uh…. Lily. I compelled Lily."

"To do what?" Stefan asked.

"Well, I was really upset. She said some horrible things to Damon and I just couldn't take it and I accidentally compelled her. Well, it started out as an accident, but then I used it to get her to say the right things to make you believe her and flip your switch."

"Everything she said to me…."

"Was my compulsion." Stefan sat down and shook his head. "Well, she did go to you after her funeral. That part wasn't a lie. And she did run off to protect you, but while she was away, she met these…. Witchpires…. And ended up forgetting about her real family. She's not the mother you remember. I'm sorry we lied to you, Stefan."

"No. I get why you did it. My switch needed to be flipped and that was the fastest way to do it."

"As far as we're concerned, brother," Damon said. "We buried our mom in 1858."

Stefan nodded. "Right."

"Wait, if you can compel vampires now," Elena said. "Can't you compel Caroline to flip her switch?"

Buffy sighed. "I don't know if it'll work. I've tried compelling Damon and it's not taking. Maybe it's something I need to perfect. I called Klaus and Elijah, but they didn't answer."

"Well, keep working on it." Stefan said. "It can be our Hail Mary play."

"Ok. So, once you have Caroline," Buffy said. "Where are you taking her?"

"There's an old bed and breakfast in Grove Hill. It's secluded. Elena will compel the very minimal staff to leave the place to us."

"Then what?" Damon asked.

"Then Elena will surprise Caroline, knock us both out with vervain, and while we're out…. She'll drain us of our blood and vampire proof the room."

"I've already ordered the supplies." Elena said. "We'll all take shifts keeping watch to make sure Caroline can't escape."

"So you've thought of everything, then." Damon said.

"Buffy said it was our mess to clean up, so we're cleaning it up."

"Good." Buffy said. "Glad to hear it. Call us when you need us. Go get Caroline."

* * *

><p>Bonnie was walking down the busy campus hallway flipping through a book when Buffy and Damon found her. It had been three days since Stefan had captured Caroline. "Bonnie." Buffy said.<p>

"Hey." Bonnie said, looking up from her book. "This is a surprise." She took the coffee that Damon offered her.

"Well, you know, we were just in the hood." Damon said. "Thought we might stop by and bring our friend a little morning pick me up."

"Thanks. What is this?"

"White chocolate mocha." Buffy said.

"So Elena told me that you guys found Caroline, which is great. Funny enough, she didn't mention anything about a cure for vampirism."

Buffy sighed. "There's a lot going on. I don't want to just spring it on her while she's trying to deal with everything."

Bonnie nodded. "I guess that's your prerogative. So what's up?"

"You ever hear of April Lyrids?" Damon asked. Bonnie just stared at him. "Yeah, me neither. Anyway, it's a stupid comet that my mom thinks she's gonna use to pull her friends out of the 1903 prison world."

"Ok, but we're not letting her people out."

"Well, I may have reinforced that possibility when I gave her the Ascendant." Buffy said.

"You what?"

"I was upset and I knew it would get her out of our hair. She can't use it anyway because she needs you to do the spell."

"So that means she's gonna come looking for me."

"So we stall her." Damon said. "Look, Lily's like a bill collector. You dodge her calls long enough, she'll leave you alone."

"No. Eventually they shut your power off. You better fix this before she becomes my problem. And don't ever show up here pretending to care about me again!"

"That went well." Buffy said.

"Well, we warned her." Damon said. "It's what we came here to do."

"Now we need to go relieve Elena on babysitter duty."

* * *

><p>"She burned the letter!" Elena complained as she sat with Buffy and Damon in the pretty little enclosed patio. "That was my ace in the hole. I blew it."<p>

"Look, the fact that you suck at torturing people is nothing to be ashamed of." Damon said. "That's why I'm here."

"He is quite good at it." Buffy said.

"Well, at least Alaric and Jo can cross this off their list of honeymoon options."

"They have a list?" Damon asked. "We knew exactly where we wanted to go for ours."

"Not every couple has a compulsion power to get the honeymoon of their dreams."

"Maybe that's what we'll do for a wedding present." Damon looked at Buffy. "We can scope out their list and compel them their dream honeymoon."

"Why don't you loan them your villa in Italy?"

"Is that on their list?"

"I don't know, but who wouldn't want a trip to Italy. If I got a honeymoon with my husband, Italy would be it. Your honeymoon was fun."

"It would've been a lot more fun without you and Jeremy getting kidnapped." Damon paused. "Actually, it would've been a lot more fun without you and Jeremy."

Elena smiled. "Yeah, yeah. Ok, I'm going to go back to my dorm and shower. Let me know how things go." She stood up and walked away.

Buffy waited until she was out of earshot. "If that wasn't the perfect opportunity to say, 'hey, guess what I have….'"

"I think waiting to tell her until this is all over with is a good idea." Damon said.

"Ugh! This is torture!" Caroline cried from upstairs.

"Sounds like the rats are restless." Damon stood up and helped Buffy to her feet. He grabbed the crime scene files that he'd snatched from the police station and they headed upstairs.

"Think those will work?" Buffy asked.  
>"We'll see, won't we?" Damon opened the window on the heavy metal door. "Bored yet?"<p>

"Go away, Damon." Caroline snapped.

"Brought you some real light reading from the true crime section." He tossed some of the files into the room. "Curious…. Which one of you idiots attacked a stadium security guard and stuffed him in a laundry cart?"

"That would have been me."

"Nice technique. Although, it's probably good that your mom's gone because that would have been a hell of a cover up."

Stefan walked to the door and picked up the files as Caroline said, "Why are you only picking on me? Stefan's in here, too. Annoy him."

"Because Stefan didn't snap a bar-back's clavicle in half." Buffy said.

"You know, it's really quite sad actually." Damon said. "I can see Liz right now, calling the parents, breaking the news, wondering where she went wrong as a mother." He threw the rest of the files into the room.

"She got cancer, Damon. That is where she went wrong."

"Healthy attitude, there, Care." Buffy said.

"I thought you were on my side, Buffy."

"Well, I was until you went back on your word and started leaving a trail of bodies behind you. Feeling a bit betrayed, are you?"

"I don't feel anything except boredom and annoyance."

"Two pesky human emotions." Damon said. "Hug them tight and let them be gateway emotions to all the rest."

"Bite me, you prick."

"Oh, such foul words from you. Please, watch your mouth. I'm sensitive to such harsh language." Damon's voice was dripping with sarcasm. His phone started ringing and he rolled his eyes at the caller ID. He shut the window on the door and walked down the hall.

"Who is it?" Buffy asked, following him.

"Mommy dearest."

"Where have you been?" Lily asked when Damon picked up.

"What are you…. My mother?"

"Is it with you?"

"Is what with me?"

"The Ascendant. It's not where I left it, and I very much doubt the housekeeper took it."

"Maybe you misplaced it."

"It is the only thing that can get my people back. I did not misplace it."

"Well, I don't have it, so start pulling up pillow cushions."

"You have not heard me, son. I need it back."

"It's really not a priority on my list of problems right now, mother."

"Find it, or rest assured, I can just as easily destroy something of great significance to you and your wife. Tucked inside a shoe box." Damon immediately realized what she was referring to and looked up at Buffy. "Clearly you've learned the art of hiding from your mother."

"You wouldn't do that."

"Bring me the Ascendant, or I will crush the cure to vampirism with my own hand."

Damon hung up. "I heard." Buffy said. "Go. I'm going to go see what I can do to bring Caroline back."

"Are you going to try to compel her?" Damon asked.

"Maybe. Or maybe I'll knock her out and get in her head."

"Why didn't we do that three days ago?"

"Cause I wanted to let Stefan and Elena try to clean up their own mess, but the age old saying of 'you want something done right, you've got to do it yourself' is rearing its ugly head." She reached up on tip toe and kissed her husband. "I'll call you when it's done."

"Ok." Damon turned and headed out.

Buffy turned on her heel and headed down to the kitchen where bags of blood were being stored in the refrigerator. She grabbed one for Stefan and headed back upstairs. She pulled the key off the wall and unlocked the door. Stefan and Caroline both turned around, confused. "All right, enough's enough."

"Somebody's got a death wish." Caroline said.

Buffy locked the door behind her and tossed the keys out through the little window. "Please Caroline, you're weaker than a newborn kitten right now and I'm the equivalent of an Original at full strength." She walked over to Stefan and handed him the blood bag.

"What are you doing?" Stefan asked.

"You can drop the act now, Stefan. You and Elena tried it your way for three days. Now we're doing this my way."

"'Drop the act'?" Caroline glared at Stefan. "Your humanity has been on this whole time!?"

"I'm actually impressed you didn't pick up on it. Damon and I had a bet with Alaric. We said you would pick up on pretty quick cause Stefan's not that great of an actor."

"Gee, thanks." Stefan quipped.

Caroline rushed at Stefan and his blood bag, but Buffy's arm shot out and caught her by the throat. She caught Caroline's gaze and put everything she had into her stare, hoping that the compulsion would work this time. "Stop struggling." Unfortunately, the compulsion didn't work. "Damn." She looked at Stefan. "Klaus or Elijah better call me back soon. I need to know what's wrong."

"Didn't you say when you compelled my mother, you were really upset?" Stefan asked.

"Yes."

"Think you could get to that place again?"

"Not right now, no." Buffy looked at Caroline. "I am, however, good at getting into people's heads." Caroline suddenly grew still, her eyes glazing over.

Stefan finished the blood bag. "What are you showing her?"

"That letter? The one that you two burned? I remember when Liz took it to the post office. I was with her. We were sitting in the town square having lunch with Damon and Hope. She was in good spirits that day. It was the last day she was alive."

"And Caroline missed it. Guilt and sadness mixed with how happy her mom was."

"Exactly." Buffy let the memory fade as she let go of Caroline's neck.

Caroline gasped. "What was that?"

"The memories I have of your mother's last day."

"I want to see the rest." Caroline forcefully grabbed Buffy's hands. "Let me see her!"

Buffy relented and kept the memory going. "It's working." Stefan said as he watched tears fall down Caroline's face.

"No. Buffy…." Caroline said.

"That's the end of it, Caroline."

"Just show me the vision again, ok? I…. I want to see my mom, Buffy. I…. I need to know what she said in that letter."

"Elena already gave you the letter."

Realization hit Caroline like a freight train. "No. No." She rushed over to the ash tray, but there were only ashes left. "No! What do you think she wanted to tell me?"

"That she was proud of you. That she loved you. That you have the strength in you to carry on whether you believe it or not."

"No. I did this. This is all my fault." Caroline dropped to the floor. "No. I tried to kill Stefan, and then I made you turn it off, and then we…. Oh, my God."

"It's ok, Caroline. It's ok." Stefan said as Buffy knelt down to hold Caroline.

"I'm so sorry, Stefan. I ruined everything. I ruined everything."

The window on the door opened and Alaric's face appeared. "What's going on? Why are the keys on the floor?"

"You can open the door, Rick." Buffy said as she rocked Caroline.

The doors opened a moment later and Alaric walked into the room. "Her emotions are back on?"

"Buffy turned them back on." Stefan said. "She did what we couldn't."

"Good job, Buff."

Buffy didn't move or say anything. She just held Caroline and let her cry on her shoulder. A couple hours later the sun had gone down and darkness had taken over the room. Caroline had finally calmed down and was sitting on the bed looking over the crime scene files and photos in the soft glow of the bedside lamp. Stefan, Alaric, and Jo had all gone home, leaving Buffy to sit with Caroline. Finally, Caroline closed the files and got up to look at the ashtray.

"Caroline…." Buffy started.

"Don't…" Caroline shook her head. "Just…. Don't."

"It's going to be ok."

"How can it be okay after everything that I ruined? Just…. don't worry about me. I'm not gonna turn it off again. I just…. really need to get out of here."

"Ok. I get it." Buffy stood up. "Just promise that you'll at least text me twice a day to let me know you're still alive."

"I can do that. Thank you." Caroline walked out of the room.

* * *

><p>Lily was standing in front of the fireplace holding the box with the cure for vampirism when Buffy walked in. Damon had called to let her know that Bonnie wasn't giving the Ascendant up and that she'd burned it. He'd said that Lily didn't know yet and that he would meet her at the house.<p>

"Tell me you have the Ascendant." Lily said.

"Nope." Buffy said, sitting her purse down. "Neither does Damon."

"Then you understand what's going to happen next."

"Oh, Damon explained it to me. He'll be home soon." She turned to Lily and calmly walked down the steps into the living room. "Two things I don't think he explained to you, though…." Suddenly Buffy was holding the box in her hands and Lily was looking shocked that her hands were empty. "One: I'm not your average vampire, so I'm a lot faster and stronger than you." She opened the box to check that the cure was still there and nodded. Her gaze met Lily's enraged one. "And two: you don't screw with my family because I will reign down pure hell on you." Lily charged at her with her vamp speed, but Buffy just stepped out of the way and caught Lily by the throat. "You will not threaten us like this ever again. Get out." She threw Lily through the front door that she'd left open for that very purpose. She walked to the door and watched as Lily debated attacking or leaving. She chose to leave and Buffy shut the door, holding the box with the cure tightly in her hand.

Damon walked in about ten minutes later to find Buffy sitting on the couch staring at the box with the cure in it. "Hey. You got it back."

"I scared the hell out of your mother, but yeah…." She looked up at him. "I got it back."

"Good job. You brought Caroline back and you got the cure back. The Ascendant is destroyed, so no chance of the witchpires invading." Damon sat down next to her and leaned back into the couch. "I'd say, all in all, it's a good day today."

"I'm going to tell Elena about the cure."

"When?"

The front door opened and Elena walked in. "Hey, I got your text." She said to Buffy. "Is everything ok? It sounded kinda serious."

"Oh." Damon sat up. "You're telling her now."

"Telling me what?" Elena walked in and sat down on the couch across from them. She spotted the box sitting on the table in front of Buffy. "Is that what I think it is?"

Buffy slid the box towards Elena. "It's the cure."

Elena reached out and touched the box gently. She took a deep breath and opened it. The cure laid on its little bed of silk in its little glass vile. "Oh my god…."

"Bonnie brought it back from the 1994 prison world and gave it me to give to you. I've had it for a few days now. I wanted to tell you about it, but with everything going on…. I didn't think it was the right time. But now that we have Caroline back and we're safe from Mama Salvatore's creepy friends since Bonnie destroyed the Ascendant…."

"I need some time to think about this."

"You need time to think about it?" Damon asked. "This is what you wanted! Don't you hate being a vampire?"

"I don't know. I just…. I need to think about it." Elena shut the box and walked out of the house.

Damon and Buffy sat there for a moment with confused expressions on their faces. Finally, Damon said, "That went well."

"That did _not_ go how I thought it would." Buffy said.


	129. Chapter 127

Chapter 127

Buffy, Elena, and Bonnie stayed out of sight as Jo walked into the hospital room with 'Officer Baker'. "What's this about?" Jo asked.

"I'm here regarding Professor Saltzman." 'Officer Baker' said. "I understand you two are engaged to be married?"

"Is something wrong?"

'Officer Baker' reached for his night stick on his belt and took it out as he hit a button on it that made it light up. Buffy rolled her eyes at the display. "Nope!" Jo looked confused and watched curiously as 'Officer Baker' started to smile. "Everything is just right." Suddenly, 'Ladies Night' started to play, and 'Officer Baker' ripped open his shirt and started to gyrate his hips at Jo.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa! Wow!" Jo cried.

'Officer Baker' stripped down to his red speedo and continued to dance provocatively as Bonnie and Elena burst into the room screaming. Buffy just walked in behind them shaking her head.

"Oh!" Jo yelled. "Oh, my God. No. I don't think so! No, no, no, this can't be happening." Elena and Bonnie started dancing around with the stripper, who seemed very amused by this, while they threw confetti everywhere. They sat Jo down on a chair and put a Bachelorette tiara on her head and threw strings of Mardi Gras beads around her neck. After a moment, Jo started to get into it, and danced in her seat while the stripper gave her a lap dance.

"Happy bachelorette!" Bonnie and Elena yelled.

Jo laughed and looked at Buffy. "Happy bachelorette party, Jo." Buffy said calmly.

While Elena and Bonnie enjoyed the stripper a little bit later, Jo walked over to Buffy. "Everything ok?"

"Yeah."

"Are you sure? There's a very sexy stripper who's been compelled to give lap dances for free and you're not getting in on that action."

"I was against the stripper. It's just…. Weird."

"No, I don't think that's it. Something's bothering you."

Buffy sighed. "It's a lot of things. But tonight is your bachelorette party. Let's not talk about my issues."

"Ok. But don't think you're getting out of this talk, though. We're just postponing it." Jo smiled at Buffy and walked over to join Elena and Bonnie.

* * *

><p>A few hours later, Elena, Bonnie, Buffy, and Jo had moved to the diner in Mystic Falls. Willow and Tara had joined them there, deciding to skip the stripper. It was completely empty aside from the six women and the cook. They were laughing and chatting together while they ate huge hamburgers and seasoned fries. Jo seemed thrilled to have the small get-together for her bachelorette party.<p>

"An entire diner to ourselves? Actual heaven." Jo said between bites.

"If Caroline were here, we would be planning a spa day." Elena said.

"But now, she's MIA." Bonnie said.

"It's completely understandable considering everything she's gone through." Tara said.

"Except she's not MIA." Buffy said. "She texts me twice a day."

"I didn't know that." Elena said.

"I told her to. Glad she listened. So, instead of a spa day or getting drunk somewhere, since the bride-to-be is knocked up…. Elena figured we'd just stuff our faces."

Jo let out a sigh of pleasure as she ate her burger. "You're geniuses."

"Except…. aren't you a vegetarian?" Willow asked.

"Willow, don't ruin it!" Elena cried.

"She's right." Bonnie said. "That's not exactly a Garden burger!"

"The baby is not ok with the no-meat thing. Besides, it's my party, and I'll eat what I want to!" Jo took a big gulp of her milkshake. "I do wish this was vodka, though."

"I'll take bourbon." Buffy said.

"Hey, I don't want to know what Rick's doing, do I?"

"I'd love to say they're at the movies or playing night golf, but my husband is the best man and he's compelled a very large, very proper bachelor party at the house. Lots of booze and some strippers. If one of those strippers lays a hand on him or Rick, I've let Damon know exactly what will happen to him and said strippers."

"Wow. I have some awesome friends." Jo set down her milkshake. "I need ketchup! Come help me find it before our fries get out here." She held out her hand to Buffy and the blonde relented, getting up and going with Jo. They got to the kitchen and Jo shut the door behind them. "Ok, spill. You're putting on a good front, but even I can sense the tension in that room."

Buffy sighed and leaned against the counter as Jo started collecting little cups of ketchup. "I gave Elena the cure yesterday and she hasn't said one word about it since."

"The cure?"

"For vampirism."

"Wait…. There's a cure for it?"

"Besides you and your amazing doctor skills inside a magic-free bubble, yes. There's a cure."

Jo handed Buffy a cup of honey mustard. "Wow."

"The one from our world was shoved down Elena's doppleganger's throat. Bonnie brought the one from the prison world and gave it to me to give to Elena. I held onto it for a few days since everything was crazy with Caroline and then Stefan, but I handed it over last night and she's said nothing. She just…. She stared at me like I was an alien and then basically teleported out of the room."

"You handed her the Holy Grail of life options and she just walked away?"

"Yes."

Jo nodded and turned, walking out of the kitchen with her little cups of ketchup. The cook had just set down four more large orders of fries. "Ok, Elena, talk."

"About what?" Elena asked.

"Your guardian gives you the greatest gift ever in the history of gifts…. the cure for being a vampire…. and you just walked away without saying anything."

Elena shot a glare at Buffy. "I said I would think about it. Why are we talking about me? This is your party."

"Trust me, I would much rather talk about that than the fact that I have yet to find a non-hideous wedding gown. Or, that I can't ask my sister to be my maid of honor because she won't return my phone calls. Or, the fact that I cannot stop eating! Literally, like ever. So, big decision. Go."

"I think you should take it." Bonnie said.

"I do too." Willow said.

"Decision made."

"What if I miss the perks, like compelling the owner of a diner to close early for us?" Elena asked.

"That's what I'm here for." Buffy said.

"Or what if I get sick?"

"That's what I'm here for." Jo said.

"Does this have anything to do with Stefan?" Tara asked, ever the observant one.

"What?"

"If you turn human, he's still a vampire. And there's only one cure."

"Have you talked to him?" Buffy asked.

"No, I haven't talked to him. And no, it doesn't have anything to do with him." Elena said.

"Then why won't you take it?" Jo asked.

"I'm not saying I won't take it. I'm saying I need to think about it. I'm a completely different person when I'm human. Maybe I like who I am now and I don't want to go back."

"That's ridiculous. Being supernatural doesn't change who you are! I should know. I'm an ex-witch who's about to marry an ex-vampire. Deep down, you know who you are and what you want."

"And what she's always wanted is to be human." Bonnie said.

Their conversation was interrupted when Buffy's phone started ringing. She checked the caller ID and saw that it was Damon. "Oh boy. Hopefully I don't have to kill any strippers." She grabbed her order of fries, got up, and headed outside. "Hello, husband."

"Hello, wife." Damon said.

"Let me guess, you got a lap dance, and now you feel guilty because I'm going to kill the stripper."

"How'd you know?"

"Slayer vision. Well, you may have won this round of partying, but I win for best junk food high."

"Is that why you're walking around town eating french fries?"

"Are you following me?"

"Look up."

Buffy looked up to see Damon standing on top of the clock tower in the town square. "What in the world are you doing up there?"

"Oh, I'm just clearing my head of all the booze and noise."

Buffy held up her bag of fries. "Want some? I hear they're great for hangovers."

"You deliver?"

"Be right up." Buffy made her way up the side of the building using her superpowers and took a seat next to Damon. She took a moment to enjoy the scenery in front of them. "It's so beautiful up here."

"You're so beautiful."

Buffy laughed slightly, "How much have you had to drink?"

"Enough. These are delicious." Damon said as he took a few fries.

"Well, we compelled the cook to make only the very finest of junk food." They sat in silence for a while, leaning against each other and eating the last of the fries. "Elena said she still needs to think about taking the cure."

"What kind of bachelorette party were you having that you would bring up a topic like that?"

"Jo sensed the tension between me and Elena…. Maybe it's a pregnancy thing…. And she confronted me about it. I spilled everything to her and she confronted Elena about it."

"I need to teach you guys how to have a party."

"I know how to party, thank you. But it's Jo's bachelorette party, not mine. She can talk about whatever she wants to."

"You know, we never had our stag and hen nights."

"It was kind of a surprise wedding. But I'm happy with how everything turned out."

Damon took her hand and kissed her knuckles. "I am too. Who needs parties when our whole eternity is going to be spent living it up together?"

Buffy smiled. "I love you, Damon."

He smiled back and leaned over to kiss her gently. "I love you, too. So, we seem to ask this question a lot, but…. What are we going to do about Elena?"

Before Buffy could answer, her phone started ringing. She pulled it out to see that it was Elena calling. "Speak of the devil." She hit the answer button.

"Where did you go?" Elena asked.

"Up."

"Up? What does that mean?"

"It means my husband picks some seriously random places to hang out. Is everything ok?"

"Yeah." Damon pointed out that Elena was walking down the sidewalk below them. "I was just curious where you went. You've been gone for a little while. But if you're with Damon, that explains why."

"Actually, we were just talking about you."

"Me? Why?"

"One guess."

"Why I won't take the cure."

"Ding, ding, ding." Buffy scooted off the side of the tower and dropped down to the ground behind Elena. "We have a winner."

Elena gasped and turned around just as Damon landed next to Buffy. "Where…." She glanced up at the clock tower where the almost-empty French fry bag was still sitting. "You literally went up."

"Yup."

"So, why won't you take the cure?" Damon asked.

Elena sighed. "What if I miss being a vampire? I can't ever go back to it."

He nodded, thinking for a minute as they began to walk down the street past the Grill. "Ok, what's your favorite thing about being a vampire?"

"Well, I guess if I had to choose one thing, it would be that I can heal people."

"You're training to be a doctor with a lot of vampire friends. If you really need vampire blood to heal someone, then you've got plenty to choose from. Try again."

"The speed isn't bad."

"I'll buy you a Mustang. What else?"

"Compelling can be a good thing."

"Again, you have lots of vampire friends to choose from."

Buffy realized where they were and took Elena's hand suddenly. "I have one. Getting into people's heads."

Elena gasped when she saw where they were and the image Buffy was projecting into her head. "My old house!"

"Elena, becoming a vampire has made you miserable. Let's recount what's happened to you in the last couple of years since you turned. You couldn't handle the loss of your brother so you turned off your emotions and burned down this house…. Your home. You killed someone because your emotions were off. You broke it off with Stefan, the love of your life, because in your heightened emotional state, your crush on Damon confused the hell out of you. And, worst of all, you've done nothing but settle because you've been stuck like this." Buffy pulled the cure out of her coat pocket. "But the thing is, you're not stuck. Not anymore."

"You brought it with you."

"I wasn't going to leave it in the soap dish. Especially not with my psycho mother-in-law running around threatening to destroy it."

Elena took the cure from Buffy. "I do want this, Buffy. No matter how much it scares me, I can't pretend that I don't."

"I know. You've wanted this since the day you became a vampire."

"What about Stefan?"

"Stefan would be shoving this down your throat like you did to Katherine." Damon said.

"None of this is about Stefan." Buffy said. "This is about you, Elena. About your happiness. About your future."

"I don't want you to be sad because of me."

"That's going to be inevitable, but it's not going to be any time soon." Buffy reached out and broke the top of the cure. "Bottoms up." Elena hesitated for a moment before drinking the cure in one gulp. She gasped when she realized what she'd just done and smiled as Damon took the vile from her.

"How do you feel?" Damon asked.

"I don't know. I…. I kind of feel…." Elena wavered and passed out.

Buffy caught her. "Damon!"

"What happened? Was that supposed to happen?" Damon asked.

"I don't know."

"Let's get her home." He scooped Elena up in his arms and Buffy followed him to his car he'd parked behind the Grill. As he opened the passenger door, Elena opened her eyes and sucked in a breath. "Elena, hey." Damon set Elena down on the trunk of his car and moved out of the way so Buffy could check her over.

"Hey. You scared the crap out of us." Buffy said.

"I think I'm…. I'm ok." Elena said.

"What happened?"

"I don't know…. I just…. Wait…." Elena pulled her bachelorette party pin out of her pocket and used it to prick her finger. She looked at the wound, but it didn't heal. "It's not healing! Guys, it's not healing. That means, it's…. it worked. It worked!"

Buffy smiled as Elena grabbed her in a hug. It was obvious to her that Elena was human now. Her skin was warm, her heartbeat had sped up, and the strength in her arms felt non-existent now. "How are you feeling about it?"

"I feel…. I feel like I want to hug both of you." She grabbed Damon into the hug.

Damon's cell phone started ringing suddenly. He pulled it out of his pocket. "It's Stefan. Hello, brother."

"Damon, do not let Elena take that cure!" Stefan said.

"What? How do you even know about that?"

"Lily got away from me, so it's a really bad time to be a human."

"What's going on?" Buffy asked.

"You were right. We've got to lock her up."

"What is he saying?" Elena asked. "I…. I can't hear anymore."

Damon hung up and put his phone back in his pocket. "Apparently, Mama Salvatore's…."

"Trying to snap your neck." Buffy said, suddenly holding a struggling Lily away from Damon and Elena. "Damon, get her home. I'll deal with the moster-in-law."

"Elena." Damon said, ushering her to the car.

"I won't be imprisoned again!" Lily screamed as Damon and Elena drove away. Buffy released her, confident that she could keep her contained. "I didn't have to turn into this person. I kept her at bay for so long, but my sons? They ruined everything."

"They were trying to help, you psycho." Buffy snapped.

"Look at me! They're not helping!" Stefan burst out of the Grill's back door just then. Lily turned on him, tears streaming down her face. "Look what you've done to your mother. I'm a mess."

"In a few days, or months, or years, you'll feel different." Stefan insisted.

"What does it matter if I'm alone, terrified of falling off of the edge? I suppose I'd be like you, wouldn't I? Sad and alone." Lily grabbed a wooden pallet and broke off a piece, pointing it at herself. Buffy rolled her eyes, but Stefan panicked and walked down the steps toward her.

"No! No, no, no, no. You don't want to do that. Please don't do that." Stefan begged. "Stay alive for us, your sons. The one who I know that, deep down inside you, you still care about. And who still care about you."

"You're looking into my eyes. You always had such pretty eyes." For a moment, it looked like Lily was considering Stefan's offer, but instead she rushed at him and tried to stake him. Stefan gasped in surprise when Buffy appeared behind his mother and Lily was falling to the ground with a broken neck.

She looked up at her brother-in-law. "Are you ok?"

"Did Elena take the cure?" Stefan asked, ignoring Buffy's question.

"How do you even know about that? Elena said she didn't talk to you."

"Enzo told me."

"How does Enzo know?"

"Damon told him? I don't know. Why didn't _you_ tell me?"

"Because it wasn't my decision to make. I did my part. I gave Elena the cure, I let her mull it over, and she chose to take it. You should talk to her about it, not me. Damon took her home." Buffy glanced down at Lily. "You should get her locked up and then go talk to Elena."

"Where are you going?" Stefan called after her.

"To check on the bachelorette party that Elena and I abandoned." Buffy made her way back to the diner, but the place was empty. There was a pool of blood that smelled like Bonnie's and there was the faint trace of magic in the air. The cook was still in the back waiting for any more orders from them. She compelled him to shut the place down before leaving the diner.

Willow finally picked up on the fifth ring. "Where did you go?"

"I just went to answer the call from my husband and it spiraled from there."

"Did Elena find you?"

"Yeah. She took the cure. What happened at the diner?"

"Lily happened. She showed up not long after Elena walked out. She attacked and managed to hurt Bonnie and Tara. She almost got Jo, but Jo screamed that she was pregnant and Lily hesitated. I threw her through the front window."

"And then she came after me and Damon. Are Tara and Bonnie ok?"

"We're at the hospital now. Bonnie got stabbed in the neck and Tara's arm was broken."

"I'm so sorry, Will. Do you want some special healing power for Tara?"

"That would be great."

"Ok. I'm on my way."

* * *

><p>Buffy walked into the house and found Damon sitting in front of the fire. He looked up and smiled at her. "Hey."<p>

"Hey." She walked over and sat down next to him. "Tara and Bonnie are ok. I gave them blood so they could go home. Jo is ok as well. Except she's having twins and she and Alaric are sort of in shock about it."

"And Lily has been laid down for a long winter's nap."

"Good. Did Stefan and Elena talk?"

Damon held up his finger and waited. A moment later, Stefan's voice could be heard from upstairs followed by Elena's. It was obvious he and Elena were in an argument. "They've been at it for a while."

"He's upset that she took the cure?"

"He's talking about taking it with her."

Buffy's eyes widened. "Seriously?"

"Seriously."

"And how do you feel about this?"

Damon took a long sip from his bourbon before he answered. "Stefan wasn't cut out for vampire life."

"I know. But that doesn't tell me how you feel about it."

"I don't feel anything just yet. Elena doesn't want him to take it."  
>"Why?"<p>

"Apparently she's not ready to be with him. The last couple of years have been hard on them both and she wants to take some time to figure out if she wants him in her life."

"Harsh." Damon shrugged. "Do you want him to take it?"

"What do you think?"

"I think Stefan would have to disappear and we'd never be able to see him again. So no, I don't think you want him to take it."

"Which makes me extremely selfish." Damon looked down into his bourbon. "Isn't it funny? In the beginning, I didn't want to be a vampire. I chose not to complete the transition. But Stefan was the one that convinced me to turn. Stefan loved it in the beginning and I hated it. Now it's topsy turvy. I love being a vampire and he hates it. Now…. Now my brother wants to be human and I want to convince him to stay a vampire."

"Maybe you won't have to. Maybe Elena will stick with her decision and move on without him."

Damon shrugged. "Maybe. We'll see."


	130. Chapter 128 NEW

Chapter 128

Jo, Elena, Willow, Tara, and Bonnie were in the library of the boarding house preparing for the wedding while Buffy was upstairs going through her makeup to find Jo a powder that would match her skin. Damon was with Stefan trying to talk him out of becoming human. Buffy had argued against doing that, but she understood why Damon didn't want Stefan to go through with it.

When Buffy returned downstairs, Jo was rushing around the room searching for something. "Crap, they're not here."

"What's wrong?" Elena asked.

"My shoes! My gorgeous, ridiculously expensive, wear-them-once-and-then-never-again shoes. They are missing."

"Do you want me to do a locator spell?" Willow asked.

"On my shoes?" Willow nodded. "Is that possible?"

"When you're Willow, pretty much anything is possible." Buffy said. "Powder." She handed Jo the powder case.

"Does anyone know how to work this stupid thing?" Bonnie complained. She was helplessly trying to get a steamer to turn on and had managed to pull the hose out.

"Oh, good, break it! Because my wrinkled dress will surely distract everyone from my bare feet."

"Breathe, Jo." Buffy said calmly. "Don't waste all your panic now. You still have eight hours until the ceremony."

"Non-alcoholic mimosa?" Elena offered.

"One, a non-alcoholic mimosa is just an orange juice." Jo said. "And two, I can't drink. Somebody should drink. You should drink."

"I will drink, eventually. But, I have human tolerance now, which is cheaper but a lot less fun."

"Actually, if you think about it, it's a lot more expensive now." Willow said. "Before you could compel yourself a drink. Now you actually have to pay."

"Gee, thanks."

"Cheers." Buffy said, taking a glass of champagne from the table.

Jo's cell phone started ringing and Buffy was suddenly in front of Jo, taking it from her. "Go. Relax." She hit the answer button. "Jo's phone. Oh. Ok."

"That's not an ok, ok. That's a there's a problem ok." Jo said.

"Yeah, we'll call you back." Buffy hung up the phone. "Danielle's got the flu."

"Huh. It sounded like you just said, 'Danielle has the flu,' which is impossible, because Danielle is my wedding coordinator."

"Yeah."

"Well, how sick is she? Can she still work?"

"How much vomit you want to have at the wedding?" Jo turned and started to pace, but Buffy brightened up when she heard familiar footsteps coming down the hall.

"To be honest, I think maybe this is a good thing!" Caroline said, walking into the room. "Because no matter how good Danielle was, I am pretty sure I'm better."

Elena smiled and rushed over to hug her. "Caroline, I missed you!"

"I missed me, too. Thank you for getting me back."

Bonnie set down the steamer. "Hi!"

"Hi!" Caroline grabbed Bonnie in a tight hug. "Ok, now, we've got a lot to do and not a lot time to do it. Elena, just have a drink, you're not going to pass out. Bonnie, the switch is on the left-hand side on the back. And Willow, don't worry about that locater spell because Jo, I can see your shoes under the couch. Ok, now, who's dealing with the boys?"

"Matt is in charge of them because my husband…. The best man…. Is off on a little detour with Stefan." Buffy said.

"Will Damon be ready in time?"

"Of course he will."

"Ok, I'm going to check on Alaric's progress, then. Buffy, you get your makeup done and then start on Jo's. I need the matron of honor ready to use her super Vampire Slayer vampire powers at the drop of a hat. Elena, go ahead and get ready because you're going to be my assistant today."

"Buffy, can I use your makeup?" Elena asked, following Buffy out of the living room.

"Of course." Buffy said, slowing down so Elena could keep up with her.

"So, what is Damon doing with Stefan?"

"Do you really want to know?"

"Do I?"

Buffy sighed, going over to the large mirror by the window where her matron of honor dress was hanging. It was a deep gray sheath dress made of chiffon and lace. From the bust up to the neck was lace that flowed down into ¾ length sleeves and turned into a draped back that exposed a majority of her back. Jo had told her the color she wanted her to wear and that she didn't care what the dress looked like. "He's trying to talk Stefan out of taking the cure. Ever."

"Why?"

"He finally realized how much he needs his brother in his life." Elena nodded and went over to the mirror in the bathroom. "You know, you didn't ask me how I felt about it."

"I just assumed you were with Damon on it."

"Not on this."

"You want Stefan to take it?"

"I want Stefan to have the option to take it and not feel guilty about it. Like you did."

"What if I don't feel the same about him like I did before I was turned?"

"That's ok, then. This isn't entirely about you. Even if the rest of his life isn't with you, Stefan would be happier as a human. He's struggled with being a vampire for over a century. So, even if you decide that your feelings for him aren't the same and you don't want to spend the rest of your human life with him, I'm pretty sure that you love him enough to give him that gift. But, it's not my gift to give. I'm just giving you my opinion on the situation."

"Ok, the boys are officially taken care of." Caroline announced, walking into the room fifteen minutes later. "Matron of honor is in hair and make-up before she does the bride's hair and makeup. I'm gonna head to the venue and fix…. whatever they're screwing up. Elena…." Elena was reaching for something and almost burned her hand on the curling iron that was sitting next to the sink. "The curling iron!"

"Yes, I can see it, Care."

"Ok!"

"I'm human now, not blind. And I'm not fragile, either. You don't have to walk on eggshells around me."

"Uh, I do, actually. Because if you walked on them, they could cut you and you'd get infected and probably die."

"You know what? Given my luck, that actually seems possible."

"So, what's it like now in the world of the living?"

"It's different. I'm slower…. I have to look both ways before crossing the street, but it's nice to not…."

"Be a monster like me, who turns off their humanity and commits murder instead of dealing with grief like a normal person?"

"I was gonna say not have to wear a daylight ring all the time."

"Care, you're not a monster." Buffy said, walking over with Elena's dress. "You were suffering and you dealt with it. If certain people who shall remain nameless hadn't interfered, then you would've been fine. It's not entirely your fault that you went Hulk on us."

Caroline took the dress. "Thanks. Really. You were the one person that supported me and that means a lot to me."

"You're welcome. You guys go on and get things ready at the venue."

"Ok. Elena, are you ready?"

"Yup." Elena followed Caroline out.

Buffy went back to doing her makeup in the mirror by the windows. Downstairs, the door opened and closed for Elena and Caroline. As she was putting her hair into a half up style to make her curls cascade prettily down her neck and back, Jo walked in with a glass of champagne for Buffy.

"Ok, where do you want me?" She asked.

Buffy pointed to the chair beside the mirror. "Brought that in just for you. I'll be done in two seconds."

"You look gorgeous."

"You're going to outshine everyone, Jo."

Jo smiled slightly. "Thank you for being my matron of honor. I really appreciate it."

"You're welcome. I'm still a little confused as to why you asked me."

"You're like a sister to Rick. He adores you. And your husband is the best man. So, it works out nicely."

"Oh. I figured you would've asked Elena."

"I thought about it. But you're the closest thing to family Rick has. That's why Elena is the unofficial bridesmaid. Plus, I like you. You're good people."

"Thanks. You are too. I'm glad Rick found you."

"I'm glad you forced him out of his comfort zone so he'd consider dating me."

"He would've gotten there eventually."

They continued to chat while Buffy worked on Jo's makeup. They had an easy friendship that had grown in the last couple of weeks. Jo was incredibly supportive of Buffy and Damon's decision to move forward with their lives and travel the world together. She was also excited about the honeymoon in France that her matron of honor and the best man had gotten the soon-to-be-newlyweds. Jo was in the middle of telling Buffy about her and Alaric's plans for visiting the Louvre when Bonnie could be heard yelling from downstairs.

Jo didn't hear it, but Buffy handed Jo her lipstick and told her to put it on before rushing out of the room. Bonnie was running up the basement stairs and slamming the door behind her when Buffy got to the downstairs hallway. "What's going on? Why were you down there?"

"Enzo…." Bonnie croaked. Buffy sighed and went to grab a bottle of water for Bonnie. "Thanks." Bonnie sucked down half the bottle before she was able to speak. "Enzo asked me to deliver an iPod with music on it to Lily."

"You should've given it to me. I can handle Lily better."

"Hindsight and all that." Bonnie gingerly touched her neck.

"Yeah, that's going to bruise. Let's go put some makeup on it." Buffy gestured for Bonnie to follow her upstairs. "So, what's she up to down there?"

"She was rambling on about her family, and then I got close to her, and she attacked me, like an animal."

"She's reached the crazy portion of drying out, then."

"You're saying this is all because she's drying out?"

"Your mind starts playing tricks on you. You start seeing things, and people."

"What happens when the crazy stage is over?"

Buffy shrugged. "Stefan said that he has a plan to get her back on track."

"Does that plan involve letting her out? Because if he thinks she's giving up on her family…."

"She has to. You destroyed the Ascendant."

"What if there's a loophole?"

"I'm dreading it, but I guess I should think about putting the dress on." Jo said as Buffy and Bonnie walked into Buffy's room. "Something's wrong. It's not the dress, is it? Please tell me it's not the dress."

"We were just talking about the desiccating vampire locked in a cell in my basement." Buffy said.

"Did she do something to the dress?"

"The dress is fine. I'm just being paranoid." Bonnie assured her.

Buffy cocked her head. "Why is Donovan here?"

"Matt's here?" Bonnie asked.

"Still freaky how well you can hear." Jo said to Buffy.

"Hello?" Matt called from downstairs.

"Up here, quarterback!" Buffy called back.

Matt walked in moments later. "Ok. Truck's here. Who's coming?"

"Translate please."

"Caroline suggested in a semi-threatening way that I pick up the centerpieces, which sounds like a Donovan screw-up waiting to happen."

"I'll come!" Bonnie said.

"Thank you."

"Yeah." Bonnie took her concealer and foundation from Buffy and headed out with Matt.

Buffy shrugged and turned to Jo. "Let's hold off on getting you in the dress until we get to the venue."

"Right. Good call."

Jo turned around to walk out of the room and back to Buffy's closet room. A weird look came over her face and she grabbed her stomach. Buffy was suddenly across the room catching Jo before she fell to the floor. "Jo?" She didn't know what was wrong, but she didn't want to give the babies vampire blood. "Jo!" Buffy picked her up and laid her down in the bed, pacing worriedly for a moment. Just as she made the decision to call Alaric and tell him, Jo opened her eyes. "Oh god…."

"Well, that was embarrassing." Jo said.

"What happened? Do I need to give you my blood or call 911? What?"

"I just need to lie here for a minute."  
>"Are you sure? I've got plenty of blood if you need some."<p>

"No."

"What was that?"

"An acute panic attack, brought on by stress, pregnancy, and a severe lack of food."

Buffy took a breath and shook her head. "You haven't eaten? Ok. You rest. I'm going to make you some food."

"Yeah. Ok. Good call." Before Buffy could leave, Jo said, "What are the chances of you being an amazing matron-of-honor and keeping this mortifying episode to yourself? I don't want to worry Rick."

"Yeah. Sure. Just…. Don't do it again?"

"I promise."

* * *

><p>Buffy wandered around the inside of the barn. The place was beautiful. Caroline had done a fantastic job picking up the pieces from the wedding planner. Jo had wanted to be alone when Alaric had called, so Buffy had vacated the room. She'd spotted Stefan talking with Elena and knew that Damon must be somewhere close by.<p>

"Isn't a bridesmaid's dress supposed to make you look like a freak of nature?" He said behind her.

Buffy turned around. "Jo went easy on me."

"You look gorgeous."

"Thank you." She reached up to adjust his tie. "You look sexy." Damon leaned down and kissed her. "How did it go with Stefan?"

"It didn't. He still wants to be human."

"I figured. Are you ok?"

"No. I don't want to lose my brother."

"I know."

"At least Elena doesn't want him to take it just yet. We've got some time before I have to say goodbye."

Buffy nodded. "I'm glad you've accepted it."

"I don't want to, trust me, but you're right. Stefan hates being a vampire. If this is his chance to be happy, then who am I to deny him that? I've found my happiness." Damon wrapped his arms around Buffy, pulling her tightly to him. "He should find his."

"You're a good man, Damon Salvatore."

"I'm the best man." He looked down at her and smirked. "Think we've got time to have a roll in the hay?"

"Damon!"

"You know what you in formal wear does to me." He leaned down and kissed her neck. "We could make it quick."

Buffy laughed. "It's never quick with you."

"True."

"Besides, Jo has been on edge all day. I don't want to make her snap."

"This is why surprise weddings are the way to do it. No pressure. No massive decisions weighing on you. Nothing goes wrong because nothing was planned."

"Not everyone has an über-powerful witch to pull that off."

"What? Willow wasn't willing to do that for Rick and Jo? That's just mean."

"She offered. They turned her down saying that they wanted the normal wedding experience since they're two normal humans."

Damon huffed. "That's a stretch. She's an ex witch with a psycho twin stuck in a 1903 prison world and he's an ex Original vampire who used to have a ring that brought him back from the dead when he was just a run of the mill vampire hunter."

"Which is exactly why they want normal. Let's be nice and give them a best man and matron of honor that doesn't run off ten minutes before the ceremony to get it on in a pile of hay."

He chuckled. "Pretty sure that _is _normal, but ok. Just so we're clear, though, it's only ok because we've got time between the end of the ceremony and when we have to give our speeches at the reception."

Willow and Tara walked just then. "Hey." Willow said.

"You look amazing." Tara said to Buffy.

"Thank you."

"It was nice of Jo to let you pick your own dress." Willow said.

"I think so, too."

"Where should we sit? The bride or groom's side?"

"Either. I think this is a pick-a-seat-not-a-side wedding. It's cause Rick doesn't actually have family. Just friends."

"You're family to him." Tara said.

"He's family to me."

"Rick as a brother in law?" Damon said. "Never thought of it that way. Sounds good to me."

Caroline walked in. "Buffy, Damon, there you are! Come on! I need you to get in your places."

"Guess we need to get in our places." Buffy said.

"See you lovely ladies on the other side." Damon said to Willow and Tara as Caroline pulled him and Buffy towards the back of the barn. Guests were starting to take their seats now.

"Have you seen Bonnie or Matt?" Caroline asked.

"They're not here yet?" Buffy asked.

"No. They left a little while ago to go pick up Bonnie's dress. I've been trying to call them both, but they're not answering."

"What do you want us to do about it?" Damon asked.

"Nothing, I guess. You two have to be up there in less than five minutes." Caroline sighed. "I guess I'll keep trying them. If they miss the wedding, they miss the wedding. There's still a reception. We're just going to have a big gaping hole in the crowd where they should be."

"And there's the Caroline we know and love." Buffy said.

"Here," Alaric said, walking in with glasses of champagne for them. "To celebrate my last moments as a single man."

"You nervous?" Damon asked.

"Uh…. Yes and no."

"It'll be fine, Rick." Damon wrapped an arm around Buffy's waist. "Married life isn't so bad."

Buffy looked up at Damon with a loving smile on her face. "Just try to avoid one of you dying…."

"Or having feelings for an Original vampire."

"Or taking in two teenagers who seem bound and determined to ruin any and all vacation plans."

"Or…."

"Ok. I get it!" Alaric said. "Thanks for the advice. You know, I have been married once before."

"Yeah, but that one doesn't count. She was a psycho bitch who became so obsessed with the occult that she left you to become a vampire."

"Is Willow still available for best man duties?" Alaric asked Buffy.

Damon chuckled. "What I'm trying to say is…. Jo is it. You're going to be a good husband to her."

Alaric smiled. "Thanks, buddy." He pulled Damon to him in a tight hug.

Buffy held up her champagne glass. "To family."

"The ones we're born with and the ones we choose." Damon said.

"I love you guys."

"Ok, the guests are in their seats. Rick, time to take your place." Caroline said, taking his champagne glass from him.

"Into the breach with you, sir." Buffy gave Alaric a hug as he passed her to walk up the aisle.

As soon as he was half way up, Caroline shut the doors and Jo came in the opposite door with her dad.

"Wow." Damon said to her. "You look amazing."

"Thank you." Jo said. "How does Rick look?"

"Handsome." Buffy answered. "You won't be disappointed." She looked at Joshua Parker suspiciously. "You're not going to cause any trouble, are you?"

"Buffy…."

"I'm the matron of honor, Jo. If there's trouble, I'm going to do my best to stop it in its tracks."

"I'm here to see my daughter get married." Joshua said. "I'm not going to start anything."

"Good."

"Ok, Buffy and Damon." Caroline said. "Your turn." She handed Buffy her bouquet and opened the doors, making sure Jo was still hidden from Alaric's view.

Damon held out his arm. "Shall we?"

"We shall." Buffy looped her arm through his and they made their way up the aisle. They gave each other a quick kiss before separating and taking their places on either side.

The music started and Jo walked in, escorted by her father. Once everyone is in position, the justice of the peace began her homily. Damon caught Buffy's eye and she knew he was thinking of their wedding day. She winked at him and turned her attention back to the wedding in front of them.

"Welcome, family and friends, on this magical evening to the wedding of Alaric Saltzman and Josette Loughlin. Josette and Alaric have prepared their own vows."

Alaric cleared his throat nervously. "Neither one of us should be here right now. We've spent our lives dodging fate and beating the odds. But, because we did, I got to meet you, the most beautiful, hilarious and intimidatingly brilliant woman I have ever known. You inspire me, you've shown me that happiness is actually something that I can have in my life. And so…." He grabbed the ring from Damon. "I promise to be with you, and love you, and to dodge fate with you for the rest of our lives."

"Josette?"

"Oh god, that's a tough act to follow." Jo said, wiping tears from her eyes. "Here it goes…. Alaric Saltzman, you are…." She stopped suddenly and gasped, hunching over in pain.

"Jo? Jo? Jo? Oh my god. Jo? Jo? Jo?" Alaric cried. Jo started to sway on her feet as blood began to pour from the front and back of her dress. "Jo? Oh god, no!" Jo fell forward into Alaric's arms. Buffy moved to bite her wrist, but found she was frozen. Suddenly Kai was standing in front of her holding a bloody hunting knife in his hands.

"I was gonna wait till the 'death do us apart' bit, but it seemed a little on the nose. Am I right?" Kai asked. "Miss me? No? Oh well."

Alaric was on his knees on the ground now, holding a dying Jo. Joshua stood up from his seat and rushed toward them, but Kai held up a hand and a high-pitched noise incapacitated everyone in the room. Buffy tried again to move, but she was still frozen. She saw Willow's eyes turn white and knew that she was starting to counteract Kai.

He must've noticed it, though. A wind suddenly blew through the place like an explosion. The windows shattered everywhere and Buffy was released from her magical hold as she and Damon went flying through the air. She landed near Elena, Willow, and Tara in a pile of rubble with a large piece of glass sticking out of her side. Willow and Tara were cut in multiple spots, but nothing that would cause permanent damage. Elena had been knocked unconscious, though. Buffy yanked the glass out of her side and went over to Elena as the wedding erupted into chaos around them.


End file.
